In his weekly press conference, the President of Panama emphasized his country’s abidance by the principle of national sovereignty and neutrality, saying that “Panama is a peaceful region. We do not need war, and the problem in Venezuela is political and must be resolved through politics.”

Mulino’s remarks came amid reports of the deployment of US warships in the Caribbean Sea and growing speculation about a possible military intervention in Venezuela, a move that has raised concerns among many regional governments about the US military build up in the Caribbean.

Panamanian President who has based Panama’s foreign policy on neutrality and avoidance of military conflicts since taking office in 2024, reiterated that Panama’s recent security agreements with the US are solely to combat drug trafficking and illegal immigration control and do not by any means contain the transfer of territory or the deployment of foreign military forces.

“This agreement with the US does not include any form of military base, either explicit or implicit. There is no handover of territory. We will not allow Panamanian territory to be used for actions against Venezuela or any other country. Panama is a reliable partner, but our sovereignty is non-negotiable,” he said.

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