The Panamax 2026 military exercises come to an end!
Panama City, Aug 13 (EFE) .-
The “Panamax 2026” exercises, a series of multinational military maneuvers held in the Central American country to protect the Canal, concluded Thursday under the observation of United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
On Thursday morning, Hegseth witnessed six helicopters flying over the waters off Panama City; a simulation of the military’s pursuit and boarding of a small fishing boat; and a visit to a US Navy ship.
The military exercises thus concluded after ten days of maritime, air, land, and cyber operations, involving some 1,700 personnel from about 20 countries in the Americas.
“The exercise is strengthening the collective capability of regional forces to safeguard the Panama Canal and maintain security and stability in the Western Hemisphere,” said Francis Donovan, commander of US Southern Command.
During Panamax 2026, organized by Panama and sponsored by the US Southern Command, multinational operations are carried out across several scenarios to protect the Panama Canal from threats, ensure freedom and safety of navigation, and improve interoperability and joint response capabilities.
In fact, on August 7, special forces from Argentina, the US, Panama, and Peru simulated an assault on a ship seized by terrorists targeting the Panama Canal.
This year’s participants included Argentina, the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, the United States, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago.
“Defending the Panama Canal is a responsibility for our country, but its safe, uninterrupted, and neutral operation has an importance that transcends our borders,” explained Panama’s Minister of Public Security, Frank Ábrego.
Hegseth’s visit to Panama focused on strengthening regional cooperation against drug trafficking and organized crime, following his participation in the Coalition of the Americas Against Cartels (A3C), which Washington considers the primary operational tool of the so-called Shield of the Americas.
During his speech at that meeting, the defense secretary announced that Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella had authorized “joint military operations” with the US in Colombia to combat narco-terrorism and said that the South American country had joined the coalition against the cartels.
During his visit, Hegseth met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and representatives from other countries, and participated in a jungle exercise with other military personnel. EFEadl/mcd
