US Carries Out Military Drills in Panama Canal

By Staff, Agencies

The United States military teamed with Panamanian police to conduct a series of new exercises aimed at protecting the Panama Canal, amid tensions over alleged Chinese influence along the prized trade route.

To kick off the drills, three US Army helicopters arrived in Panama on Sunday – two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a CH-47 Chinook – landing at the Panama-Pacific Airport, formerly the US Howard base, South China Morning Post reported.

Michael Palacios, sub commissioner of Panama’s National Aeronaval Service [SENAN], said the exercises would prepare Panama’s forces, as well as countries in the region, against any threats to the security and defense of the canal.

US soldiers conducted similar exercises in Panama a month ago, under a bilateral agreement that allows Washington to use Panamanian air and naval bases for training without establishing its own bases.

The agreement, pressured by US President Donald Trump amid fears of excessive Chinese influence over the Panama Canal—which handles 40% of US container traffic and 5% of global trade—sparked protests in Panama.

In April, Trump called for the free transit of American commercial and military ships through the interoceanic route, claiming the canal would “not exist” without the US.

But Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said the toll fees are regulated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous governing body overseeing the trade route.

US presence in Panama remains a sensitive issue, as it evokes a time when Washington had an enclave of military bases in the country before the canal was handed over to Panamanians on December 31, 1999.

SENAN officials stated that the US maneuvers, which have been conducted annually for 23 years, will continue until Friday and will fully respect Panama’s national sovereignty, according to Palacios.