Panama's President Denies Hosting 'Hostile Acts' Toward Venezuela Despite U.S. Military Training on Its Soil

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino rejected claims on Thursday that U.S. military training taking place in Panama is connected to any operation against Venezuela, insisting that ongoing jungle exercises with American forces fall strictly within existing bilateral cooperation agreements.

"With regard to Venezuela, we have nothing to do with that," Mulino said in his weekly press conference. "Panama is not lending its territory for any type of hostile act against Venezuela, nor against any other country in the world."

Mulino also emphasized that the presence of U.S. troops conducting jungle training should not be linked to the broader U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, which the Maduro government has described as a threat.

Mulino said the activities in Panama are "two different issues" and explained that the exercises are authorized by the Ministry of Security under long-standing protocols, particularly in the Darién region, which he described as "very suitable" for this type of training, as France 24 reports. He also noted that Panama regularly hosts multinational exercises such as PANAMAX, which brings together security forces "from all over" to protect the Panama Canal.

U.S. forces have significantly expanded operations in the region since August, deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford and additional ships and aircraft as part of anti-narcotics missions. The move has fueled speculation in Venezuela about potential intervention, especially as Washington accuses Nicolás Maduro of enabling drug trafficking. Mulino, however, reiterated that Panama's cooperation is not tied to any such scenarios.

For the first time in over two decades, the United States has begun sending conventional ground forces to Panama for a three-week course at Base Aeronaval Cristóbal Colón, formerly Fort Sherman. A defense official told ABC News the program "is not intended to prepare troops for a mission inside Venezuela," though analysts acknowledge it sends a strategic signal.

The program has produced 46 graduates since August, with plans to scale up training next year. Experts, including retired Marine Col. Steve Ganyard, note that the location carries symbolic weight. "No doubt a message is being sent to Maduro by conducting combat training in his neighborhood," he said.

Mulino's remarks also come amid a gradual recalibration of Panama-Venezuela relations. In September, the Panamanian president confirmed that his government had reopened its consular section in Caracas, citing humanitarian needs, commercial disruptions, and the need to facilitate the return of undocumented migrants. "We have not restored diplomatic relations, nor have we considered restoring them, but we have restored consular relations," Said Mulino.

Diplomatic ties were suspended after the disputed July 2024 Venezuelan election, which Panama questioned pending the release of detailed vote records. Those documents have still not been published, Mulino noted.