Panama Government ‘Is Carefully Watching’ the Escalation Between the United States and Venezuela

The Panamanian government is “closely monitoring” the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela, an issue in which the Central American country is “completely uninvolved,” stated Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino on Thursday.  “The United States has a grievance against Venezuela for various reasons, including its disregard for democracy and its alleged sponsorship of drug trafficking according to the criteria established by the U.S. government. This is a problem between them, which Panama is, of course, observing very closely,” Mulino declared.

The United States maintains an unprecedented military deployment in the Caribbean, defended by the White House as part of its strategy against drugs originating in South America, but which the Venezuelan government, led by Nicolás Maduro, denounces as a “threat” and an attempt to bring about regime change.  “The U.S. problem with Venezuela is completely unrelated to us in terms of involvement,” Mulino affirmed when asked about this crisis with regional repercussions during his weekly press conference on Thursday. 

Since last September, the United States has been bombing civilian boats allegedly linked to drug trafficking, resulting in nearly 100 deaths so far.  In addition to the military deployment in the Caribbean, the administration of US President Donald Trump has increased pressure on the Maduro government with measures such as “a total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.” 

Russia’s Putin is Furious After Ukraine Strikes ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Mediterranean

Ukraine has expanded its campaign against Russian oil shipping, striking a “shadow fleet” tanker in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time using long-range aerial drones. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed retaliation for the attack. Speaking at his end-of-year conference, Putin warned that attacks on civilian infrastructure would “always” draw a response from Moscow.

• The Oman-flagged tanker Qendil was hit in neutral waters off Crete, sustaining heavy damage.
• The vessel was empty and en route from India’s port of Sikka to Russia’s Ust Luga terminal.
• Ukraine’s SBU security service said the operation involved “multi-stage” measures but gave no details.
• Kyiv has recently escalated strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, including rigs in the Caspian Sea and tankers in the Black Sea.
• Putin condemned the attack, calling it an effort to raise insurance costs, and vowed Russia would respond.
• India remains a major buyer of Russian oil despite U.S. pressure to reduce imports.
• Maritime analysts say the strike marks a significant expansion of Ukraine’s drone capabilities against Russia’s sanctioned export network.