Panama Tries to Free More than 30 Nationals Recruited Between the Russia and Ukraine War
Foreign Minister Martínez-Acha Vásquez points out that although only one death has been confirmed, there are still several about whom nothing is known.
Panama’s government is tracking and assisting at least 24 to 30 citizens caught up in the Russia-Ukraine war. Officials confirmed that at least 19 nationals are linked to Russian forces and 5 to Ukrainian forces. While some individuals traveled knowingly, others fell victim to deceptive job networks promising high civilian wages. The government has pledged to fund the return travel for any citizen wishing to escape the conflict zone.
Government Response and Consular Actions
- Official Counts: The Panamanian Foreign Ministry reports tracking at least 24 documented cases, with investigations pointing to a total pool of around 30 affected nationals, including one confirmed death and several missing in action.
- Repatriation Offer: The administration ordered full financial support to cover return travel and extraction costs for any Panamanian asking to leave the war zone. Consular teams successfully extracted and returned at least two citizens who crossed out of Ukraine.
- Criminal Probes: Local prosecutors launched human trafficking investigations and arrested suspected local recruiters operating out of Tocumen International Airport.
The Recruitment Scheme
- False Promises: Victims are often targeted on social media with offers for high-paying security, factory, or construction work abroad.
- Contracts: Upon arrival, recruits face confiscated passports and pressure to sign military-style contracts with foreign armed entities, drastically limiting their freedom of movement.
The creation of a humanitarian circuit to rescue and repatriate Panamanian citizens trapped in the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine is being managed by the National Government as a matter of urgency, reported the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, this Wednesday. The head of Panamanian diplomacy confirmed that there are approximately more than 20 Panamanians linked to the situation in Russia and more than 10 in Ukraine, under conditions that are already being formally investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
