Minister Ábrego and Foreign Minister Acha Discuss ‘Security Partnership’ with Commander of the Southern Command

The security partnership between the United States and Panama was the central theme of the meeting held by the commander of the Southern Command, Alvin Holsey, and the ministers of Security and Foreign Affairs, Frank Ábrego and Javier Martínez Acha.  Commander Holsey arrived in Panama on Wednesday, February 19, with an agenda that included bilateral cooperation on security matters, as well as the protection of the Canal and the alleged influence of China and the Chinese Communist Party on the waterway. 

However, on Thursday morning, the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, stated that the issue of alleged Chinese interference in the Canal was not on the Panamanian agenda and that he had given instructions to his ministers not to hold this conversation if it was insisted upon.  Holsey also visited the Miraflores locks with administrator Ricaurte Vásquez, explained the operation, and detailed the innovations in technology and security implemented in the Canal during the last 25 years of Panamanian administration.  Holsey, who has already traveled the route as part of the U.S. military, highlighted the strategic importance of this interoceanic route for the region and the world, according to reports on the Panama Canal’s social media.