In Panama, press censorship has become routine. To date the media block all news on the strike by the 1700 workers at the Cervecería Nacional (Brewery). At the same time, at the beginning of this month, they failed to reveal the Panamax 2015 exercises organized by the Southern Command of the US "to defend the Panama Canal". The Southern Command invited 19 armed forces from the same number of countries to face "common threats", and to unite to know each other better.  Among the 19 participants, Panama had the good fortune to be invited.

According to a military leader of a Latin American country, "the focus of this exercise is to develop operations among our units and have the opportunity to confront directly our reality of regional threats". Obviously, the commander refers to the exercises with his counterparts of the Southern Command. "Working together, we can prevent actions that threaten maritime security and that seek to inhibit free navigation and to destabilize the region". The heads of the Southern Command of the US have identified Panamanian "campesinos and indigenous people" as the enemies to combat. Are the armies of some Latin American countries thinking of repressing those who protest in Panama? To create in Panama another Haiti occupied by foreign troops?

The head of the Southern Command was more explicit and pointed out the goal of this exercise. "The relations that have been established and the mutual understanding reached will help us a great deal in the event of having to establish a coalition force for a real event." PANAMAX 2015 was organized by the United States between July 27 and August 7 with the participation of 15 Latin American countries: Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Jamaica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the Dominican Republic.  Canada, France and the United Kingdom also participated. The US did not invite Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador or Venezuela.

The government of Panama did not participate in the organization of the military exercises in spite of being the object of the strategies and operations developed. The US is training and maintains at an operational level two military divisions in Panama. On the one hand, the National Frontiers Service (SENAFRONT) and on the other the National Naval Service (SENAN). Washington is developing these plans in spite of the fact that the Political Constitution of Panama forbids the organization of armed forces in the country.  The US and the Panamanian governments ignore this mandate.

According to an article published by the US military journalist, Alex Sanchez, the Panamax exercises were undertaken in order to prevent actions of the “Mexican cartels" and the "Colombian guerrillas". He also points out the possibility of a "multinational operation to retake control of the Canal à la 1956 Suez Canal crisis" (sic).  He adds that one must be prepared in case “an authoritarian ruler like General Manuel Noriega” comes to power. The scenarios are "Hollywood-like", says Sanchez. But the US always has to be ready to invade Panama again.

It is lamentable that journalists write without knowing the history or the situation of Latin American countries, and in particular, of Panama. The Rear Admiral Jon Matheson, Sub-Commander of the naval forces of the Southern Command and of the 4th Fleet of the US, assured that the PANAMAX exercises are designed to respond to a petition from the host country. He also pointed out that among the threats one must include "organized transnational crime".  He underlined that military exercises take place "to promote peace, stability and prosperity". The Panamanian authorities -- including the Ministry of Public Security -- made no statement during the military exercises.

In last year's exercises - 2014 -- the Southern Command created an imaginative scenario for the exercises in Panama.  They created a nation -- Nueva Centralia - that was under attack. According to their reporters, "a group of violent terrorists threatened world trade. The solution of the problem depended on the Multi National Forces South (MNFS) under the direction of the US Southern Command. To complete the fantasy, the Southern Command invited the military forces of the region to protect the Panama Canal and "to honour the efforts of Panamanian to protect their sovereignty".

The US still does not understand that only we, the Panamanians, can defend our sovereignty. It is a lesson that we learned and applied in the XX century.

20/08/2015

(Translated for ALAI by Jordan Bishop)

- Marco A. Gandásegui, Jr , Professor of Sociology at the Universidad de Panamá and Researcher associate of the Centro de Estudios Latinoamericanos Justo Arosemena (CELA).

www.marcoagandasegui14.blogspot.com

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