(MENAFN- Newsroom Panama) The U.S. Department of War has reportedly begun sending ground forces to conduct training in the Panamanian jungle for the first time in decades, ABC news reported yesterday. According to a Pentagon official, Washington has sent U.S. soldiers and marines to complete a training program at the Cristóbal Colón Naval Air Station, which, although relatively small in scope for now, is expected to intensify in 2026. The course, which began earlier this year, is not intended to prepare troops for a possible mission in Venezuela, the official clarified to ABC. However the Panamanian jungle looks a lot like the Venezuelan jungle. U.S. Southern Command had already reported on November 4 about joint training exercises between U.S. and Panamanian troops focused on preparing soldiers“to survive and thrive in jungle environments.” This move coincides with the extensive US military deployment in the Caribbean and the Pacific, near the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia, as part of a campaign against drug trafficking that has resulted in some 20 attacks on boats allegedly carrying drugs and the deaths of more than 70“narco-terrorists,” according to Washington.

The renewed US interest in Panama likely stems from practical reasons, though it could also be used to send a message to the region, insisted retired US Marine Corps Colonel Steve Ganyard. “From a practical standpoint, Panama is easier to reach than Okinawa. And the jungles of Central and South America present their own challenges. That said, a message is certainly being sent to (Venezuelan President Nicolás) Maduro by conducting combat training on his territory,” he told ABC. Shortly after his return to the White House in January, the US President displayed his interest in Latin America and even expressed his intention to regain control over the Panama Canal, ostensibly to counter China's“malign influence” on the interoceanic waterway. More recently, Trump has intensified his rhetoric against Presidents Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela) and Gustavo Petro (Colombia), whom he accuses of leading drug trafficking networks, allegations that both Caracas and Bogotá deny.

Last August, the Pentagon had already established a joint training program with the Panamanian Army in the jungle. “If you can train and fight in one of the most difficult and challenging places in the world, you create a truly lethal and effective force,” the official told ABC, adding that the U.S. War Department plans to send platoons of up to 40 soldiers at a time. After publicly disagreeing over the Panama Canal, Trump sent a letter in early November to his Panamanian counterpart, José Raúl Mulino, in which he described the Central American country as a“steadfast friend and valued ally” of Washington. Security agreements were signed that provided for a larger temporary and rotating U.S. military presence in Panama as part of bilateral cooperation for the defense of the Canal.

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