Israel continues to strengthen its strategic relations with right-wing governments in Latin America. On May 6, President Isaac Herzog arrived in Panama, where he met with his counterpart, President José Raúl Mulino. This marks the first time an Israeli leader has visited the Central American country.
“I thank the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, for this historic and important visit for our nations, and for his words regarding the Panama Canal, a symbol of connection and global free navigation. We will continue to promote an agenda focused on innovation, development, and shared opportunities,” Mulino said on X.
The visit was marked by statements from both leaders regarding Iran’s alleged seizure of an Italian-owned Panamanian-flagged vessel: “Attempts by Iran and its allies to threaten, block, or disrupt freedom of navigation in international waters – including the seizure of Panamanian ships – endanger the security and stability of the entire world… [Panama] understands, perhaps better than anyone, the vital importance of freedom of navigation and why it is worth fighting for,” Herzog said.
In this regard, Israel, which together with the United States launched a military offensive against Iran on February 28, stated that the seizure of the Panamanian vessel poses a serious global threat and that Iran’s actions “threaten the stability of the entire world.”
For its part, the Iranian government stated that all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz must request permission to enter or exit it, in response to which the United States has attempted to block all vessels that interact with Iranian ports.
Agreements: cybersecurity, investment, and other matters
In addition to the ceremonial visit to the Palacio de las Garzas and the Panama Canal, the Israeli delegation’s visit aimed to strengthen various aspects of the relationship with the Caribbean nation. First, they agreed to strengthen the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. In this regard, several ideas were proposed to expand the terms of the agreement. Herzog reported that Israeli private capital intends to invest in various sectors of the Panamanian economy.
For his part, Mulino requested Israeli technical assistance to resolve the water crisis on the Azuero Peninsula. This problem has drawn significant public criticism due to the lack of drinking water following severe contamination of its main water sources.
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of the visit was the possibility of greater integration of Israeli cybersecurity in Panama, something that has already been agreed upon with other governments in the region, such as Ecuador and Argentina. Likewise, Mulino stated that technological and agricultural cooperation agreements will be implemented.
Regarding the geopolitical situation, Mulino said: “We have discussed various issues: security, logistics, and on the international stage we have exchanged views on current geopolitical challenges, including, of course, the situation in the Middle East.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Israeli president emphasized the importance of his country’s presence in Panama: “I believe this historic visit will open a new chapter in Israeli-Panamanian friendship, rooted in deeper economic cooperation, stronger ties in many fields, closer people-to-people bonds, and shared action for a safer and better world.”
Following the trip to Panama, Herzog continued his tour to strengthen Israel’s presence in the region with a trip to Costa Rica. On May 8, he attended the inauguration of President Laura Fernández Delgado, the successor and right-hand woman of right-wing President Rodrigo Chávez Robles. During this visit, Herzog met with several regional leaders who had also traveled to the Central American country to attend the swearing in. Notably, several Latin American and Caribbean countries, including Colombia, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Chile, suspended or modified their diplomatic ties with Israel over accusations of war crimes in Gaza, meanwhile Panama, Ecuador, and Argentina have embraced the top US ally.
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