According to the official report from Minsa and Senafront, the Mercury III maneuvers through April 1, in which troops from the Southern Command and also units from the National Air and Naval Service (Senan) are taking part, are intended to strengthen the responsiveness in the event of a natural disaster in the isthmus
The third edition of this operation, the first took place in December 2019, includes actions in the city of Sambú, in the indigenous region of EmberáWounaan, a difficulttoaccess area in the Darién jungle that borders Colombia and is the scene of the migration irregular route, which reached around 133,000 people on its way to the United States last year.
According to the government institutions, medical tours, the transfer of a field hospital and materials for the construction of schools and houses will be carried out during the conference.
The head of the Minsa’s emergency operations, Ricardo Hughes, told La Estrella de Panamá newspaper that, in addition to providing dental services and reviewing the epidemiological situation and the progress of antiCovid vaccination, the operation will provide basic services to the communities there April 19 .
They will also review the deployment of mobile emergency medical units donated by the northern country in response to possible natural disasters, and the findings must be reported to Washington and the World Health Organization for certification.
Members of the United States Task Force Bravo participate in the maneuvers, including about 150 medics.
Other sources claimed that the exercise will include flight operations using US model CH47 and UH60 helicopters.
The day before, social organizations on social networks denied that US Army troops violated Panama’s sovereignty and entered the Enrique Malek International Airport in the western province of Chiriquí with guns.
Residents of the island of Taboga in the Gulf of Panama, about 20 kilometers from the capital, also denounced the violation of airspace and watched as war planes flew through the sky of the isthmus in what was reminiscent of the military invasion of December 20, 1989, with a balance sheet of thousands of dead and disappeared.
msm/ga