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Panama offered to mediate in the conflict between the U.S. and the Venezuelan regime and assured that it could temporarily host some of the leaders of Chavismo.
The Panamanian Deputy Foreign Minister, Carlos Hoyos told Efe that his country "has always been an exemplary mediating country, and President Mulino Mulino has even stated that if resolving the situation in Venezuela requires accommodating certain individuals from the Venezuelan regime, we would be willing to do so on a temporary basis."
Hoyos expressed **great concern that something could happen** as it could **destabilize and affect everyone** in the region.
For the official, the Panama Canal, which was under the scrutiny of the Trump Administration a few months ago, is the greatest "asset in the world."
"The whole world must ensure its protection," he said, referring to the tension in the Caribbean caused by U.S. bombings of alleged narcoterrorist vessels.
"Regarding the Panama Canal, I believe that the United States is possibly the country most interested in ensuring that there is no kind of interruption in the Panama Canal. It is our job to ensure that we continue to operate within the Canal with that neutrality that is required of us and in which we have a very deep conviction," he said.
This Saturday it was announced that the Armed Forces of Venezuela enlisted 5,600 new soldiers amid rising tensions with the U.S.
The new recruits are “revolutionary, socialist fighters” and “deeply chavista, trained under the tactical method of revolutionary resistance,” officials who led the ceremony stated according to the AFP report.
Colonel Gabriel Alejandro Rendón Vílchez stated that "Venezuela has an Armed Force, united with the people, integrated, trained, educated, and motivated; under no circumstances will we allow the invasion of an empire."
Likewise, General Javier José Marcano Tábata stated that registration applications have increased since the threat of war with the U.S. became apparent.
"At this time when imperialism threatens our homeland, our people, and our youth in an illegal, arbitrary, deceitful, misleading, and arrogant manner, thousands are joining the Bolivarian National Armed Force," stated the military official.
The incorporation ceremony took place at Fuerte Tiuna, the largest military complex in Venezuela, located in Caracas.
The Venezuelan Armed Forces have 200,000 personnel along with 200,000 police officers.
On the same Saturday, Diosdado Cabello, one of the leaders of the Chavista regime, predicted a “great victory” against what he referred to as “threats” from the United States, in reference to the U.S. naval air deployment in the Caribbean Sea, which Washington justifies as part of its anti-drug trafficking strategy.
According to EFE, Cabello made the statement amidst a politically tense situation with the United States, while Nicolás Maduro's government asserts that this military deployment is not solely related to anti-drug operations, but is part of an attempt to induce a regime change in Venezuela.
The EFE agency reported that the Venezuelan official framed his forecast of a "great victory" in that reading of external threats, reinforcing the official narrative that presents the actions of the United States in the Caribbean as a pressure factor on Caracas.
The U.S. argument, on the other hand, focuses on the fight against drug trafficking as the main reason for the deployment in the area.
Since September 2025, the U.S. has intensified attacks on vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, claiming to combat drug trafficking.
The offensive has destroyed 23 boats and caused 87 deaths, leading to criticism for lack of evidence and the use of military force.
The U.S. accuses Maduro of leading the Cartel of the Suns, a terrorist organization involved in drug trafficking to the United States.
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