The USS Nimitz and the destroyer USS Gridley are participating as part of the Southern Seas 2 deployment. Photo EFE.
The ongoing drills involve naval forces of ten LATAM countries.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz arrived in Panamanian waters on Sunday to participate in the multinational exercise ‘South Seas 2026’, as part of cooperation between the United States and Panama on alleged security matters, according to officials from both countries.
The ship, which will remain in the region until April 2, is anchored in open waters approximately 45 minutes from the Amador cruise port, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal. The USS Nimitz is accompanied by the destroyer USS Gridley, a member of its strike group.
“We are in Panama as guests and also as security partners. This visit is part of our cooperation to enhance security and prosperity throughout the Americas,” stated U.S. Rear Admiral Norman Cassi during an official ceremony at the Amador terminal.
Currently, the U.S. is the main user of the Panama Canal: approximately 70% of the cargo transiting the waterway originates in or is destined for U.S. territory.
The “Southern Seas 2026” exercise is the eleventh edition of these regional maneuvers since 2007.
According to U.S. Southern Command, the USS Nimitz strike group will conduct joint training exercises with the naval forces of ten countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Uruguay.
As part of their deployment, the ships will circumnavigate the American continent with scheduled port calls in Brazil, Chile, Panama, and Jamaica. Neither the USS Nimitz nor the destroyer USS Gridley will transit the Panama Canal during this mission.
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Social organizations and grassroots movements in Panama have expressed their opposition to the presence of US warships in the country’s territorial waters, calling the deployment a violation of national sovereignty and part of an ongoing militarization process under the current administration.
Groups such as the National Front for the Defense of Economic and Social Rights (Frenadeso) rejected the arrival of the USS Nimitz and the USS Gridley, arguing that the operation reflects a broader pattern of foreign military presence in the country.
Despite public criticism, the Panamanian government has defended the maritime cooperation initiative. Official reports add that such exercises contribute to development through technical cooperation.
For social movements, however, these naval operations represent a show of force that reinforces the United States’ control over strategic locations in the region, with Panama as a logistical platform for its geopolitical interests.
(Telesur) by HGV and JF
