Nine U.S. Southern Command aircraft arrived in Panama this Friday as part of a new phase of joint military exercises with local forces, amid widespread opposition from various social sectors to the presence of foreign troops in the country. Panamanian social organizations denounced the joint exercises as a violation of neutrality agreements and a threat to the country's sovereignty.

According to official information from the Panamanian National Aeronaval Service (Senan), the maneuvers, known as Panamax Alpha-Phase II, will take place between September 5 and 15, Telesur reported. The operation will involve five Joint Task Force-Bravo aircraft, including two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and three CH-47 Chinooks, commonly used for tactical troop and cargo transport.

According to the statement issued by SENAN, the purpose of these exercises is to"strengthen the operational capabilities of Panamanian state security forces for the protection of the Panama Canal."

Various social organizations expressed concern about the growing US military involvement in the country, according to Telesur. The National Front for the Defense of Economic and Social Rights and the Victoriano Lorenzo Coordinator stated that these movements respond to a memorandum of understanding signed in April between the Panamanian government and the US Department of Defense, which, they warn, deviates from the 1977 Neutrality Treaties and represents a threat to national sovereignty.