Mulino and his government have betrayed the martyrs of January 9

Statement of the anti-imperialist Citizens’ Pole organization in Panamá, issued April 10, 2025. Translation: John Catalinotto.

By legitimizing secret agreements with the U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the corrupt and traitorous government of José R. Mulino has betrayed the legacy of the Martyrs of January 9, 1964, who fought for sovereignty, for a country without foreign military bases and without the yoke of U.S. imperialism.

In the signed agreements, which have not been published, but whose content has been leaked by the U.S. side, as the Panamanian government knowingly lies about giving in to Donald Trump’s pressure, the following has been conceded to the U.S.:

2. U.S. military presence in the resurrected Sherman military bases (Atlantic coast), at the Rodman Naval Base at the Pacific entrance to the canal and in the well-known Panamá-Pacific Special Economic Area, formerly Howard Air Force Base;
3. Free passage for U.S. ships. (It is not clear whether this applies only to U.S. Navy ships or also to commercial vessels.)

Directly responsible for this betrayal of the nation are President José R. Mulino and his ministers Frank Ábrego and José R. Icaza, who put their signatures to this historic betrayal that places them on a par with the “proceres” (founding figures) who sold us out in 1903 by endorsing the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty [that established U.S. control of the canal and the Canal Zone].

Despite the fact that the Foreign Minister Javier Martínez Acha, another traitor, makes a fool of himself by claiming that Hegseth had recognized Panamanian sovereignty, Hegseth never said this in any of his public statements, nor did it appear in the U.S. version of the “joint declaration.” And, to provide evidence that the contrary is true, the Panamá Canal workers’ unions have denounced the U.S. warship “M/M Henry J. Kaiser” action March 19 of transiting the canal without flying the Panamanian flag.

The Mulino government has violated and trampled on the Neutrality Treaty, the Political Constitution of Panamá, the Penal Code and a whole host of laws, thus committing a brutal attack on the internal security of the homeland. This violation calls into question the ability of a government that was already illegitimate from the moment of its birth to remain in office.

Let us remember that the current President Mulino was one of those leaders of the Civilist Crusade who clamored for the North American invasion of Dec. 20, 1989, which brought with it genocide, death, mourning and pain to the Panamanian people. He is the same one who today endorses, issues and hands over the sovereignty of the country with the stroke of a pen.

The Citizens’ Pole adds its voice of protest to that of tens of thousands of citizens of Panamá who repudiate these acts of treason against the homeland. Together with our people and their organizations, we will find inspiration in the generational struggle for sovereignty waged by our ancestors, from the Watermelon Slice Incident of 1856 to the bloody Yankee invasion of 1989.

The Martyrs spoke clearly: NO TO THE BASE!