Panama

Mr/Madam President, Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government, Honourable Heads of Delegation, Ladies and Gentlemen, Just over two months ago, I assumed the presidency of the Republic of Panama. Over the five years of my mandate, I will face—on behalf of all Panamanians—great challenges, many of which concern not only my country but our entire hemisphere. Our privileged geographic location has made us a hub for the Americas. We had the first railway linking the Atlantic and Pacific in our continent, the first customs office, and the first Spanish city on the mainland. Our Canal and airport hub make us strategic partners for countries around the world. Today, our Canal serves 180 maritime routes connecting 1,920 ports in 170 countries, adding great value to global trade. Aware of our importance as a point of convergence, our doors have always been open to all nationalities who, in good faith, wish to take advantage of the competitive benefits of being, as our coat of arms says, “*For the World’s Benefit*.” However, Panama is now facing a severe challenge as a result of its strategic location: the illegal migration through the Darién jungle, which has become a passageway for hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing severe economic, political, and social problems in search of the so-called American dream. I know this territory very well. A little over a decade ago, as Panama’s Minister of Security, I led the forces that recovered Darién from narco-guerrilla groups. Today, it causes me immense pain to witness the social tragedy of this improvised route, traversed by women, children, and elderly people who undertake an inhumane journey through rivers, jungle, and hostile environments—exposed to every conceivable risk to their lives. This movement of people is driven by criminal organisations based in neighbouring countries, who profit—through cursed money—from the desperation and hope of thousands of human beings. I fully understand the difficult decision to migrate in order to escape misery and oppression. Most people wish to live, grow, and prosper in the land where they were born. But I repeat: the causes are well known, and we cannot tackle them alone. Our nation already faces too many social and financial challenges. We lack the resources and material means to resolve the migration crisis on our own. Illegal immigration through Panama is part of a vast global issue and must be treated as such—here, at the United Nations, as a priority on the international agenda. We are proud to be a country connected to global trade, but we will not allow ourselves to be used as a corridor for illegal migration—bearing the human, social, and environmental costs this entails for our territory. Panama is now paying a high environmental price due to this flow of people, causing severe damage to our biodiversity. Let me tell you: there is a vast difference between analysing this crisis from a venue like this, in Manhattan, and witnessing it first-hand, as I have. Seeing children orphaned by the perils of the jungle would move even the coldest analyst working from the comfort of an office. This is not just about Darién or, for another example, the Mediterranean. It is a vast system of organised crime profiting from human suffering. In 2023 alone, more than half a million illegal migrants crossed our border at Darién. That represents 12% of Panama’s total population. If the same occurred in the United States, it would mean 40 million illegal entries in a single year—twenty times what the U.S. currently receives. For further perspective: Italy, which faces a severe migration crisis, saw around 150,000 illegal entries last year. If it were proportional to Panama’s experience, Italy would have received 7 million. Ladies and Gentlemen, I ask you to consider the magnitude of what is happening. We feel we are not receiving the international support we deserve to confront a situation that is deeply distressing from a humanitarian perspective, hugely costly financially, dangerous for our security, and devastating to our environment. Let me now speak directly about the environmental damage. Darién is one of the largest neotropical rainforests in the world. When half a million people pass through it, leaving behind tonnes of waste—including highly polluting materials like batteries and plastics—the ecological consequences are dire. And, painfully, bodies in decomposition are also left behind, alongside paths and rivers. Not all survive this 20-day ordeal through the jungle. Panama is forced to address a crisis that is not of our making, yet we do so—as much as possible—with the limited resources we have. No one can imagine, nor would anyone accept, 500,000 people leaving untreated waste in Germany’s Bavarian Forest or in Yellowstone National Park here in the United States. Half a million undocumented, uncontrolled individuals crossing a protected environment. Perhaps the lack of global outrage over the devastation of Darién—our region’s great green lung—is because it lies in a remote border between Panama and Colombia. I understand that some responsibility lies with officials in past administrations in our country who lacked the will and resolve to place this issue on the global agenda. But that has changed. **This President will denounce it**—and will use every international forum to demand a **shared effort to stop illegal migration**. Mr President, today Panama is the **new border of the United States**, because those who pass through Darién are heading here, in search of a better life. Panama, a country that has always stood for peace and progress among nations, now **needs the help and support** of those very countries we have historically supported—here and elsewhere. We ask for concrete cooperation and determined work to prevent our territory from being used as the starting point of a dream often engineered by criminal organisations linked to drug trafficking and human smuggling. Political instability is one of the main drivers of mass migration. Where serious institutional crises persist over time, the result is the exodus of citizens. Venezuela is a clear example. I must therefore address our regional political situation, which, in truth, is the main thread connecting the migration crisis we face. The growing degradation of Venezuela’s institutional system has triggered the flight of nearly **8 million Venezuelans**, according to UNHCR. This represents a true migratory tragedy—one that international bodies have failed to respond to with credibility or force. Recent developments in Venezuela have further eroded what little remained of the country’s legitimacy. Let’s be clear: **claiming victory without showing the vote tallies is like winning a trial without evidence**. Wanting to win without presenting the records is equivalent to losing and refusing to accept the result. The current regime has lost the support of even its most loyal defenders in the region—or, at best, has been met with the fragile protection of silence. It is more than evident that the current regime **will not relinquish power or acknowledge defeat**. That is why I call on the relevant organisations to take **strong action** against such manifestly undemocratic behaviour. Let me be clear: this is not an ideological matter. It is about strict adherence to the popular will, which is the foundation of all legitimate authority. Panama is open to dialogue with all countries that respect their national constitutional systems and representative governance. I raise Venezuela not to shift the focus from environmental or health concerns, but because **it is impossible to talk about sustainable development** when 8 million neighbours have fled a country that ought to be an economic powerhouse. What regional sustainable development can we discuss amid this endless political crisis affecting our continent? I will not mask my speech in environmental rhetoric when migrants have shed blood in our jungles chasing a dream of freedom. Their passage pollutes Darién and leaves destruction in their wake—destruction that Panamanians must clean up, repair, and pay for. If there is true concern for sustainable development, I call on Member States to **defend Panama and create specific mechanisms** to reverse the damage done to Darién—not only environmental but also by addressing the root causes, such as Venezuela’s autocratic regime. Let me now turn to the **third issue** in my address: the unjust and discriminatory lists in which Panama has been included. Lists that lump us together with tyrannies guilty of grave atrocities—with countries that isolate themselves from the world, reject democracy, or sponsor terrorism. We reject being placed on such lists, often compiled to serve **narrow interests** of nations that lack competitiveness or appeal to their own citizens. Panama must not and will not accept this affront, especially after all the reforms we have undertaken. We have implemented significant legal and financial reforms to meet international standards on transparency and anti-money laundering. We have signed tax information exchange agreements with numerous countries. Still, it is not enough. The policies imposed under the false promise of delisting have had **catastrophic consequences** for our economy, yet we remain on these dubious lists. Panama is **not** a tax haven—unlike other jurisdictions allied with the very countries promoting these lists, which are judged by different standards. It is paradoxical: countries that include Panama on blacklists use our Canal, bid on public contracts, profit from consulting services, and lobby for their firms in our country. This President has taken the firm decision that companies from countries endorsing those lists **will not be allowed** to bid for international contracts in Panama. Nor will they receive our vote in international organisations. While they point fingers, they have enjoyed open access to our market. Their biased vision seeks to uphold a **false stigma** against Panama, which is a **responsible and compliant nation** in global finance. I want the best for my beloved Panama. I did not come to the presidency to ingratiate myself with other countries, but to serve my nation. Speaking of lists: Panama is one of the **very few carbon-negative countries** in the world. That is, we remove more CO₂ from the atmosphere than we emit. Yet, this extraordinary environmental achievement has brought us no benefit. Protecting much of our territory creates enormous challenges to achieving genuine development. Today, countries that destroyed their biodiversity to develop now demand environmental stewardship from developing nations—standards they never upheld themselves. This creates a **profound asymmetry in development opportunities**. On the one hand, we must preserve our forests in a pristine state; on the other, we are placed on lists that hinder investment and block the growth of a globally competitive financial system. **Panama rejects these rules.** Let me reiterate in this chamber the message I gave the Panamanian people when I took office: *"Panama is a country of good causes, and we will no longer accept unjust accusations that harm our economy, our reputation, and the image of our nation."* Finally, I am proud to announce that in January next year, Panama will become a **non-permanent member of the UN Security Council** for the sixth time in our history. This is the result of years of consistent work. It is a recognition of our stance against terrorism, human trafficking, and drug trafficking. Panama contributes to peace and harmony among nations. All of this contradicts the unjust lists I mentioned earlier. Forgive my persistence, but it is truly unacceptable that a nation of integrity, committed to liberty, peace, and international security, be grouped with countries that do the very opposite. We will continue to fight—peacefully and persistently—to end this unnecessary and discriminatory harassment by nations that would never accept for themselves the conditions they impose on us. To conclude: we will keep building a **country in the service of humanity**, protecting our biodiversity despite adversity, defending democracy despite the clear threats in our region. Panama will continue connecting global trade, fighting for liberty, engaging with the world, and demanding the same respect we offer—a nation of integrity, with a noble, hardworking people who strive daily to make this world a better place. Distinguished Members of this Organisation, on behalf of Panama and the entire Panamanian people, I thank you for this opportunity.