The US Embassy in Panama confirmed regular communication with political figures, including a call to Ricardo Lombana following a multi-party statement criticizing US-Panama agreements. The Embassy stated these conversations reflect their commitment to dialogue, but declined to comment on private discussions. Lombana reported the call expressed US discomfort with the statement alleging violations of the Canal's neutrality treaty and Panamanian constitution.
The statement was signed by a broad coalition of politicians, environmentalists, and civil society representatives who formed three weeks prior. The coalition, debuting publicly on April 30th, includes figures such as Ricardo Lombana, MartÃn Torrijos, Juan Diego Vásquez, and others. Lombana emphasized the coalition's diverse voices uniting for national defense, while Torrijos's circle denied receiving a call from the US Embassy.