Peruvian Delegation Participates in Final Planning Conference for Panamax 2024 Exercise
The Ministry of Defense of Peru recently sent a delegation with representatives from the three armed institutes to the Final Planning Conference of the joint multinational exercise Panamax 2024. The conference, held in the city of Miami, Florida, United States from the 5th to the 9th of this month, aimed to refine the capabilities of the participating armed institutes to implement complex multinational operations to protect the Panama Canal against possible threats.
The invitation to participate in the conference came from the United States of America Military Assistance and Advisory Group to the Joint Command of the Armed Forces of Peru. This provided an opportunity for Peru to strengthen relations with the United States Southern Command and exchange experiences with delegations from other countries participating in Panamax 2024.
Panamax is an annual exercise sponsored by the Southern Command, focusing on safeguarding the structures, maritime access lanes, and waterways of the Panama Canal. It plays a crucial role in global trade, allowing merchant ships to avoid navigating the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America.
The Peruvian military delegation included Colonel EP Luis Agustín Zevallos Torres, Lieutenant Colonel EP Rodolfo Víctor Chávez Matos, Commander Jorge Hernando Céliz Rocha, and FAP Commander Fabián Franklin Martínez Málaga as regular members. The substitutes were FAP Commander Ángel Daniel Bravo Bonifaz, Lieutenant Colonel EP Linton Frank Hurtado Chávez, Commander Josef Mitterhofer García, and FAP Commander Edgar Gino Burgos Valdivia.
It is worth noting that Panamax exercises have been conducted virtually in some instances, without deploying troops in representative operational scenarios. Peru’s participation in this year’s conference signifies its commitment to enhancing its military capabilities and cooperation with international partners in ensuring the security of vital waterways like the Panama Canal.