The Government of the United States has communicated this Tuesday that it will redirect to Ecuador, Panama, Colombia, and Peru a military aid package valued at 52 million dollars (45 million euros) that was initially intended for several countries in Europe and the Middle East.
A spokesperson for the State Department has indicated in statements to Europa Press that the institution has notified Congress "of its intention to reallocate 52 million dollars from foreign military financing (FMF, for its acronym in English) intended for Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia, and Iraq to Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia."
The U.S. representative has explained that the reason for this change of destination is "to combat narcoterrorism in our own territory" and to strengthen the "security" of the Panama Canal, emphasizing that "almost 80%" of the foreign military financing of the last decade has been directed to the Middle East.
According to the State Department, this measure "is consistent with the national security strategy," whose purpose is "to prevent competitors outside the hemisphere (western) from developing threatening capabilities, or from possessing or controlling strategically vital assets" and, at the same time, to address "the military influence of adversaries" in the area.
Specifically, this military support package seeks to "strengthen the detection, interception, and response capabilities of partners against foreign terrorist organizations (FTO) and transnational criminal organizations (TCO) operating in their territories," in addition to providing "top-quality" equipment and training.