The Government of Panama, through the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of the Interior, with the cooperation of Task Force Bravo of the United States Southern Command, will develop the humanitarian exercises Mercurio IV and Mercurio V to bring construction materials, health care and medical supplies for the benefit of residents of areas of difficult access, located in the Ngäbe Buglé region and in border communities of the province of Darién.
The Mercury IV Humanitarian Exercise, in its Phase III, will be carried out from April 29 to May 5, 2023, with the aim of carrying out medical tours in the Ngäbe Buglé region.
The security forces and the Ministry of Government will work in coordination to fulfill this humanitarian aid mission.
To reach communities that are difficult to access, there will be two Bravo Task Force helicopters (a Chinook and a Blackhawk) with a large load capacity and an AW139 helicopter from the National Air and Naval Service (Senan) for the air transfer of personnel and cargo, which will be operating from the collection center of the Rambala Air Base in Bocas del Toro, as a logistics support point.
According to the information provided by Commissioner Eliecer Cárdenas of Senan, approximately 60,000 pounds of cargo in medicines and medical personnel will be transferred to attend to the health needs of indigenous communities.
This is an inter-institutional work of the National Government with the collaboration of the United States Southern Command.
In the same way, the Mercury V humanitarian exercise will be carried out simultaneously, through the National Border Service and the National Aeronaval Service, in the province of Darién from May 2 to 12, 2023, with the support of seven helicopters from the Force of Tarea Bravo of the Southern Command of the United States, whose objective is to carry out the air transfer of 600 thousand pounds of cargo in construction materials and medical supplies to make improvements to the infrastructures of the binational border posts of Alto Limón and La Unión , and care for the health of the residents of the township of Jaqué in the province of Darién, benefiting more than 2,000 residents of 12 river communities and the Pacific coast in areas of difficult access.
