An under the radar conversation between Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and President Nito Cortizo in mid-June finalized details of a regional humanitarian airlift part of “Operation Globe” an effort by Canada and its Armed Forces within a broad initiative of humanitarian, medical and relief assistance around the world.

The airlift began last Thursday, from Panama Pacifico Airport, and will last for the next few weeks in support of the World Food Program, the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization, and the International Red Cross.

Panama’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andy Ferrer described the telephone dialogue as of strategic importance and a show of solidarity with our neighbors of the continent and an expression of our as Canada explores renewed forms of cooperation and investment in a Latin America and the Caribbean hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Panama and Canada maintain a close relationship and a very fluid political dialogue, with an important bilateral agenda in the area of ​​cooperation, trade, and investment," said Ferrer.

That relationship is also reflected in a permanent exchange on regional and multilateral issues such as Venezuela

.Since the Cortizo administration began, the Canadian government has expressed interest in participating in projects in Panama through the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), the financial arm of the country’s Ministry of International Trade which has identified energy, security, infrastructure, and development projects for indigenous areas."

Ferrer explained that in the midst of the pandemic, Panama has made a great effort to keep its logistics platform, the Canal, ports, and airports open, and has made it available to Canada to carry food, medicine, supplies, medical equipment -and the coronavirus vaccine when it occurs - to Latin America and the Caribbean

Canada is an important partner for Panama that has shown great solidarity with our country in the midst of the pandemic," said Ferrer and has recently donated to Panama two mobile modular hospitals fully equipped with air filtration systems and a raised floor. to be deployed in remote areas.

 It has also provided assistance to the Panamanian Red Cross for the care of 2,500 migrants in Darien and collaborated with the Food Bank of Panama that supports 300 non-governmental organizations in San Miguelito and North Coclé and equipped with personal protection equipment for the Community Police in the fight against the coronavirus.