Panama Investor Blog

Russian warship to visit naval base in Panama

What??? Say it ain't so. They would'nt dare! Less than 10 years after the U.S.A. turns over the U.S. built Rodman navel base to Panama, they go and allow those pesky Ruskies to bring a military vessel into her harbor. Of all the gall! Seems the Russians are trying to send a message to the new U.S. administration. What are you going to do about it? The cold war is warming up here in the Caribbean!
From the Russian news and information agency, comrade.

MOSCOW, December 3 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian destroyer will visit on December 5-10 a former U.S. naval facility in Panama as part of the task force's current Caribbean tour, a Navy spokesman said on Wednesday.

The Udaloy class destroyer Admiral Chabanenko participated this week in the VenRus-2008 joint Russian-Venezuelan naval exercise in the southern Caribbean as part of a task force from the Northern Fleet, led by the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky.

"During the current visit to the Caribbean, the Admiral Chabanenko will pay a visit to the Rodman Naval Station in Panama," Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said.

The 64-year-old naval base was once the hub for all U.S. naval activities in South America and supported U.S. warships going through the Panama Canal. The base was turned over to Panama in 1999 under the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977.

Russian and Venezuelan warships successfully concluded on Tuesday the active phase of VenRus-2008, during which they practiced deployment, coordinated tactical maneuvering, air defense, search, pursuit and the detention of a ship suspected of illegal activities.

The Russian task force arrived in Venezuela at the end of November, following a two-month tour of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, which saw Russian ships visiting Libya, Turkey and France.

Russian News Agency opens office in Panama

La Prensa

Itar-Tass, the main Russian news agency, opened an office in Panama this week as its base of operations for Central America.

“Based on the strategic position of Panama in the region and the developments that have taken place in the country in recent years, we have decided to open a regional office here,” said Vitaly Ignatenko, director general of Itar-Tass.

From here, correspondents for the news agency will report on the most significant events from the region.

“Panama is a country with great dynamism and one that is very stable, a country that found its way and has excellent prospects. And we are confident that the enlargement of the Canal will give a further impetus to its economic development,” Ignatenko said.

It was founded in 1992.