PANAMA · DISASTER RELIEF
Key Facts
- The country Panama, the Central American nation that runs the Panama Canal, uses the US dollar, and its own balboa is held at par.
- What happened The US Embassy handed 17 heavy cargo trucks worth US$2.1 million to Panama’s border police on Tuesday, 13 October.
- The quake A magnitude 7.7 quake struck Panama on Friday, 9 October, affecting 6,174 people and 1,744 homes by Monday’s official count.
- Other US help Washington has committed US$5 million in humanitarian aid and sent 20 search and rescue specialists and military helicopters.
- Relief supplies Five trucks of US-funded tents, blankets, tarps and mosquito nets, channeled through UNHCR, are meant for about 12,000 people.
- Power Index Panama ranks 11th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 34.2 points (October 2026 edition).
- Still open Where the 17 trucks deploy first and how the US$5 million is split among relief groups have not been made public.
The United States handed Panama’s border police 17 heavy cargo trucks worth US$2.1 million on Tuesday, 13 October, to speed up Panama quake relief. US Ambassador Kevin Marino Cabrera delivered them at the headquarters of Senafront, the National Border Service, the US Embassy said.
Washington has also committed US$5 million in humanitarian aid since the magnitude 7.7 quake of Friday, 9 October, which wrecked homes, schools and roads. For Americans, the handover shows Washington pairing disaster relief with security aid for the country that runs the Panama Canal.
What the US Handed Over
The 17 trucks can carry 10 to 25 tonnes each and will move personnel, equipment and humanitarian supplies around the country, the embassy said. They also give Senafront more capacity for long-term security operations and future national emergencies, it added.
Senafront is a police force under Panama’s Ministry of Public Security that guards the country’s borders, including the Darién jungle frontier with Colombia. Public Security Minister Frank Ábrego and Senafront director general Larry Solís attended the handover ceremony.
“These 17 trucks represent a US$2.1 million investment in Panama’s security and preparedness,” Cabrera said in the embassy’s statement. “Security cooperation is about protecting lives and delivering results,” he added, saying that under President Donald Trump the United States stands with Panama.
Panamanian broadcasters TVN and Telemetro also reported the handover and the trucks’ US$2.1 million value. It came four days after the quake, while cracked roads were still cutting off villages near the epicenter in Herrera province, TVN reported.
Aid for 12,000 Quake Victims
A separate convoy of five trucks carrying US-funded aid headed on Tuesday for Coclé, Herrera and Los Santos provinces, including the badly hit Tonosí district. The supplies will help about 12,000 people, the US Embassy and Ambassador Cabrera said, as reported by Telemetro and the newspaper Panamá América.
The cargo includes 2,500 blankets, 2,900 mosquito nets, 750 tarps, 200 family tents, 1,290 kitchen kits and 500 sleeping mats. The United States paid for it and channeled it through UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, both outlets reported.
The State Department has committed US$5 million for trusted relief organizations working in Panama, the embassy said on Sunday, 11 October. Washington also sent 20 urban search and rescue specialists from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Los Angeles County, California, to inspect damaged buildings.
US Southern Command, the US military command for Latin America and the Caribbean, has flown supplies to the worst-hit provinces by helicopter. Its specialists inspected the cracked National Assembly building on Tuesday, and lawmakers moved their plenary sessions to the Latin American Parliament’s headquarters, TVN reported.
How Bad the Panama Quake Was
The US Geological Survey measured the Panama quake at magnitude 7.7, while Panamanian media such as La Prensa and TVN use a reading of 7.5. It struck on Friday, 9 October, near Pitaloza Arriba in Herrera province, and hit hardest in Coclé, Herrera, Los Santos and Veraguas.
On Monday, President José Raúl Mulino said 6,174 people and 1,744 homes had been affected, figures that will rise as checks continue. “We have been fortunate that this quake has not cost lives,” said Mulino, a conservative in office since July 2024, according to La Prensa.
The Panama quake destroyed 35 schools that must be rebuilt from scratch, Education Ministry official Javier Hurtado told TVN. The ministry has not yet decided how pupils in the worst-hit areas will finish the school year, which has 34 school days left.
The government declared a national state of emergency on Saturday, 10 October, the presidency said. On Monday it also promised 1,300 new homes for families who lost theirs.
Why Washington Is Stepping In
Washington began sending help soon after the quake, as reported here on 10 October. By Monday, engineers, civil protection teams and US specialists had assessed 1,744 damaged homes, Panama’s presidency said.
Senafront already trains with US forces, including a US Coast Guard exercise near Panama City in December 2025, part of a wider security partnership. The embassy said the trucks will also serve border security and future disasters once the Panama quake emergency ends.
What It Means for You
Americans living in or visiting Panama should expect damaged roads and closed buildings in the central provinces while inspections continue. The State Department’s free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program sends US citizens embassy alerts by email.
Because Panama uses the dollar, every pledge and rebuilding cost is counted directly in US dollars, with no currency conversion. Americans who want to give can look to groups already working there, such as UNHCR, which channeled the US-funded supplies.
What Is Not Known
Neither the embassy nor Panama’s government has said where the 17 trucks will work first or which US program paid for them. How the US$5 million is split among relief groups has not been published either.
No total damage bill for the Panama quake has been published yet, and the National Assembly is still waiting for the engineers’ final report. It is also unclear whether more US equipment or troops will follow the first deliveries.
More: Panama news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the United States give Panama after the quake?
On Tuesday, 13 October, the US Embassy handed 17 heavy cargo trucks worth US$2.1 million to Senafront, Panama’s border police, for Panama quake relief. Five more truckloads of US-funded supplies, channeled through UNHCR, headed for about 12,000 people.
How strong was the Panama quake?
The US Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 7.7, while Panamanian media use a reading of 7.5. It struck on Friday, 9 October, and no deaths had been reported by Tuesday.
Is Panama safe for American travelers after the quake?
Roads and buildings in the central provinces are still being inspected, and some rural roads are damaged. Travelers should follow US Embassy alerts and can enroll in the State Department’s free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.
How much aid has the United States pledged?
The State Department has committed US$5 million in humanitarian aid, the US Embassy said on Sunday, 11 October. The 17 trucks, valued at US$2.1 million, came on top as security and disaster-response equipment.
Sources: US Embassy in Panama: United States delivers cargo trucks to Senafront, 13 October 2026; US Embassy in Panama: United States mobilizes rapid earthquake response, 11 October 2026; US Geological Survey: M 7.7, 12 km WSW of Pitaloza Arriba, Panama, 9 October 2026; TVN: Estados Unidos entrega 17 camiones a Senafront, 13 October 2026; Telemetro: Estados Unidos entrega 17 camiones al Senafront, 13 October 2026; Telemetro: cinco camiones con ayuda humanitaria, 13 October 2026; Panamá América: cinco camiones con ayuda de Estados Unidos, 13 October 2026; TVN: Comando Sur inspecciona edificio de la Asamblea Nacional, 13 October 2026; Presidencia de Panamá: informe a la nación, 12 October 2026; La Prensa: 6,174 personas y 1,744 viviendas afectadas, 12 October 2026; TVN: Meduca evalúa cómo completar el año escolar, 13 October 2026; TVN: La Pitaloza, epicentro del sismo, 12 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error