On Monday, 12 October 2026, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) released an official statement extending unwavering solidarity to the government and people of Panama following a destructive earthquake that has wreaked havoc across the Central American nation.
The seismic event has left a widespread trail of damage, crippling critical public infrastructure and irreplaceable historical sites, disrupting regional and local travel networks, and leaving hundreds, if not thousands of Panamanian citizens displaced and without emergency shelter. In the aftermath of the disaster, CARICOM emphasized the deep, generational historical ties that bind Panama to all CARICOM member states, bonds that have seen shared populations contribute enormously to broader social and economic development across the Caribbean region for decades.
Drawing from its own long history of responding to and recovering from natural disasters, CARICOM voiced particular understanding of the widespread destruction and mass population displacement that events like this inflict on local communities. The regional bloc extended its sincere wishes for a full and rapid recovery to all those injured in the earthquake, and affirmed its hope that Panama will be able to restore normal daily life for its citizens as quickly as possible in the coming weeks and months.
This statement was distributed via SKNVibes.com and published unedited in the form received by the outlet.