U.S. Ambassador Kevin Marino Cabrera joined Panama’s First Lady and top health officials in Santiago this week to highlight a joint U.S.-Panama mission restoring sight to hundreds through cataract surgeries and other procedures.
The event at Luis Chicho Fábrega Hospital[1] showcased nearly 300 cataract surgeries, along with pterygium procedures and a cornea transplant. Patients traveled from Veraguas and surrounding provinces, many of them regaining their vision after years of impairment.
“Each surgery represents a new opportunity to return to work, study, and enjoy life,” Cabrera said in a statement.
“This mission is a result of our expanded security cooperation to continue working alongside Panamanians to improve lives and promote prosperity, strengthening the ties between the United States and Panama.”
The current initiative runs through Thursday. It’s the 13th ophthalmological mission in Panama under the U.S. Southern Command’s humanitarian assistance program[2], which has invested some $10 million since 2013 to benefit more than 2,000 Panamanians.
The mission is part of PANAMAX[3], the annual U.S.-Panama security cooperation framework, and involves 27 U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force medical personnel working alongside Panamanian doctors and nurses.
The Penonomé Lions Club[4], the local chapter of a global volunteer humanitarian service, also donated 50 surgical kits to boost the mission’s reach.
First Lady Maricel Cohen de Mulino called the collaboration “a landmark step in the fight against preventable blindness.”
“This initiative is driven by a deeply human purpose: to bring back the light of hope to thousands of Panamanians awaiting surgery to regain their sight and, with it, the chance to live more fully,” she said in a statement. “Today we affirm that when we join forces, we can restore clarity, hope, and confidence to those who need it most.”
During his Veraguas visit, Cabrera also met Veraguas Gov. Hidelmarta Riera, Santiago Mayor Eric Jaén, legislators Ronald De Gracia and Julio De La Guardia, and parish leaders to discuss cultural heritage and regional policy cooperation.
Cabrera was confirmed[5] U.S. Ambassador to Panama in April after serving as a Miami-Dade County Commissioner. He resigned his seat to succeed Mari Carmen Aponte.
A first-generation Cuban American, he rose through Florida politics as a Republican strategist, including managing President Donald Trump’s 2020 campaign in Florida before shifting to public office.
In June, his office announced the launch of an $8 million project[6] to swap Chinese equipment for American-made tech at 13 Panama locations in collaboration with the nation’s Ministry of Public Security.
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References
- ^ Luis Chicho Fábrega Hospital (www.ciudadfcc.com)
- ^ humanitarian assistance program (www.southcom.mil)
- ^ PANAMAX (www.southcom.mil)
- ^ Penonomé Lions Club (e-clubhouse.org)
- ^ confirmed (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ $8 million project (floridapolitics.com)