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“Total Systemic Friction”: Inside the Panama Forum Where Washington Formalized Its 18-Nation Anti-Cartel Coalition

SOUTHCOM’s Panama forum drew 19 nations, with the U.S. calling for “total systemic friction” against cartels — showcasing Peru’s swift move to join the Shield of the Americas while Colombia’s membership remains murkier

By Sociedad Media
“Total Systemic Friction”: Inside the Panama Forum Where Washington Formalized Its 18-Nation Anti-Cartel Coalition
SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan speaking at the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition Forum in Panama City, Panama on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. Source: X
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NEW DEVELOPMENT — On the evening of Wednesday, August 12, 2026, Colombia’s Defense Ministry issued the formal communiqué confirming accession to the A3C/Shield of the Americas, “following directives from President Abelardo De La Espriella.”

PANAMA CITY — Defense and security officials from 18 to 19 Western Hemisphere nations gathered in Panama City on Tuesday for the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition Forum, where U.S. Southern Command’s top general delivered one of the bluntest calls to arms Washington has issued yet in its regional anti-cartel campaign — a gathering that also showcased how quickly Peru and Colombia’s newly elected right-wing governments have moved to formalize their place inside it.

New Outlooks

SOUTHCOM Commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan told the assembled delegations that the forum “signals a decisive shift in our regional fight against cartels and narco-terrorists,” framing the coalition’s mandate in explicitly operational terms.

“We cannot afford to just meet and discuss,” Donovan said. “We must take action together, working shoulder-to-shoulder to apply total systemic friction on these terrorist networks and safeguard our hemisphere.”

In remarks quoted separately, Donovan added: “The time has come to combat the foe... We have a chance to decide. Are we willing to bring the fight to the enemy? I believe we are.”