A US Armed Forces Black Hawk helicopter is seen during the opening ceremony of the multinational Panamax 2026 exercise at Lieutenant Octavio Rodriguez Garrido Air Base in Arraijan, Panama, on August 3, 2026. The Panamax 2026 exercise brings together 1,700 military personnel from armed forces across the Americas, the Caribbean and Europe to strengthen regional cooperation and interoperability. (Credit: Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP via Getty Images)
On Tuesday the State Department told Congress it is moving $52 million earmarked as foreign military financing away from four countries — Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia and Iraq — and sending that money instead to Panama, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. The reshuffle lands just days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrapped up a three-nation tour of the region, and it captures, in one budget line, where Washington's military money is headed next.
The $52 Million, Explained
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