GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Oct. 2026, CMC — The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has expressed solidarity with Panama following a destructive earthquake that damaged critical and historic infrastructure, disrupted travel, and left people without shelter.
In a statement, the regional grouping extended support to the Panamanian government and people and wished those injured a full and speedy recovery.
CARICOM highlighted the longstanding ties between Panama and its member states, describing their shared history as deeply intertwined across generations of citizens who have contributed to Caribbean development.
“CARICOM understands the destruction and displacement caused by natural disasters,” the statement said, expressing hope for a swift return to normalcy.
The statement did not provide details on the earthquake’s magnitude or the number of people injured or displaced.
On Saturday, the government of Panama declared a state of emergency as the aftershocks of two powerful earthquakes that roiled the country shook communities for hours.
Officials did not attribute any deaths to the quakes but reported damage in all 10 of Panama’s provinces and two Indigenous territories.
The 7.7- and 6.6-magnitude earthquakes on Friday toppled buildings near the epicenter and prompted evacuations across the Central American country. Seismologists recorded more than 100 aftershocks, including ones measuring magnitude 5.8, 5.5 and 5.2.
The earlier quake, also felt in neighboring Colombia, was centered about 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of the remote community of Pitaloza Arriba, in the central province of Herrera, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Presidential Minister Juan Carlos Orillac announced the emergency during a news conference in the capital, Panama City. He said homes, schools, healthcare facilities, roads, and hotels were among the damaged facilities.
Malitzie Rivera, deputy director of the National Civil Protection System, told reporters the state had reports of 27 people with injuries, ranging from minor to moderate.
