Panama has pledged its solidarity with India in its campaign against terrorism, with Panama Assembly President Dana Castaneda expressing strong support following a meeting with a Shashi Tharoor-led all-party Indian parliamentary delegation on Tuesday (local time).
“We very clearly understand the message they have conveyed. Panama wants to stand with India in this campaign for peace, and we hope that together we can defeat terrorism,” Castaneda told ANI. “This exchange has deepened our understanding of India’s fight against terrorism.”
The show of solidarity came as Congress MP Shashi Tharoor presented a Kashmiri shawl—a symbolic gesture tied to the recent Pahalgam terror attack—to Castaneda during their meeting. In return, the Assembly President gifted a symbol of the warriors of Panama, representing strength and resolve in the global fight against terror.
“She said she hopes we will fight terror with the strength of that symbol,” Tharoor shared. “I thought that was a very powerful and meaningful gesture to end our interaction at the National Assembly.”
Tharoor reiterated India’s firm stance on terrorism, recounting the events after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 civilians.
“We come from different political backgrounds and regions, but we are united in our national purpose,” Tharoor said. “We waited to see if Pakistan would act. When it did not, India struck known terrorist headquarters on May 7. We had no interest in escalating conflict, but terror must not go unpunished.”
The Indian all-party delegation is currently on a three-day official visit to Panama, following their engagement in Guyana. According to the Indian Embassy in Panama, the group is engaging with Panamanian leaders, strategic experts, media, and the Indian diaspora, reinforcing India’s message of unity and zero-tolerance for terrorism.
Led by Shashi Tharoor, the delegation includes Sarfaraz Ahmed, G M Harish Balayogi, Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejasvi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Mallikarjun Devda, Milind Deora, and former Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
The diplomatic outreach is part of India’s broader effort following Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the Pahalgam attack, to build global consensus against state-sponsored terrorism and highlight India’s calibrated, proportionate response to cross-border threats.
