The President, Ricardo Martinelli, received this Thursday, May 31, the four boats that were donated by Italy as part of contracts signed by Panama with the conglomerate Finmeccanica.

The Panamanian leader, participating in a special ceremony for the formal handover of these patrol boats, said he hopes "we are constant in providing maintenance for this equipment."

In his speech, the President further said that now "Panama itself will be able to be a combatant in the fight against drugs and drug trafficking." He said that now Panama will have 18 helicopters, when previously they had only two, to patrol the borders.

On the other hand, Martinelli said they have invested to provide new and better equipment to the State Border Service and the National Police, so that all Panamanians can feel more secure. These patrol boats will monitor the coasts of the Pacific and Atlantic are named after the former presidents Guillermo Endara, Ernesto Pérez Balladares, Mireya Moscoso and Martín Torrijos.