PANAMA CITY >> Panama is joining several other Latin American nations in dropping out of the Miss Universe pageant in protest over Donald Trump’s comments about immigrants.

The Miss Panama Organization and the Telemetro television channel say that this year they won’t participate in or broadcast the Miss Universe contest partly owned by Trump.

They say the move is "a message of solidarity" to Mexicans offended by Trump’s recent description of Mexican migrants as rapists and as people who bring drugs and crime to the United States.

Panama hosted the pageant in 1986 and 2003. Contest organizers and broadcasters in Costa Rica and Mexico also have pulled out of the event.