Author: Manuel Antonio Espinosa

Government officials, business leaders and retiree advocates met Tuesday at the Palacio de Las Garzas to examine the viability of Bill 226, a legislative proposal central to the ongoing Panama pension reform debate. The session marked the second coordination meeting aimed at resolving disputes over discount schemes for the country’s retirees. The gathering followed President José Raúl Mulino’s September 9 directive to find a solution that protects vulnerable pensioners while shielding micro and small businesses from financial strain. Participants reviewed adjustments to existing discount structures, particularly those tied to tourism and hospitality services that critics say fail to benefit the…

Driving at night in Panama City is already complicated, but navigating the roads will become even worse now due to these upcoming partial lane closures. Geotechnical drilling tied to the Cuarto Puente construction will force partial lane closures on the Pan-American Highway starting Wednesday, September 16, according to Panama’s Ministry of Public Works (MOP). The overnight work runs through Monday, September 21, from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. daily. The affected stretch sits in the westbound lanes heading toward Panama City, specifically between the Puma station and the access road to the Bridge of the Americas in Ancón. Traffic authorities…

Panamanian authorities carried out a criminal organization expulsion on Tuesday, September 15, removing a Venezuelan citizen with alleged ties to the Tren de Aragua terrorist group. The National Migration Service confirmed the man was placed on a commercial flight to Venezuela under police custody after investigators determined he had evaded immigration checkpoints upon entering the country. The deportation coincided with a separate operation in Penonomé, Coclé province, where agents detained another foreign national who admitted to running an informal lending scheme known as “gota a gota.” Both actions reflect a widening enforcement push against foreign nationals engaged in activities outside…

Eighteen people were pulled from the water Monday after a catamaran shipwreck Panama authorities say occurred between Taboga and Taboguilla islands. The National Aeronaval Service, known as Senan, coordinated the rescue through its Regional Aeronaval Operations Center, deploying specialized personnel and naval assets to the scene. All 18 occupants survived the sinking and were transported to a safe port for medical evaluation. Paramedics from Senan, the Unified Prehospital Emergency Management System (SUME), and the Ministry of Health provided immediate attention upon arrival. Officials credited life jacket use as the decisive factor preventing fatalities during the emergency. Catamaran Shipwreck Panama Rescue…

Panama has already surpassed the international target of conserving 30% of its terrestrial and marine areas by 2030, with protected areas management now covering 33% of its land territory and 54% of its territorial waters, according to government officials preparing for a major biodiversity conference next year. The announcement came as Environment Vice Minister Oscar Vallarino presented the country’s progress at the Regional Forum “Mesoamerica towards 30×30” held in Mérida, Mexico. The gathering focused on building a roadmap to fulfill Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Protected Areas Management and Regional Cooperation Panama’s conservation strategy extends beyond domestic…

Sales of Chinese vehicles in Panama now account for nearly 30 percent of the new car market, a sharp increase from 24.5 percent a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Panamanian Automobile Distributors Association (ADAP). The surge comes as consumer protection authorities record a parallel rise in warranty-complaints against several Chinese brands, reflecting major shifts across the local commercial automotive sector. Between January and July, Chinese manufacturers drove 86 percent of all market growth, selling 10,894 units across twenty brands. Total new vehicle sales reached 36,452 units, up 9.7 percent year over year, but non-Chinese brands grew just…

Standing before 774 freshly minted security agents in Panama City, President José Raúl Mulino delivered a stark ultimatum that frames his administration’s escalating Panama gang crackdown as an existential battle for national survival. The Monday graduation ceremony for the 103rd class of public force officers became the platform for an uncompromising message aimed at criminal organizations and the public alike. “Either the narcos win or we do,” Mulino declared, setting a confrontational tone that signals intensified enforcement operations across the Central American nation. The president’s rhetoric marks a significant hardening of official discourse around organized crime, explicitly rejecting any pathway…

Panama’s National Assembly has moved forward with a sweeping homeless policy reform that would give the Ministry of Social Development (Mides) authority to coordinate all street-level assistance programs while establishing a legal framework for involuntary placement in specialized care centers. The legislation, approved in first debate on September 14, 2026, merges two separate proposals into a single bill that addresses what lawmakers describe as a growing crisis in Panama City and Colón. Deputy Ernesto Cedeño of the Seguimos bench, who sponsored the original initiative, confirmed that preliminary estimates indicate at least 400 people live on the streets of the capital…

A private power generation company has formally accepted “absolute responsibility” for the electrical grid failure that plunged more than 375,000 customers across three Panamanian provinces into darkness Saturday night, according to the state transmission operator. Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica, S.A. (ETESA) confirmed Sunday that the unnamed generating firm notified its National Dispatch Center (CND) of its role in the incident, which knocked out 600 megawatts of capacity from the Gatún plant at 10:35 p.m. on September 12. Timeline of the Electrical Grid Failure and Recovery The outage struck the provinces of Panama, Panama Oeste, and Coclé, cutting service for approximately…

Panama’s top Catholic leader called Sunday for a renewed focus on foreigner acceptance Panama policies that prioritize human dignity, warning that migration statistics can dehumanize people and that border security must not turn foreigners into enemies. Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa delivered the message during a Mass marking the Month of the Migrant at the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Panama. Ulloa acknowledged Panama’s right to organize and protect its borders but argued that enforcement measures cannot come at the cost of compassion. He spoke directly to both authorities and ordinary Panamanians, urging them to see migrants as brothers and sisters rather than…