Author: Manuel Antonio Espinosa

The Panama banking center is expanding again, with regulators confirming that multiple South American financial institutions are seeking licenses to operate in the country. The Superintendency of Banks of Panama (SBP) has already approved a Bolivian bank’s entry for 2026, while a major Ecuadorian lender has formally requested permission to resume operations in the market. The announcements signal continued confidence in Panama’s financial hub, which currently hosts 62 banks and accounts for roughly 92% of the country’s financial center assets. The sector contributes approximately 6.8% to Panama’s national GDP. Panama Banking Center Consolidation and New Entrants Carlos Berguido, executive president…

The SME cybersecurity crisis has reached a breaking point across Latin America, with new data showing 86 percent of small and medium enterprises experienced at least one security incident in the past year. Kaspersky’s international survey of 1,800 organizations across 18 jurisdictions, including Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, found only 14 percent of firms with fewer than 500 employees avoided a breach during the analysis period. The findings carry direct implications for Panama, where the commercial ecosystem depends heavily on SME dynamism and requires immediate attention to prevent severe economic setbacks. Fernando Sánchez, Channel Manager for Northern Latin America at Kaspersky,…

Panama’s Ministry of Environment has begun crafting a comprehensive strategy that could fundamentally change how forest management Panama approaches its relationship with timber, native species, and private capital. The Forest Master Plan, unveiled during an initial coordination meeting, aims to move the country beyond a purely extractive model and into a new era of sustainable development over the next year and a half. The process brings together the National Forestry Directorate, the National Forest Management Committee (Conagefor), and technical specialists, with financial backing from the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF). Officials framed the initiative as a…

The admission that National Police officers have been operating as undercover police agents inside labor unions and grassroots organizations has triggered a sharp debate over privacy, free expression, and the limits of law enforcement in Panama. The controversy escalated rapidly after the police force confirmed the practice in a written statement on the night of Thursday, September 10, 2026. Within hours, one of the country’s leading human rights coalitions demanded that prosecutors launch an investigation into what it described as a possible clandestine surveillance structure targeting civic groups. Police Defend Use of Undercover Police Agents in Civic Spaces National Police…

Panama’s international borrowing costs have fallen sharply over the past year, a trend that Finance Minister Felipe Chapman says proves investor confidence in the country’s fiscal direction and its ability to maintain Panama investment grade status. During an investor forum hosted by Latinex on Thursday, Chapman pushed back against lingering skepticism from Moody’s, arguing that daily market signals speak louder than credit rating agency timelines. Market Confidence Signals Strong Backing for Panama Investment Grade Chapman told attendees that the country’s risk premium “began to fall rapidly because investors believe we do what we promise.” He explained that this credibility allowed…

The Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences of Panama has selected “Chichero” as the country’s official submission for the 2027 Goya Awards, and the same film will seek an Oscar nomination in the Best International Feature Film category. The dual recognition marks a decisive moment for Panamanian cinema, an industry that’s spent the past decade building credibility on the global stage. Directors Arturo Montenegro and Aarón Bromley led the production, which received financing through the competitive Fondo de Cine 2023 program. Industry observers noted that the selection reflects something larger than a single film, it validates a professionalization process that…

A Dutch member of the European Parliament has called on Brussels to withdraw the yellow card that has hung over Panama illegal fishing oversight since December 2019, arguing that the country has already delivered enough reforms to deserve relief. Álvaro Sebastian Kruis submitted a formal question to the European Commission requesting a concrete roadmap with defined criteria so Panama can move beyond the warning and toward a restored green card. The request comes as Panamanian authorities continue audits and interagency coordination through the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama. Officials in Panama City have long insisted that the country has strengthened…

For years, patients across Panama have faced a familiar and exhausting routine: waking before sunrise, standing in long lines outside health centers, and hoping to secure one of the limited appointment slots before they run out. That reality may finally be shifting. The Ministry of Health has unveiled a new digital platform designed to eliminate those pre-dawn queues, and the patient portal Panama residents have been waiting for is now available for download on both Android and iPhone devices. Presented on Thursday, September 10, 2026, the application called Minsalud PDP, short for Portal del Paciente, puts appointment scheduling, lab results,…

The skies above Panama have transformed into a high-altitude laboratory this month as a specialized NASA aircraft conducts ozone research Panama scientists believe will sharpen global climate models. The WB-57 research plane touched down at Panama Pacifico International Airport on August 24 and will remain through September 23, executing a series of scientific flights over the tropics that capture atmospheric data hard to obtain from any other location on Earth. A Unique Window into the Tropical Stratosphere Panama’s geographic position between two hemispheres makes it an ideal base for atmospheric study. Researchers are targeting two major phenomena, deep convection currents…

Panama is preparing to place its official sex offender registry online through Panamá Conecta, the country’s main digital services platform. The move will give citizens a direct way to check public safety information once the final legal steps are completed in the coming weeks. Adolfo Fábrega, administrator of the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG), confirmed that the technological work is already finished. What remains is the signing of a legal agreement that will unlock public access to the database. Public Safety Implications of the Sex Offender Registry Authorities see the digital registry as a practical tool for community awareness.…