Author: Manuel Antonio Espinosa

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…

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…