Author: Manuel Antonio Espinosa

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.…

Relatives of the seven Cuba Panamanian detainees issued a formal statement Thursday distancing themselves from a vocal activist organization while simultaneously endorsing the diplomatic work carried out by Panamanian authorities. The families, whose loved ones remain in Cuban custody under circumstances that remain largely unexplained, made clear that no outside group speaks for them or the imprisoned citizens. Families Draw a Hard Line Against Activist Interference The relatives categorically rejected any representation by Camino a la Democracia, a platform known for pushing political transition in Cuba. Their communiqué demanded that the organization and any third parties immediately cease issuing public…

The metro expansion Panama agenda took a concrete step forward this week when Metro de Panamá officials presented a recommended budget of $873.8 million for 2027, a package that includes funding for preliminary studies on the future Line 2A corridor through Tumba Muerto. César Pinzón, the agency’s director general, and Evar Caballero, its director of finance, delivered the spending proposal to the National Assembly’s Budget Committee on September 10, 2026. The investment plan reflects the growing weight of a rail system that now carries more than 400,000 passengers on a typical weekday across the capital region. The network’s transformation since…

President José Raúl Mulino has called for a second face-to-face meeting between business representatives and older adults as the fate of expanded Panama retiree benefits and pensionado discounts hangs in the balance. The session, tentatively set for September 15 at the Palacio de las Garzas, arrives after the National Assembly’s approval of Bill 226 and before the president decides whether to sign the measure, issue a partial veto, or reject it entirely. Both sides have agreed to sit down with legal advisers from the Ministry of the Presidency to review the controversial text and search for workable compromises. The meeting…