Author: michaelm
Panama’s Copa Airlines has formally begun the process to secure special flight permits to Toronto, Canada. The move directly responds to surging travel demand after the historic qualification of the Panama national football team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The airline announced the initiative on Monday, December 8, 2025, aiming to transport thousands of fans to support the team next summer.Current aviation restrictions between Panama and Canada present a significant challenge. Canadian authorities only authorize one daily flight on the Panama City to Toronto route. Copa Airlines confirmed those existing seats are nearly sold out for the tournament period.…
A new report from Panama’s Ombudsman’s Office details the severe and systemic inequalities facing the nation’s Afro-descendant children. The investigation, supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), exposes widespread poverty, violence, and discrimination that limits the development of over 312,000 young people. These children represent 26 percent of Panama’s total child population.The “Defensorial Report on the Situation of the Rights of Afro-descendant Girls, Boys and Adolescents in Panama” compiles direct testimonies and institutional data. It was presented this week to government authorities, international organizations, and the Afro-descendant community groups who participated in its creation. Researchers conducted focus groups and…
Panama has set a new global benchmark for coffee prices. A kilogram of the country’s prized Geisha variety sold for 30,204 dollars at the annual Best of Panama auction this week, cementing its status as the world’s most expensive coffee. The record-setting lot of washed Geisha was grown by Hacienda La Esmeralda in the highlands of Boquete, Chiriquí Province and purchased by Julith Coffee, a buyer based in Dubai.This astronomical price is the culmination of a three-decade transformation of Panama’s coffee industry. From near collapse in the 1990s, a unified group of producers focused on quality and a single, rediscovered…
The Municipality of Panama City has issued a detailed set of rules for its upcoming “City of the Stars” Christmas parade. The event is scheduled for Sunday, December 14, 2025, starting at 3:00 p.m. along a route from Nicanor de Obarrio Avenue to 76th Street in the San Francisco district.Mayor Mayer Mizrachi Matalon signed the regulatory decree on November 25. Officials designed the measures to ensure public order and safety for what they anticipate will be a large family event. The rules cover everything from parking bans to strict alcohol consumption limits along the parade corridor.Major Road Closures and Parking…
Panama uniquely observes Mother’s Day every year on December 8. This date directly coincides with the country’s national holiday for the Immaculate Conception. The tradition originated from a formal petition by a group of Catholic women nearly a century ago.Back in 1930, these women requested a change to the nation’s Mother’s Day celebration. The holiday had been observed on May 11 since its official introduction in 1924. Their proposal sought to align the day honoring mothers with the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a key Marian celebration in the Catholic faith. This move aimed to infuse the secular celebration with…
The Latin American Stock Exchange (Latinex) in Panama City listed its first ever bond issue denominated in Costa Rican colones on December 4. This landmark transaction also represents the first foreign currency issuance listed on the Panamanian exchange, marking a significant step in regional financial integration.The issuance belongs to the Senior AB Series of the Latin American Foreign Trade Bank (Bladex). It is valued at up to 25 billion colones, which translates to approximately 51.2 million US dollars. Financial analysts view the move as a strategic opening for new cross-border investment structures that could attract more regional issuers and investors…
The Panama Canal recorded a 5.6 percent increase in total ship transits for October, the first month of its 2026 fiscal year. Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez confirmed the growth, attributing it to seasonal holiday trade and commercial efforts to beat potential future tariffs.Official data from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) shows 1,029 transits occurred in October. That figure represents 55 more transits than the 974 recorded during the same month in the previous fiscal year. The daily transit average for the month reached 33.2 vessels.Vásquez pointed to a specific day in early December as a sign of current operational strength.…
A major new exhibition in Panama City is challenging historical narratives by showcasing art created exclusively by women. The Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama (MAC Panamá) opened “Musa: Female Perspectives” this month, a collaborative show featuring works from its own collection and that of the Museum of Modern Art of Medellín (MAMM). The exhibition, which runs through February 2026, directly confronts the chronic underrepresentation of female creators in museum collections and art history.MAC Panamá’s executive director, María Lucía Alemán, states the exhibition is a necessary corrective to a long-standing imbalance. She points to the museum’s own records as evidence…
A $209 million contract to provide meals for Panama’s largest prisons received only one bid this week. The sole offer came from the same company that has held the exclusive service for the past 13 years, raising questions about competition in state public procurement.The electronic bid submission for the six-year contract closed on Friday, December 5. Official records from the Ministry of Government (Mingob) showed just a single proposal entered into the system. It was submitted by Consorcio Alimentario Panamá, the consortium currently feeding inmates in six facilities across Panama Province.Its proposal matched the government’s reference price exactly at $209.6…
Panama’s exporters are managing a complex trade landscape in 2025, posting overall growth despite a significant drop in sales to the United States. Data from the first nine months of the year reveals a sector contending with a prolonged agricultural strike and new American tariffs. The country’s total exports reached $754.9 million through September, an increase of $34.2 million compared to the same period in 2024. This positive national figure, however, masks a stark decline in the crucial US market.Shipments to the United States, Panama’s largest trading partner, fell to $118.3 million. That number represents a negative balance of $22.9…