Author: Michael Meuret

Panama City Mayor Mayer Mizrachi has unveiled plans for a new international Carnival festival in the capital. The initiative aims to attract foreign tourists and generate revenue by transforming the city’s traditional celebrations. Mizrachi announced the strategy on Thursday, targeting the upcoming Carnival season in early 2026.The mayor’s vision involves significantly scaling back the capital’s classic “culecos,” or water-soaking street parties, to make room for a more curated, tourist-focused event. He framed the move as a necessary evolution to compete on a global stage. The traditional celebrations, he argued, will remain vibrant in Panama’s interior provinces.”We have to open our…

The Institute for Training and Development of Human Resources (IFARHU) in Panama will open applications for its 2026 General Scholarship Competition on January 12. Officials announced the program now requires a higher minimum grade point average for most applicants, allocating over $50 million to support students across the country.Carlos Godoy, the director of IFARHU, confirmed the details. The application window will run for less than two weeks, closing on January 23, 2026. This annual competition provides critical financial aid for primary, secondary, and university-level students attending both public and private institutions.New Academic Thresholds for ApplicantsA key change this year involves…

A group of skateboarders at the popular Cinta Costera III park in Panama City reported a violent assault by a gang of minors this week. The attack has sparked urgent calls for improved police protection in the recreational area located near the El Chorrillo neighborhood.Roberto Velasquez, a professional skater and Panamanian singer with fifteen years of experience, provided a firsthand account of the incident. He shared video evidence on social media showing visible injuries sustained during the beating.”They beat us to a pulp, literally,” Velasquez stated. [Translated from Spanish]He explained that harassment from groups of young people in the area…

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino confirmed plans for a new international trip during a public infrastructure event on Thursday. The president will visit Switzerland and the United Kingdom next week for a series of official state meetings. This marks the nineteenth foreign journey of his administration, which began in July 2024.Mulino made the announcement while inaugurating a major highway interchange in the city of Chitré. He stated the diplomatic visits would address matters of national importance, though he did not provide a detailed itinerary for the European tour. The trip continues a pattern of frequent international engagement since he took…

Growers in Panama are beginning the 2025-2026 harvest of the world’s most expensive coffee, the prized Geisha variety, while confronting significant climate instability that threatens yields. The harvest is now underway in the high-altitude regions of Boquete, Tierras Altas, and Renacimiento in Chiriquí province, the exclusive home of a coffee that shattered global price records last year.In the 2025 Best of Panama (BOP) auction, a 20-kilogram lot of Geisha natural process coffee sold for an unprecedented $30,204 per kilogram to Dubai’s Julith Coffee. This sale cemented Panama’s status as the producer of the globe’s premier specialty coffee. Industry leaders now…

A shipment of imported onions caused significant traffic delays and reignited a long-standing trade dispute in Panama City on Wednesday, January 7. The incident occurred outside the state-run Merca Panama wholesale market when over 30 containers were denied entry, highlighting the tension between protecting local farmers and honoring international trade agreements.The Panama Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) confirmed the shipment was legally imported under the country’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States. National regulations, however, prioritize using the Merca Panama facilities for local produce when domestic supply is sufficient.”I cannot go against the national producer and the producer…

A total of 24,680 Panamanian students started a mandatory academic recovery program on Monday, January 5. The students failed to pass one or more subjects during the 2025 school year and must now complete the intensive course to advance to the next grade.The program, known as the Student Academic Recovery Program (PRAE), is administered by the country’s Ministry of Education of Panama. Officials are hosting classes at 86 schools across all 16 of the nation’s educational regions.Edwin Gordón, the General Director of Education, confirmed the enrollment figures. He noted that registration ran from December 29 through January 2, prompting significant…

Panama’s ambassador to the United Nations publicly demanded the release of a detained Panameño mariner this week. Eloy Alfaro de Alba made the appeal before the United Nations Security Council, linking the sailor’s case to broader human rights concerns in Venezuela.The diplomatic intervention marks a significant escalation in efforts to free Olmedo Javier Núñez Peñalba. Venezuelan authorities detained him over seven months ago after intercepting his vessel.From Routine Voyage to Diplomatic FlashpointOlmedo Javier Núñez Peñalba was working as part of the crew on a Panamanian-flagged ship. His life changed on June 11 when the Venezuelan National Bolivarian Armed Force intercepted…

The dramatic capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the subsequent U.S. announcement of a transitional administration have abruptly redrawn the political map of the Americas. For Panama, the shockwaves from its regional neighbor are immediate and concrete, forcing urgent calculations in foreign policy, economic planning, and national security. Sociologist Danilo Toro warns the country cannot afford to view the situation as a distant event, citing geographic proximity and deep historical ties as factors that make Panama directly vulnerable to the fallout.The events of January 3, 2026, which included explosions at Caracas’s Fuerte Tiuna military complex, have created a fragmented…

Panama’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) posted a significant recovery in the third quarter of 2025, reaching a net inflow of $676.4 million. This positive swing follows a period of substantial capital outflow in the previous quarter, according to official data released by the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Panama). The rebound, however, was not enough to erase a steep year-to-date decline, leaving the nation’s overall investment climate in a state of cautious evaluation.The figures, compiled by the Comptroller General of the Republic (Panama), show a dramatic quarterly shift. The third quarter’s positive flow contrasts sharply with the second quarter’s…