Author: Sebastian Pieper

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has publicly advised Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado against negotiating the results of her country’s 2024 presidential election. Mulino revealed the private conversation during a press briefing in Panama City on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, framing his counsel as a lesson from Panama’s own democratic history. The president’s statement represents a significant and public alignment of Panama’s foreign policy with the Venezuelan opposition’s claim to power. It comes amid an ongoing regional crisis following the political collapse of Nicolás Maduro’s government earlier this month. Mulino emphasized that his advice was given as a friend…

The Municipality of Panama is summoning residents to a public hearing next week. Officials aim to establish formal rules governing all events at the sprawling Municipal North Park (Parque Norte).Scheduled for Monday, January 19, the session will present a draft municipal agreement. This proposed legislation seeks to create a legal framework for the cultural, sports, and family activities hosted at the 20-hectare complex. The hearing will be held at the park’s own auditorium in the San Vicente de Chilibre area starting at 6:00 p.m.Establishing Order for a Major Public AssetPanama City authorities describe the regulatory project as a necessary step.…

Panama’s Ministry of Environment has enacted a sweeping ban on single-use plastics and other contaminants across the nation’s protected areas. The new regulation, effective immediately, applies to all visitors, tour operators, and personnel within more than 100 designated conservation zones. Officials designed the rule to combat escalating solid waste pollution in the country’s forests, rivers, and coastal ecosystems.The directive prohibits items like plastic bottles, foam containers, plastic cutlery, plates, and bags. Only reusable or fully biodegradable alternatives will be permitted for entry. Javier Vazquez, head of Ecotourism for the ministry, stated the policy aims to preemptively tackle waste management challenges…

Panama’s electoral authority processed more than 112,000 voter residency changes last year. The National Directorate of Electoral Organization released the official figures this week, revealing significant population movement ahead of future elections.Data shows exactly 112,408 citizens updated their registered voting address in 2025. Women initiated 57,301 of these administrative procedures, while men accounted for 55,107. The Electoral Tribunal of Panama mandates the process so citizens vote where they actually live.Officials emphasized the procedure’s legal foundation. “This procedure is contemplated in the Electoral Code and aims for voters to cast their ballot in the jurisdiction where they truly reside,” the Tribunal…

The Chinese ambassador to Panama has publicly addressed the controversial demolition of a historic monument honoring the Chinese community. Ambassador Xu Xueyuan spoke this week about the incident that occurred on December 27, 2025, when the monument at the Bridge of the Americas viewpoint was destroyed on orders from Arraiján Mayor Stefany Peñalba. The destruction of the structure, which commemorated 150 years of Chinese presence in Panama, sparked immediate outrage. The backlash from the local Chinese diaspora in Panama and other residents prompted an official investigation. Panama’s Ministry of Public (Prosecutor General’s Office) of Panama is now leading a probe…

Pork producers in Panama are raising urgent alarms about the full implementation of a trade pact with the United States. They argue the agreement, which allows tariff-free meat imports, could severely damage local farms and threaten tens of thousands of jobs. Industry leaders issued this stark warning as the country moves to comply with the long-dormant provisions of the treaty.The core of the dispute centers on the Panama-United States Trade Promotion Agreement. Certain provisions for agricultural products, including pork, are now taking full effect. This grants American meat products duty-free access to the Panamanian market, a change local farmers say…

The Archdiocese of Panama presented its Santa María La Antigua medal to veteran journalist Luz María Noli Rodríguez during a special mass on Sunday, January 4. The ceremony recognized Noli’s decades of ethical leadership in Panamanian journalism, particularly during the nation’s most turbulent political periods. Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa led the tribute at the Metropolitan Cathedral as part of the archdiocese’s centennial jubilee year celebrations.Noli, the first woman to serve as news director for the national broadcaster Televisora Nacional (TVN), was praised for her unwavering commitment to truth. The event deliberately coincided with the Epiphany (holiday), drawing a parallel between…

Former Panamanian Foreign Minister Jorge Eduardo Ritter warned this week that the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro should not be seen as the end of the Chavista regime. He argued the situation differs fundamentally from the aftermath of the 1989 United States invasion of Panama (1989) and the arrest of General Manuel Noriega. Ritter made his comments while analyzing the complex political scenario unfolding in Venezuela following Maduro’s detention on January 3, 2026.The ex-chancellor emphasized the operational distinctions between the two historical events. He described the Panama operation as a full-scale military invasion that completely dismantled the state. The…

President Donald Trump declared the United States intends to govern Venezuela for an indefinite period following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. The unprecedented statement, made from his Mar-a-Lago estate on January 3rd, outlines a plan for direct political control over the South American nation and the exploitation of its vast oil reserves. This move marks a dramatic escalation in U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America, invoking a modern reinterpretation of historical hemispheric doctrine. The announcement came roughly eight hours after U.S. forces detained Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, creating a power vacuum in a country of nearly 30…

The Panamanian Chamber of Construction (Capac) has signed a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with a coalition of seven construction unions. The deal was formally registered on January 2, 2026, following direct negotiations mediated by government labor officials.This agreement covers the vast majority of formal construction workers in Panama and establishes wage and benefit terms through January 2029. It replaces a previous pact that expired at the end of 2025, providing immediate stability for a sector critical to the nation’s infrastructure development.Negotiation Process and Union CoalitionAccording to the Panamanian Chamber of Construction, the new contract resulted from a petition presented…