Author: Sebastian Pieper

January proved to be the busiest month for cruise travel through Panama this year, with 140,783 passengers recorded moving through the country’s ports. The spike in January set the pace for what has become a remarkable five-month stretch, according to fresh data from the Panama Maritime Authority. Between January and May 2026, a total of 460,156 cruise passengers transited Panama. That figure represents a 15.6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025, when 397,975 travelers were counted. The difference amounts to 62,181 additional passengers moving through the country’s cruise infrastructure. The growth trajectory stands in sharp contrast to…

Drivers across Panama will face higher costs at the pump beginning Friday, July 24, 2026, as the Panama National Energy Secretariat announced a new round of price increases for gasoline and diesel. The adjustments, effective from 6:00 a.m. on July 24 through 5:59 a.m. on August 7, 2026, mark another step in the ongoing volatility of global energy markets. Diesel users will feel the sharpest pinch. The price for low-sulfur diesel (ULS) is climbing by 18.3 cents per liter. Regular 91-octane gasoline will rise by 7.4 cents per liter, while premium 95-octane gasoline goes up by 8.4 cents per liter.…

Panama’s electricity distributors are racing against the calendar. By October, they must completely transform how they handle meter replacements, customer complaints, and billing statements. The National Authority for Public Services (ASEP) has drawn a hard line in the sand. Companies that fail to meet these requirements will face sanctions. Zelmar Rodriguez, the administrator general of ASEP, confirmed the timeline in a recent announcement. She stated that the regulatory body has already identified the root causes of service failures across Panama’s electrical grid. The solutions are ready. Now execution is everything. ‘The causes of the failures have already been identified and…

Residents in the Vacamonte Arraijan community got a startling surprise when they turned on their faucets after a water outage. Instead of clear drinking water, a vivid blue liquid flowed from their taps. The unusual sight sparked immediate concern among families in the El Tecal neighborhood, who worried about chemical contamination or problems with the public water system. Officials from the Idaan Panama water authority moved quickly to address the panic. Eduardo De Gracia, the regional director for Idaan, explained that the source of the blue water was not the treatment plants or the main distribution network. Instead, the problem…

The document sat untouched for more than a century. Pages yellowed, edges eaten by insects, ink fading into nothing. But now, Panama’s original 1903 act of separation from Colombia has been rescued from decay. The 600-page book, which records one of the most pivotal moments in the nation’s history, recently underwent its first ever restoration. Nairobia Escrucería, director of the Public Registry, handed over the fragile volume to the president of the Panama Municipal Council during a formal ceremony. Speaking about the significance of the moment, Escrucería said ‘For us as a country, preserving our history and safeguarding documents as…

The diplomatic temperature between Panama and Nicaragua rose sharply this week. Managua fired back at Panama City after officials there criticized President Daniel Ortega’s recent comments about potentially scrapping elections entirely. The exchange marks a rare public fracture between two nations that share deep historical bonds. Nicaragua’s government released a formal statement Tuesday calling Panama’s diplomatic note “objectively injurious” to national sovereignty. The response came days after Panama sent its own protest over Daniel Ortega statements on elections that suggested the country might abandon electoral processes. Panama’s original note had expressed alarm at what it viewed as a threat to…

In Panama, the bond between humans and their canine companions runs deeper than many realize. For Pilar de Codrington, who shares her home with two dogs, these animals have become what she affectionately calls her “perrihijos” or fur babies. The relationship has strengthened over time, she said, transforming pets into genuine family members. But as the country marks World Dog Day, animal welfare groups are sending a more urgent message about responsibility and abandonment. Roberto Suarez, a member of the Animal Consciousness Movement (MOCA) Panama, stressed that this annual observance should be about more than celebration. It should serve as…

Inside Panama’s legislative palace, what began as a carefully orchestrated consensus has unraveled into a tense afternoon of closed-door negotiations. Shirley Castañeda, president of the National Assembly of Panama, emerged from an extended board meeting around 4:30 p.m. with a confident announcement. She declared that all political blocs had reached agreement on the formation of 15 permanent working committees. But within minutes of lawmakers returning to the chamber, that fragile accord began to crack. Some deputies, according to legislative sources, expressed dissatisfaction with their assigned committees. The discontent forced Castañeda back into negotiations, this time with the lists of committee…

In a coordinated operation across four Panama districts, authorities have arrested eight individuals suspected of running an elaborate real estate scam that cost victims more than $177,000. Panama National Police and the Panama Public Ministry executed Operation Huella on Monday, targeting a criminal network that allegedly used social media to advertise properties they never owned. The investigation, which began in March 2025, revealed a sophisticated scheme that exploited Panama’s competitive real estate market. Victims were lured through Facebook and other platforms advertising land and homes at attractive prices. Once interested buyers made contact, the suspects moved conversations to WhatsApp, where…

A routine security patrol turned into an unforgettable delivery room moment for two National Police of Panama officers last Monday. Second Sergeant Yanitza Castañeda and First Corporal Juan Pérez were walking through Metromall in the Rufina Alfaro area when they encountered a woman who had suddenly gone into labor. Without hesitation, the pair switched from law enforcement mode to emergency medical response. The incident took place around 5:45 pm at the busy commercial center in the San Miguelito district. Both officers had received basic first aid training as part of their standard police education, but nothing could have fully prepared…