Author: Sebastian Pieper

The Mayor’s Office of Panama has unveiled the full schedule for the 2025 City of Stars International Christmas Festival. This extensive program of cultural and community events will animate Panama City throughout December and January. Officials designed the festival to offer family-friendly activities across the capital district. Events begin in early December and continue for nearly two full months. The calendar includes Christmas shows, community markets, a major parade, and the inauguration of several new public spaces in January. This initiative aims to bring holiday celebrations directly to residents in numerous neighborhoods. Festival Schedule and Community Focus December’s packed schedule…

A teacher in Panama City chained herself to the entrance of a regional education office on Thursday, demanding an immediate investigation into alleged retaliation she faces for reporting misconduct. Iris Kwiers, a teacher at the Instituto Comercial Panamá, began her protest at 10:30 a.m. at the Panama Centro Regional office of the Ministry of Education of Panama. Kwiers claims she has endured years of persecution, harassment, and verbal abuse from administrators after she reported two separate cases of alleged irregularities at her school in 2020. She stated she would remain chained in place until the ministry intervenes to stop the…

Copa Airlines inaugurated a new direct route from Panama City to Los Cabos, Mexico this Thursday. The inaugural flight departed from Tocumen International Airport with 95 percent of seats occupied, signaling strong initial demand for the beach destination.The Panamanian carrier will operate three weekly flights to the Mexican resort area on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This expansion adds a key leisure destination to the airline’s network, known as the Hub of the Americas, which connects travelers from across Latin America.New Route Attracts Regional TravelersAccording to Copa Airlines sales director Diego Bermúdez, the route is already drawing passengers from multiple countries.…

A Caja de Seguro Social (Panama) employee was arrested this week on corruption charges. The arrest followed allegations she accepted bribes to expedite medical appointments at a major public hospital complex.National Police officers from the Judicial Investigation Directorate (Panama) carried out the detention in coordination with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities apprehended the public servant at the CSS administrative offices in the Clayton area of Panama City on Thursday, December 4. She is expected to face a guarantee judge for a formal hearing in the coming hours.Investigation Uncovers Appointment ManipulationPreliminary evidence suggests the employee manipulated the CSS’s digital scheduling system.…

Panama’s government has secured immediate and long-term funding for the National Library of Panama. President José Raúl Mulino announced a new cultural cooperation agreement this week, ending years of financial uncertainty for the institution. The pact between the Ministry of Culture of Panama and the Pro National Library Foundation promises to modernize the nation’s primary repository of historical documents.Mulino made the announcement during his regular weekly press conference, framing the move as part of a broader commitment to cultural institutions. He stated the guaranteed resources will enable key modernization projects that have been stalled. A central focus will be the…

Panama’s Ministry of Agricultural Development is conducting rigorous inspections on imported flowers. The heightened agricultural quarantine measures come less than 96 hours before the nation’s Mother’s Day celebration this Sunday. Officials are focusing on cargo entering through Tocumen International Airport to meet a surge in national demand.The Executive Directorate of Agricultural Quarantine, a division of the ministry, leads the operation. Its specialized laboratory analyzes flower and foliage samples for harmful pests. From November 1 to 30 alone, the lab received and processed 795 samples from imported floral products.Scientific Safeguards Against PestsEach shipment undergoes a mandatory entomological analysis. This scientific study…

Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado publicly thanked Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Wednesday for agreeing to attend her Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The gesture highlights international solidarity for Venezuela’s democratic movement as Machado prepares to accept the prestigious award in December. Machado expressed her gratitude directly to Mulino through a post on the social media platform X. She called his planned presence at the event in Norway a significant honor for both nations. “Dear President @JoseRaulMulino, what an honor to have you, in the name of the brotherly people of Panama, at what will be a historic day…

Copa Airlines has temporarily suspended all flights to and from Caracas, Venezuela, citing concerns over ground-based navigation signals. The preventive measure, announced Wednesday, affects travel scheduled for Thursday, December 4, and Friday, December 5, 2025. The Panamanian carrier stated the decision followed pilot reports of intermittent signal performance but emphasized operational safety was never compromised.The airline is now actively evaluating the technical situation to determine when normal service can safely resume. Passengers holding tickets for the affected dates are being offered flexible rebooking and refund options. This disruption highlights the critical reliance modern aviation has on ground infrastructure for safe…

Panama faces a growing public health crisis as lung cancer, one of the world’s deadliest diseases, advances largely undetected. The country records approximately 370 new cases and over 300 deaths from the disease each year. Medical experts and health officials point to late diagnosis and limited access to specialized care as the primary drivers of its high mortality rate.Lung cancer accounts for 8.1 percent of all cancer diagnoses in Panama. Its lethality is stark, responsible for 1.8 million global deaths annually, more than any other cancer type. The national statistics reveal a critical systemic failure. A staggering 85 percent of…

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino launched construction of the nation’s first public veterinary hospital this week. The landmark facility in the Juan Díaz, Panama district represents a 14.1 million balboa investment aimed at expanding access to pet care and strengthening public health safeguards. Officials from the Presidency confirmed the project start on Wednesday, December 3. They awarded the construction contract to the firm Construction Management Group with an expected completion date set for 2027. This initiative fulfills a key campaign promise from Mulino’s administration. “With this initial groundbreaking, we are not just starting a construction project. We are keeping a…