Author: spieper

Panamanian officials formally requested the country’s exclusion from European Union tax lists during a major international summit in Brussels. The nation’s Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation, Carlos Guevara Mann, delivered the statement at the Fourth Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the European Union on Sunday, November 10.Guevara Mann characterized the EU’s tax lists as discriminatory and a significant obstacle to normal international relations. He argued that overcoming this discrimination is essential for building stronger ties between the two regions based on mutual respect and shared values.A Call for Respect and an End…

A Colombian student at a Panama City public school could not carry the Panamanian flag in patriotic parades despite achieving the highest academic rank in her class. Rosanel Quiroga, a twelfth grade student at the José Antonio Remón Cantera school, became the center of a national debate after a video about her situation went viral on social media. The case has ignited conversations about merit, national identity, and the regulations governing civic ceremonies in Panama’s educational system. The controversy emerged from a video published by Panamá América newspaper showing Quiroga expressing her disappointment. School officials reportedly prevented her from carrying…

The Panamanian Ministry of Environment is reviewing a landmark proposal to establish the Sierra Llorona National Park. This new protected area would safeguard at least 15,000 hectares of forest in the Colon mountain range. The initiative emerged from a major redesign of the Caribbean Corridor highway project after environmental concerns halted its original construction. Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro explained that he found the project’s environmental assessment was improperly fragmented upon taking office. This discovery prompted the immediate suspension of all work. A subsequent dialogue process with local communities and stakeholders produced a new plan. The agreement transforms the infrastructure…

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino led national celebrations on Monday, November 10, 2025, marking the 204th anniversary of the First Cry of Independence of La Villa de Los Santos. The civic ceremonies in the historic town honored the event that sparked Panama’s separation from Spanish rule. Official events began with the national flag raising at Rufina Alfaro Park. The annual commemoration recognizes the brave actions of Villa de Los Santos residents in 1821. Their initial declaration of freedom ultimately led to Panama’s full independence just weeks later. This year’s observance featured a significant military and civilian presence, underscoring the day’s…

Mayors from three of Panama’s largest districts are demanding the national government transfer approximately 500 million dollars in outstanding property tax revenues. The municipal leaders from Panama, Colon, and San Miguelito accuse the Ministry of Economy and Finance of withholding funds legally designated for local governments, warning that the shortfall is crippling community projects and essential services. This financial dispute, which has simmered for years, reached a new intensity during recent national budget hearings where official figures revealed the massive gap between taxes collected and funds transferred. El reclamo de los municipios al Gobierno: $500 millones que nunca llegaron del…

More than twenty countries have urged Panama to enhance legal protections for its LGBTQ citizens. The recommendations came during Panama’s Universal Periodic Review before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Nations including Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Iceland, and Australia called for specific legal reforms. The session, focused on Panama’s human rights record. A primary demand was the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories within the country’s existing anti-discrimination law, Law 7 of 2018. Several countries also pressed for administrative, safe, and self-determination based procedures for legal…

Panama has formally requested the extradition of a suspect in the 1994 Alas Chiricanas Flight 901 bombing after his capture in Venezuela. Venezuelan authorities detained Ali Zaki Hage Jalil, a 57-year-old man wanted for one of the deadliest attacks in Panamanian aviation history, on Margarita Island. The Panamanian government announced it is initiating all necessary diplomatic and judicial procedures to bring the long-sought suspect to trial. This arrest concludes a manhunt that spanned more than three decades. The suspect was apprehended by agents from Interpol Venezuela, acting in coordination with Panamanian judicial authorities. A Red Notice from Interpol Panama had…

Panama’s Ministry of Culture has chosen the artistic project that will represent the nation at the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2026. The winning proposal comes from the collaborative duo Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic, selected through an open international competition. This announcement, made on November 7, 2025, confirms the country’s continued participation on one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art stages. A rigorous independent jury reviewed eighty-nine submissions before reaching its final decision. The selection process emphasized principles of openness and institutional transparency, aiming to strengthen the global projection of Panamanian contemporary art.…

Chiquita Brands is initiating a large scale hiring campaign in Panama to staff its banana plantations in the Bocas del Toro Province. The company plans to fill 5,000 jobs through a series of recruitment fairs scheduled from November 11 to 15, 2025. This hiring surge marks a significant step in resuming full operations after a months long shutdown caused by regional protests.All new positions will be managed through five partner farming companies operating under a specific agricultural model. Under this arrangement, Chiquita provides the land to producer associations who then cultivate the fruit. The global company handles purchasing the harvest…

A major disruption in Panama’s National Interconnected System left large sectors of Panama City and Colon without water for hours on Saturday. The widespread power outage forced the critical Chilibre Federico Guardia Conte water treatment plant offline, halting potable water production for the metropolitan area. Rutilio Villarreal, the General Director of the Institute of National Aqueducts and Sewers (Idaan), confirmed the cascade of failures and detailed the ongoing recovery efforts in a press conference from the institute’s control center.The Chilibre plant, a primary source of drinking water for the capital, remained non-operational for approximately one hour due to the electrical…