Author: spieper

Two Panamanian fishermen were rescued from their sinking vessel in the Pacific Ocean early Saturday morning. The Servicio Nacional Aeronaval (National Aeronaval Service) executed the successful operation south of Otoque Island.The national agency’s rescue teams located the distressed boat around dawn on December 20. Officials reported the small yellow and white vessel was taking on water in rough seas, creating a high-risk situation for its two occupants.Coordinated Search and Rescue EffortThe rescue mission unfolded through coordinated efforts between two key operational centers. The National Directorate of Aeronaval Operations (Dinoa) and the Regional Center of Aeronaval Operations (Croan) managed the response.…

Work crews have started emergency maintenance on the raw water intake for the Penonomé district treatment plant in Panama’s Coclé Province. The Institute of National Aqueducts and Sewers (Idaan) launched the project this weekend to safeguard drinking water supplies ahead of the annual dry season. These urgent measures aim to prevent the recurrent water shortages that typically affect the region when river levels drop.The operations focus on the Zaratí River, the primary water source for the local Potabilizadora (Water Treatment Plant). Teams are restructuring an existing weir in the riverbed to ensure adequate water levels for the plant’s effective operation.…

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino arrived in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil on Friday to participate in the 67th Summit of the Southern Common Market. The summit, held on Saturday, December 20, marks Panama’s second official intervention as an associate state of the regional bloc. Mulino’s central mission is to formally present the law ratifying a key economic agreement to the gathered heads of state, a critical step for Panama’s deeper integration.This move represents a strategic effort to solidify Panama’s economic and political positioning within South America. The government views the ratification as an essential requirement to consolidate its associate state…

Panama’s National Decentralization Authority (AND) has launched a digital platform allowing citizens to track thousands of community projects funded by decentralization funds. The new tool, which includes an interactive map and dashboard, provides real-time data on over 4,700 approved initiatives across the country’s provinces and indigenous regions.AND Director Róxana Méndez announced the platform’s launch this week. She stated the system aims to bring unprecedented transparency to how local governments spend public money. Since the current administration began, officials have approved projects worth more than 130.3 million dollars for municipal and community boards.”This tool allows any citizen to consult, in a…

Thirty-six years after the United States military intervention in Panama, the families of 236 people reported missing continue their search for answers. On December 20, 1989, a night of bombing and ground assaults left a wound that has yet to heal for hundreds of Panamanians. A special commission and the nation’s Public Ministry are now engaged in a painstaking forensic effort to locate and identify the remains of those lost during the United States invasion of Panama. The work focuses on the chaotic hours between the night of December 19 and the early morning of December 20. Combat erupted at…

Panama’s Social Security Fund (CSS) has placed 18 clinics and 15 hospitals on a nationwide green alert. The preventive measure addresses an expected increase in medical emergencies during the Christmas and New Year holidays. The alert period runs from midday on December 24 through the morning of January 2, 2026.Emergency services at these facilities will operate with reinforced medical staff, medications, and surgical supplies. The state insurer aims to ensure uninterrupted care for its beneficiaries during a traditionally high-demand period. Nearly six thousand CSS workers are scheduled to cover the holidays.”The objective is to ensure the response capacity of our…

Veterinarians and rescue organizations in Panama City are issuing urgent warnings to pet owners ahead of New Year’s Eve. The traditional use of fireworks poses severe risks to animals, causing widespread fear and leading to injuries and lost pets every December. Experts explain that dogs and cats experience the loud explosions as direct threats due to their highly sensitive hearing.This auditory assault can trigger intense physical and psychological distress. Common reactions include severe anxiety, panic, and disorientation. Pets may exhibit uncontrollable trembling, rapid heart rates, excessive drooling, and frantic panting. In their terror, animals often bolt from homes, sometimes running…

The decaying shell of the former Hospital Río Abajo clinic in Panama City’s Parque Lefevre district now serves as a vandalized shelter for homeless individuals. Local residents have raised urgent alarms about the dangerous and unsanitary conditions inside the private property, which closed its medical operations years ago. The situation highlights a growing dispute over responsibility for securing derelict urban buildings. Visible from the street, the clinic’s deterioration is extensive. Discarded furniture, mattresses, medical gurneys, and what appears to be an old incubator litter the area. Open doors reveal further disarray, including unused oxygen tanks and possible surgical waste. Neighbors…

Panamanian legislator Ernesto Cedeño has voiced strong concerns about potential reforms to the nation’s public contracting system. His warning comes as the administration of President José Raúl Mulino prepares to propose modifications to the Public Procurement Law. Cedeño, who represents circuit 8-4, argued that some technical recommendations under consideration could dismantle years of progress. He acknowledged Mulino’s call for debate as necessary but urged extreme caution. The lawmaker traced the system’s evolution from 1985 through major reforms in 1995 and 2002, noting each step aimed to improve transparency and efficiency. “Unfortunately, some advisors have told, as I understood it, President…

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino publicly distanced his administration from sanctioned businessman Ramon Carretero Napolitano during a press conference on Thursday. Mulino stated his government maintains no direct or indirect relationship with Carretero, who was added to a US sanctions list in December for alleged ties to Venezuela’s government.The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Carretero on December 11. Officials included him on the so-called Clinton List alongside three nephews of Cilia Flores, the wife of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, and six shipping companies. The action freezes any US assets belonging to the individuals…