Author: Sebastian Pieper
Panama’s tourism authority is drafting a new set of Panama tourism incentives that will not include tax credits, marking a sharp break from earlier programs that sparked fierce debate over state subsidies for private ventures. The legislation, still being reviewed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, targets investors willing to build attractions well beyond traditional hotels, especially in the country’s interior regions. Tourism Administrator Gloria De León confirmed the direction just as Panama reported welcoming 1.75 million visitors during the first half of the year, a 17.4 percent jump that underscores the sector’s momentum. Shifting the Focus of Panama…
The 30th edition of the Best of Panama competition has once again proven why the country’s highland farms produce some of the most coveted beans on the planet, with a new slate of Geisha coffee champions earning top honors in a nail-biting finale decided by razor-thin margins. Lamastus Family Estate captured the highest individual score of the entire event, a stunning 96.25 points in the Geisha Washed category, edging out rival Finca Pergamino by just a quarter of a point. The celebration in Boquete, a misty mountain town that has become the epicenter of the specialty coffee world, marked three…
Outside the National Assembly, advocates carrying handmade signs and a clear message demanded what millions of shoppers still lack in Panama: nutritional transparency. The Movement for Healthy Food rallied peacefully at José Ramón Cantera Plaza, urging lawmakers to finally advance a bill that would slap bold warning seals on packaged products. The goal, they said, is straightforward , give people a chance to spot excessive sugar, sodium, and saturated fats in seconds, not minutes of squinting at cryptic fine print. The Push for Clear Warning Labels at the National Assembly A delegation of health activists pressed their case directly with…
Panama’s health system is facing urgent calls to deploy a long-acting monoclonal antibody RSV strategy after 13 deaths linked to respiratory syncytial virus were recorded in early 2026, with 12 of the victims under five years old. The stark toll, documented by the Ministry of Health’s epidemiology department, has pushed four major medical societies to issue a joint warning that the country can’t afford to wait another full season to shield its most vulnerable newborns and infants. The Alarming Toll of RSV on Panama’s Youngest Respiratory syncytial virus has long been a stealthy seasonal threat, but this year’s impact on…
A sharp rise in car insurance claims is wreaking havoc on Panama’s auto insurance market, with insurers now paying out 70 cents in claims for every dollar they collect in premiums. New data from the Panamanian Association of Insurers (Apadea) reveals that the sector’s loss ratio hit exactly that threshold during the first half of 2026, a level that industry leaders describe as unsustainable. The spike in car insurance claims, which jumped 14.6 percent compared to the same period last year, is forcing a painful conversation about why policies keep getting more expensive and what can be done to stem…
Residents of Arraiján will soon witness a key piece of the Panama Metro’s western expansion coming together as crews lift the first segment of a new pedestrian walkway into place at the future Burunga station. The Panama Line 3 pedestrian bridge is designed to give riders, particularly those with mobility challenges, barrier‑free access to train platforms, cementing a promise of inclusive transit as construction pushes ahead through the weekend. Panama Line 3 Pedestrian Bridge Segment Lifted Into Place Work on the Panama Line 3 pedestrian bridge began Saturday night at 9:00 p.m. and will continue through Sunday, August 2, right…
Protecting the Panama Canal, a waterway that handles roughly 5 percent of global maritime trade, demands more than just naval patrols and surveillance cameras. In the dense tropical forests of Colón province, 128 Panamanian security personnel are sharpening their ability to fight and survive in one of the world’s most unforgiving environments. They aren’t training alone. Alongside US troops, the force is taking part in an intensive US-Panama jungle warfare course known as Milla Verde, a program designed to blend tactical instruction with the raw, physical demands of the jungle. The exercises unfolded over the weekend at the National Aeronaval…
The National Assembly’s Budget Committee approved a $1.2 million transfer on Tuesday to cover overdue per diems for 31 Panamanian diplomats scattered across the globe. The vote, But, quickly morphed into a public grilling about the worldwide nepotism of Panama diplomats and whether the country’s far-flung embassies generate anything beyond hefty paychecks for politically connected envoys. A Budget Shortfall Leaves 31 Envoys Unpaid The money plugged a hole that opened when the Foreign Ministry’s personnel budget was slashed during the 2026 budget debate. Carlos Guevara Mann, the vice minister for multilateral affairs and cooperation, told lawmakers the ministry had requested…
More than 500 licensed taxi operators in central Panama brought their frustrations directly to regulators this week, staging a caravan through Santiago and amplifying calls that have echoed from the capital to the interior provinces. The Veraguas taxi protest crystallized months of simmering tension as drivers representing four local organizations descended on the Land Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) offices, armed with a formal petition demanding immediate action against digital ride-hailing platforms they call an existential threat to their livelihoods. Veraguas Taxi Protest and the Battle for regulatory fairness The organized caravan snaked through Santiago’s streets Thursday morning before converging…
The volume of AI cyberattacks Panama is confronting has surged by staggering multiples, transforming the country’s status as a global financial center into a high-stakes digital battleground. During all of 2025, security systems tracked around 45 billion attempted breaches, but in just the first six months of 2026 that figure already topped 1.9 billion, signaling an acceleration that experts describe as exponential rather than linear. These numbers serve as a sharp reminder that the same tools businesses use to automate and innovate are now being aggressively weaponized by cybercriminals operating with unprecedented speed and sophistication. The Anatomy of AI Cyberattacks…