Author: Sebastian Pieper
When Sumilexy Miller looks at the numbers coming across her desk, she sees a troubling pattern. The director of Panama’s National Amber Alert System said the country recorded 594 reports of missing minors between January and June of 2026 alone. That figure doubles the monthly average authorities saw during the previous two years. Between 2024 and 2025, officials typically received between 50 and 55 reports each month. Now that number has climbed dramatically, raising questions about what is driving the increase and whether current prevention strategies are working. Since the launch of the National Amber Alert System in 2024, authorities…
The government of President Jose Raul Mulino has firmly ruled out returning to regulated prices as a tool to manage the cost of living. Instead, officials are betting on a sweeping efficiency overhaul of the supply chain. The announcement came during the rollout of the ambitious “Panama For You” social program. Ramon Abadi, director of the Panama Consumer Protection and Competition Authority, delivered the message with striking clarity. He described price controls as a market distortion that will not return under this administration. “Totally ruled out. Regulated prices are a distortion of the market,” Abadi said. He acknowledged such measures…
Drivers heading toward Panama West faced significant delays Monday morning after a tractor-trailer burst into flames along the Centenario Highway. The blaze erupted in the cab of an articulated truck near the Merca Panama area, forcing emergency crews to shut down lanes while they battled the fire. Witnesses reported seeing thick black smoke rising from the vehicle as flames engulfed the front section of the rig. The Panama Fire Department dispatched multiple units to the scene, where firefighters worked quickly to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby vehicles or structures. ‘We are investigating the circumstances surrounding…
More than 1,600 of Japan’s most powerful corporations now have Panama in their sights. The Keidanren Japan Business Federation, the country’s premier private sector organization, sent a high-level delegation to Panama City this week for talks that could reshape the Central American nation’s infrastructure landscape. The meeting, held at the Palacio de las Garzas, signals a potential surge in Japanese investment across multiple sectors. Fujimoto Masayoshi, who leads Keidanren’s Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean and serves as president of Sojitz Corporation, made the stakes clear. He told President Mulino that Panama plays a vital role in global supply…
Nearly 500 children huddle in emergency shelters across Bocas del Toro after torrential rains submerged entire communities. Medical teams report rising cases of vomiting and diarrhea among the youngest survivors. Officials say the situation remains precarious as more storms threaten the region. The province’s Emergency Operations Center confirmed that approximately 1,800 people have been affected by the flooding. Of those, 800 individuals are currently staying in five temporary shelters. These facilities are located in Teobroma, Cuatro de Abril, Puente Blanco, Finca 4, and the Unión Boca Toreña community center. The numbers paint a stark picture of a region struggling to…
Wildlife officials in Panama pulled off a significant bust this week, intercepting 119 Hawksbill turtle eggs being transported illegally through the Bocas del Toro province. The operation, carried out by the Ministry of Environment (MiAmbiente), targeted traffickers who exploit these critically endangered creatures for profit. “Every egg we protect is one more step toward the survival of sea turtles,” authorities stated during the announcement of the seizure. [Translated from Spanish] The eggs were discovered during a routine inspection, hidden in containers meant to avoid detection. Rather than letting the contraband go to waste, officials relocated the eggs to a key…
A mother in Panama City recently tried to check if a neighbor working at her child’s school had a history of sexual offenses. She couldn’t. The law says she should be able to, but the online tool simply does not exist yet. This gap between legislation and reality is causing frustration among parents and lawmakers alike. Panama passed a law in November 2025 making the official sex offender database accessible to anyone. But months later, the promised platform remains unavailable. Deputy Paulette Thomas has now stepped in to push for answers. She announced plans to meet with the Ministry of…
In the hushed solemnity of Panama City’s historic Casco Antiguo district, a different kind of tremor shook the congregation. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado stood before the altar of the Panama Cathedral Santa Maria la Antigua, her voice cracking with emotion. She had come to pray for the dead, but she left with a promise that echoed through the marble columns. “Venezuela will rise with more force than ever,” she declared, her words a mixture of grief and defiance. [Translated from Spanish] The Sunday mass was a memorial for the victims of the devastating June 24 earthquakes that shattered…
The man who currently oversees Panama’s public spending oversight is pushing for changes that could fundamentally reshape how the country investigates financial crimes against the state. Jaime Barroso, the nation’s top audit prosecutor, revealed in a recent interview that he wants new legal tools to act faster when public money goes missing. Barroso will soon trade his current role for a seat on the Panama Electoral Tribunal, but his immediate focus remains on strengthening the institution he currently leads. The proposed reforms target Law 67 from November 2008, the legislation that created and governs the General Audit Office and the…
Deep beneath Panama City, a 13-year-old tunnel carries thousands of passengers daily along Line 1 of the Panama City metro system. That tunnel, like the trains that race through it, is showing its age. Now the Metro de Panama is preparing its most ambitious maintenance push yet, with $150 million in planned investments to keep both lines running safely and efficiently. The numbers tell a stark story. Line 1 trains have logged roughly 1.3 million kilometers since operations began in 2014. That is the equivalent of circling the Earth more than 32 times. Line 2, though younger at seven years…