Author: Sebastian Pieper

The Panamanian government is preparing to dismantle a controversial property transfer tax / housing tax that industry leaders say has strangled the affordable housing market since January. President José Raúl Mulino told business executives Thursday night that eliminating the 2 percent ITBI for new homes sits at the center of a broader legislative package designed to jumpstart a sluggish construction sector. A Bold Pitch to the Business Elite Speaking before the Panamanian Association of Business Executives, known locally as Apede, Mulino outlined what he called the laws of economic reactivation. The package, which the president expects to approve at a…

Nearly half a century after a teenage activist vanished from a busy Panama City street, her family’s wait for answers took a dramatic turn this week. Emilio Garzola Ruíz, long wanted in connection with the forced disappearance of Rita Irene Wald Jaramillo, arrived in Panama as a deportee from Nicaragua, detained under an international arrest request. The 1977 case, reopened just weeks ago, now moves into a new phase as prosecutors aim to deliver accountability for one of the darkest chapters of Panama’s military era. Wald was only 17 when she was last seen on March 27, 1977 in the…

Every morning, joggers pound the paths, families sprawl on the grass, and tourists snap photos of the bay views. Urracá Park, a green gem tucked along the bustling Cinta Costera, never lacks visitors. Now the city wants three ambitious food vendors to capture those hungry crowds. The Panama City Mayor’s Office just flung open the doors to a rare opportunity, a public call for operators to fill the last three gastronomic spaces inside one of the capital’s most frequented parks. Unlike sprawling food truck rallies or saturated marketplaces, this deal keeps things exclusive. The park draws hundreds of people daily,…

US university partnerships and a specialized research center aim to transform the nation’s economic profile A $675 billion global industry – projected to double in value over the next decade – has captured Panama’s attention. The country is preparing to launch an ambitious national strategy on July 30 that seeks to position it as a player in the semiconductor and microelectronics sector, a field that powers everything from smartphones and medical equipment to automobiles and telecommunications systems. The initiative, spearheaded by the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (Senacyt), represents far more than a technological upgrade. According to Juan…

At least two ex-Senafront members killed after being deceived into combat roles; families unable to recover bodies The former director of Panama’s National Border Service (Senafront), retired Commissioner Oriel Ortega, has revealed that at least two former members of the force have died fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war, victims of an international recruitment network that lures Latin American military personnel with false job promises. Ortega, who led Senafront until 2021, confirmed that these men resigned from the border patrol service earlier this year and traveled to Eastern Europe after receiving what they believed were legitimate job offers. They died on…

Government distances itself from recruitment scheme that has left at least one Panamanian dead and several missing The Panamanian government has confirmed that at least 15 citizens have been recruited to fight in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a development that has sparked alarm among families and prompted official investigations into what appears to be an international recruitment network targeting vulnerable Latin Americans. Carlos Arturo Hoyos, the acting Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs revealed that Panamanian authorities have been tracking these cases since November 2025, with reports indicating that one citizen has died and several others remain unaccounted…

The Panamanian government has launched a formal investigation into reports of its citizens being recruited to fight overseas. Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha confirmed that his team is tracking multiple cases involving Panamanians who may have joined the Russo-Ukrainian War. The development has raised serious questions about how vulnerable individuals are being targeted for combat roles thousands of miles from home. Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama have been working diplomatic channels for weeks. They have sent repeated requests to the Russian Embassy in Panama City seeking information. At the same time, Panama’s embassy in Moscow has been…

Raging waters in eastern Panama turned a routine drive into a deadly nightmare this week. A 26 year old man died after his vehicle was swept away while trying to cross a swollen creek in the Darien Province, authorities confirmed late Thursday. The victim had been reported missing hours earlier when his four wheel drive truck vanished into the current. Emergency teams from the Sinaproc Panama agency located the body that same evening. The search ended without hope. Rescuers found no signs of life when they reached the man trapped in his submerged vehicle. René García, a spokesperson for the…

While dozens of nations brace for fresh trade penalties from Washington, Panama has been left off the USA tariff list entirely. The exclusion means Panamanian exports will not face the 10% baseline tariff that the United States is imposing on countries like Canada, Mexico, and the European Union starting this Friday. The decision comes from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), which identified 60 nations that, according to its investigations, do not effectively enforce bans on importing goods produced through forced labor. Panama’s absence from this roster is significant. The country now avoids the 12.5% tariff applied to…

The number of vessels flying the Panamanian flag detained at Chinese ports has plummeted dramatically. Official figures released by Panama’s government show only 16 ships were held in July, a sharp contrast to the 140 detentions recorded in May. This represents an 88 percent reduction in just two months. The timing of this decline is no coincidence. It follows high-level discussions between Panamanian and Chinese authorities, who are currently renegotiating the Panama-China Maritime Transport Agreement. Both sides appear to have found common ground on inspection practices that had been causing friction. Data from the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding on Port…