Author: Sebastian Pieper
A senior US Treasury official landed in Panama City this week with a clear message for banks and businesses: helping Cuba dodge American restrictions comes with serious consequences. Samuel Parker, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Threat Finance and Sanctions at the State Department, met with US Ambassador Kevin Marino Cabrera before holding discussions with Panamanian authorities. The visit signals that Washington views Panama as a critical battleground in its campaign to isolate the Cuban regime financially. Parker did not mince words about the purpose of his trip. ‘Under the leadership of President Trump, economic security is national security. We are…
The creation of a municipal police force in Panama City has sparked a legal battle that now sits before the nation’s highest court. The Supreme Court of Panama recently admitted a lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Public Security Panama seeking to nullify the agreement that transformed the city’s former Department of Surveillance into a full-fledged Municipal Police force. This dispute raises fundamental questions about who controls law enforcement in the capital. The controversy centers on Agreement No. 162, approved in June 2025 by the Municipal Council at the request of Mayor Mayer Mizrachi. This measure reorganized the city’s security…
The ground gave way without warning in the early hours of Monday morning. A landslide struck Colón province, forcing families to abandon their homes and prompting the National Civil Protection System to issue urgent warnings about what comes next. No one died. No one was injured. But the message from officials was clear: the worst may still be ahead. Malitzie Rivera, deputy director of the National System of Civil Protection of Panama, confirmed that the slide occurred in a zone already saturated by days of relentless rain. “Today we saw in Colón province how a landslide happened in the early…
Nighttime drivers heading through the Panama Pacifico area will need to plan alternate routes starting Monday, July 13. The Panama Metro has announced temporary closures of the vehicular bridge and roundabout in the Panama Pacifico Special Economic Zone to accommodate construction of the massive Panama Metro Line 3 project. The restrictions will run for one month, operating exclusively during overnight hours from 9:30 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. daily. This new transit artery represents one of the largest infrastructure investments in Central America. When complete, Line 3 will stretch approximately 25 kilometers and connect the capital to the western province of…
Panama City, Panama. A young couple walking through the capital stops to look at a real estate advertisement. They both work full time jobs. But buying a home feels like a distant dream. This scene plays out across the country every day. And it reflects a massive demographic shift that is reshaping the nation. According to UNFPA Panama, the average number of children per woman has dropped from more than five in 1950 to less than two today. That is a dramatic change in just three generations. Life expectancy keeps climbing too. People are living longer. This combination creates a…
A proposed law in Panama could soon free employees from the expectation of answering work emails, calls, and messages after they clock out. The initiative, put forward by deputy Ernesto Cedeño, aims to add the Digital disconnection right into the country’s labor framework. This marks a significant shift for a workforce increasingly tethered to smartphones and laptops long after leaving the office. The draft legislation responds to a growing problem. The lines between professional duties and personal time have blurred dramatically since the pandemic. Remote work and hybrid schedules, once temporary solutions, have become permanent fixtures for many industries. But…
Panama’s ambitious railway project is reshaping the nation’s infrastructure landscape in unexpected ways. The planned Panama-David Train will require the complete relocation of Albrook Airport, a change that officials say will take approximately five years to complete. Henry Faarup, secretary general of the Railway Secretariat, confirmed that the train’s main station in Albrook will occupy the exact site where the airport currently operates. The decision stems from Albrook’s strategic importance as a transportation hub. The area sits near the Balboa port, connects to Metro Lines 1 and 3, links with the existing Panama Canal Railway, and provides access to the…
Deep in Panama’s Pacific waters, a luxury sport fishing yacht found itself on the wrong side of the law last week. The vessel was operating without permission inside the protected waters of Coiba National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its extraordinary marine biodiversity. Park rangers from the Panama Ministry of Environment intercepted the boat during a weeklong intensive patrol operation that covered 246 nautical miles of sensitive ocean territory. The operation, which ran from early July through July 12, 2026, represents Panama’s growing commitment to protecting its ocean ecosystems. Environmental authorities ordered the unauthorized yacht to leave…
The sweet smell of ripe bananas hangs heavy over Finca 12 in Bocas del Toro these days. It smells like opportunity. President José Raúl Mulino stood among the lush green plants last week, watching workers pack fruit destined for international markets. The scene marked a dramatic turnaround for an industry that nearly collapsed. Just ten months ago, the banana sector in this coastal province faced an uncertain future. Now, Chiquita expects to ship 11 million boxes of bananas this year. Company officials project that number will climb to 15 million boxes by 2027. The rebound comes after the government stepped…
In a recent tour of western Panama, National Police Director Jaime Fernández delivered news that caught many residents off guard. High-profile crime is actually falling in several key regions, including Colón, Panama City, San Miguelito, and Panama Oeste. The announcement came during a visit to Chiriqui Province, where Fernández outlined both achievements and upcoming technological investments. The National Police of Panama has recorded measurable improvements in public safety metrics. Fernández stated that theft and robbery rates have dropped below last year’s figures. “We have seen a decline in crime indicators,” he said. “Robbery and theft have been managed below last…