Author: spieper

The Maltese-flagged cruise ship Hanseatic Inspiration arrived at Iguana Island Wildlife Refuge on Sunday, November 16, 2025. Approximately 200 international tourists disembarked to explore the protected natural area located in Pedasí district, Los Santos province. This visit represents one of the largest cruise ship groups ever to access the remote wildlife sanctuary. Park rangers from Panama’s Ministry of Environment and administrative staff welcomed the 158 visitors from multiple European and North American countries. Local entrepreneurs provided reception services for the arriving guests, injecting tourism revenue directly into the community economy. The event highlighted Panama’s ongoing efforts to position itself as…

A new fossil fish species discovered in Panama has been named in honor of Brígida De Gracia, a Ngäbe research technician recognized as the world’s first Ngäbe marine paleontologist. Scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute identified the species after analyzing thousands of ancient fish ear stones recovered from late Miocene sediments. The find is part of a larger study revealing an unexpectedly rich Caribbean ecosystem that existed approximately seven million years ago.The research team, led by Chien-Hsiang Lin and paleobiologist Aaron O’Dea, examined more than 6,200 fossilized otolith specimens. These tiny, dense structures found in a fish’s inner ear…

Panama’s Electoral Tribunal has cleared National Assembly President Jorge Herrera to compete for the Panameñista Party leadership. The tribunal’s Edict 29-2025-S.G., published Sunday, rejected an appeal challenging whether Herrera’s candidate slate complied with gender parity rules. This decision allows Herrera to proceed toward the party’s national convention scheduled for November 23. The ruling represents a significant legal victory for Herrera’s faction within the historically influential political party. It specifically addresses allegations filed by fellow party member Rodrigo Esquivel, who claimed Herrera’s proposed director slate violated internal election regulations. The appeal sought to nullify Herrera’s nominations based on alleged non-compliance with…

The Azuero Peninsula is grappling with a severe environmental and public health emergency. More than five open-air landfills in the region have exceeded their operational lifespan and continue to function without basic safety controls. This situation poses a direct threat to nearby communities and the area’s natural resources, compelling the national government to initiate a widespread modernization plan for waste management.These overburdened sites operate as uncontrolled dumping grounds, lacking the engineering and environmental safeguards of modern sanitary facilities. The ongoing use of these expired landfills risks long-term contamination of soil and water sources. Government officials acknowledge the urgency of the…

Panama’s Ministry of Labor and Development helped more than 4,100 job seekers during a recent recruitment fair for Chiquita Brands. The event was held in the Bocas del Toro Province as the banana industry begins its reactivation there. Labor Minister Jackeline Muñoz described the turnout as a significant new beginning for the region’s economy.The multi-day recruitment drive specifically targeted workers with experience in banana cultivation, harvesting, and packaging. Its primary goal involves restoring more than 5,000 jobs lost when the banana industry previously left the area. This large-scale hiring effort represents a major step in the government’s plan to revitalize…

Panama has formally started the process to recognize bamboo as a new national agricultural commodity. Technical teams from the Ministry of Agricultural Development, producer associations, and the National Bamboo Commission held their first working session on Friday, November 15, in the province of Coclé. This initiative responds to a formal request from the nation’s bamboo industry to grant the plant official production status, a move that could unlock new economic opportunities for rural communities.The newly formed technical table brings together specialists to review the scientific data, requirements, and processes necessary for this official designation. Their work focuses on building a…

A Panamanian court entered its fourth day of hearings Sunday for sixty individuals accused of operating an international drug trafficking network from Tocumen International Airport and various national ports. The extensive proceedings, part of Operations Eros and Colibri, focus on formalizing charges and requesting preventative detention measures against the suspects. This case represents one of the most significant drug trafficking investigations in recent Panamanian history, exposing deep-seated corruption within critical transportation infrastructure. The judicial process resumed Sunday the 16th of November, at 9:00 a.m. in Room No. 1 of the First Judicial Circuit Office located in Plaza Agora. Saturday’s marathon…

Local governments across Panama are confronting a severe financial crisis as the national government withholds a growing portion of critical tax revenue. Mayors and policy experts warn that extreme centralization is crippling municipal abilities to provide essential community services.The alarming trend emerged during a detailed analysis of municipal financing on the “Radar” program. Officials revealed that the percentage of Property Tax revenue transferred to municipalities has plummeted from 93 percent to just 39 percent over a four-year period. This dramatic reduction directly impacts garbage collection, school maintenance, and public infrastructure repairs that residents depend on daily.Shrinking Municipal BudgetsSan Miguelito Mayor…

Panama’s national government has accumulated a massive financial liability stemming from unpaid employee benefits that have gone unresolved for over a decade. The debt for seniority premiums, a legally mandated payment for public sector workers, has been growing silently since 2014. Multiple government ministries now acknowledge obligations totaling tens of millions of dollars owed to thousands of former civil servants.This systemic problem originated from an Executive Decree signed in the final days of the Ricardo Martinelli administration. Executive Decree 52, signed by Martinelli and then-Minister of Labor Alma Cortes just three days before leaving power, regulated laws that established a…

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino signed a new executive decree that establishes strict parameters for strikes in public services. The regulations, enacted on Wednesday, November 12, define which sectors are considered essential and therefore subject to special restrictions on work stoppages. This move immediately sparked a legal challenge from the nation’s largest labor confederation, setting the stage for a significant confrontation over workers’ rights.Executive Decree No. 11 of November 11, 2025, specifically regulates Articles 485, 486, 487, and 488 of the Labor Code. It provides the legal framework for determining which public services qualify as essential, meaning they will operate…