Author: Sebastian Pieper

A tri-national electricity corridor could soon connect Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador after President José Raúl Mulino met with Ecuadorian counterpart Daniel Noboa in Guayaquil. The two leaders agreed to extend the Panama-Colombia interconnection plan into Ecuador, turning a longstanding bilateral project into a broader platform for cross-border energy cooperation. Colombian President Abelardo De la Espriella joined the discussion by phone and expressed support for the initiative, officials said. Advancing Cross-Border Energy Cooperation The Guayaquil meeting placed Panama’s electricity generation potential at the center of the regional agenda. By formally adding Ecuador to the existing Panama-Colombia interconnection plan, the governments want…

The United States ambassador to Panama, Kevin Marino Cabrera, praised the newly installed Colombian government for moving aggressively against drug cartels, saying the shift will energize regional drug cooperation at a critical moment for hemispheric security. Speaking in Panama City, the diplomat framed Colombia’s willingness to join the Coalition against Cartels in the Americas as a major step toward disrupting trafficking networks that have long exploited fragmented enforcement efforts. Cabrera noted that Washington had backed the new Colombian administration during the campaign and now sees an opening for more synchronized anti-narcotics work. His comments come as several countries in the…

Three suspects now sit in custody over their alleged roles in the murder of a Swiss businessman near the Corredor Sur expressway in eastern Panama City. The coordinated arrests form part of Operation Destello, a multi-agency effort that swept through Pacora, Las Cumbres and San Miguelito and resulted in five total apprehensions, the Attorney General’s Office confirmed. Prosecutors from the Homicide and Femicide Section of the Metropolitan Prosecutor’s Office led the operation with support from the Directorate of Judicial Investigation and the Police Intelligence Directorate. The raids focused on neighborhoods that have long grappled with violent crime and organized criminal…

Starting a business in Panama City just got considerably cheaper. The municipality has approved a sweeping municipal tax exemption that eliminates 100 percent of taxes on commercial and lucrative activities for newly formed entrepreneurship companies, a benefit that can last up to two full years. The measure, rooted in Municipal Agreement 142 dated May 19, 2026, targets entrepreneurs reporting annual gross income of no more than B/. 200,000.00. City officials emphasized that no other municipality in the country has ever activated such a mechanism, making the capital district a pioneer in reducing the initial tax burden for startups. Municipal Tax…

Business owners navigating alcohol sales Panama now face a clearer regulatory landscape after the Mayor’s Office of Panama City issued Decree No. 5 on August 4, 2026. The decree establishes distinct operating windows for establishments selling alcoholic beverages across the capital district, with implementation set to begin seven calendar days after its formal publication in the official gazette. The new framework introduces a tiered schedule that separates weekday and weekend operations. From Sunday through Wednesday, licensed venues can serve alcohol between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. The window expands on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, when service may continue until 4:00…

More than a million people who ride Panama City’s Metro and MiBus network each day are adapting to a foundational shift in public transport payments as the country migrates fare collection to a cloud-based digital platform. Sonda Panamá, the technology firm leading the transition, announced on September 1 that more than 4 million card balances have already been transferred and more than 3,500 new validators are now operating in metro stations, buses and paid zones. The company characterized the move as a key important technological transformations in the country’s transit sector. The first new validators began operating on August 22,…

Panama’s long-running system of government-imposed price regulation appears to be entering its final days, with only four essential food items still subject to maximum price caps as of early 2025. Ramón Abadi, director of the Consumer Protection and Competition Defense Authority (Acodeco), told the National Assembly’s Budget Commission that the program is close to disappearing altogether. “Price regulation is practically extinct; we have four products left under price controls and very possibly they will no longer exist by year’s end,” Abadi said [Translated from Spanish] That statement came during a hearing where officials evaluated the shrinking scope of price controls,…

The fate of expanded Panama pensioner discounts now rests with President José Raúl Mulino after the National Assembly approved Bill 226 in its third debate. The legislation would, amongst others, raise the medication discount available to retirees from 20% to 30%, touching off an intense tug-of-war between older Panamanians demanding economic relief and pharmacy owners who warn of serious business consequences. The Push for Expanded Panama Pensioner Discounts Supporters of Bill 226 frame the measure as a long-overdue correction to years of eroding purchasing power among the country’s older population. Guillermo Cortés, who represents the Retirees World Movement, urged the…

Emergency officials in Panama moved swiftly Sunday to implement an indefinite Chagres river flooding closure, suspending all access to Chagres National Park after water levels surged dramatically within a matter of hours. The Ministry of Environment, known locally as MiAmbiente, issued the order in coordination with the National Civil Protection System and the National System of Protected Areas, citing immediate risks to visitors and nearby residents. The Chagres River Flooding Closure Order and Its Scope The closure applies to every sector of the national park, including the popular tourist destinations of La Cascada and La Playita. Authorities described the measure…

Two children, ages 9 and 13, were caught in a barrage of gunfire in Cerro Cocobolo last week, becoming the youngest casualties of a violent wave that has pushed the district’s homicide count past 80 this year. The attack, which targeted a 19-year-old serving a house detention order, exposed the limitations of the San Miguelito curfew set to expire Monday at midnight after 15 days of restricted mobility. The shooting was one of at least five homicides recorded in San Miguelito during a recent four-day period in which the country logged more than eight killings. Residents point to the daytime…