Author: Sebastian Pieper
Patients scheduled for surgery at Panama’s flagship hospital will need to make new plans starting this week. The Caja de Seguro Social (CSS) confirmed the temporary closure of 20 operating rooms at the Complejo Hospitalario Dr. Arnulfo Arias Madrid. The shutdown, which begins Wednesday, is expected to last roughly five days while crews perform corrective work on the air conditioning system. Hospital administrators insist that no one will be left without medical attention. Surgeries already on the books are being rescheduled or moved to other facilities. These include the Ciudad de la Salud, the Hospital Dra. Susana Jones Cano, and…
For shipowners flying the Panamanian flag, the past few years have brought uncertainty. Port inspections carried extra weight. The threat of detention loomed larger. That changed this week when President José Raúl Mulino announced the country’s reinstatement to the Paris Memorandum of Understanding White List. The move signals a major turnaround for the world’s largest ship registry. “Yesterday we received good news. Through effort, compliance with regulations, and thanks to the constant work of the Maritime Authority, we managed to return to the Paris MoU White List. This means our flag meets the highest international standards. It is a very…
Panama City, Panama. Inside the National Assembly, President José Raúl Mulino delivered a stark assessment of what he called the country’s most pressing challenge. The issue isn’t infrastructure or foreign investment. It’s something far more personal for millions of Panamanians. “The concern I hear most frequently during my travels across the country is the lack of job opportunities, especially among our young people,” Mulino told lawmakers. [Translated from Spanish] That frustration has now become the centerpiece of a new government initiative. Mulino announced the launch of “Panamá Pa’ Ti,” a comprehensive national strategy built on four pillars. The program targets…
A new traveling exhibition in Panama tells a story of medical triumph that changed global trade forever. The “Freedom 250: Frontiers of Science” exhibit opened June 26, 2026 at the Gorgas Memorial Institute in Panama City, celebrating both American scientific achievement and the 250th anniversary of the United States. U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Marino Cabrera led the inauguration ceremony. The exhibit centers on Dr. William Crawford Gorgas, a U.S. Army physician whose work during the construction of the Panama Canal saved thousands of lives. Gorgas implemented a mosquito eradication campaign that defeated yellow fever and malaria, diseases that had…
Fire crews raced to a burning building on Veraguas Street in Panama City’s historic district Wednesday night, marking the second major blaze in less than a week. The Casco Antiguo neighborhood, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its colonial architecture, faced another emergency just days after a separate fire displaced dozens of families. The Panama Fire Department confirmed crews were on scene but has not yet released details about the extent of the damage or whether anyone was injured. Officials are still gathering information as the situation develops. Power Cut as Precaution Energy company Naturgy announced it had temporarily…
When containers carrying AI components and semiconductors pass through the Panama Canal, their journey now carries new geopolitical weight. The Central American nation officially became the 24th signatory of the Pax Silica Initiative on June 26, 2026, during the Pax Silica Summit 2.0 in Washington, D.C. This move signals a significant shift in how smaller nations are positioning themselves within the global technology economy. U.S. Ambassador Kevin Marino Cabrera framed the partnership as a natural extension of bilateral ties. “Panama’s participation in Pax Silica strengthens our bilateral relationship and advances our shared commitment to building secure, resilient, and trusted supply…
Deep inside a sprawling construction site in Panama City, workers are carefully installing climate control systems and display cases. These aren’t just any rooms. They’re preparing a vault designed to hold thousands of years of human history. The Museum Reina Torres de Arauz, once known as the Museum of the Panamanian Man, is taking shape. And when it opens, it will house more than 16,000 pieces of the nation’s soul. José Ramón Icaza, the secretary of Goals, recently walked through the unfinished building. He checked every floor. He inspected the electrical plant and the water reserve tank. He saw the…
More than 600,000 Banistmo customers woke up to a different banking landscape on Tuesday, though they would barely notice a difference at their local branch. Inversiones Cuscatlán Centroamérica, soon to be known as Grupo Financiero BSC, announced it had finalized the acquisition of Banistmo after securing all necessary regulatory approvals. The deal, first revealed on December 18, 2025, now positions the group as a major player in what experts consider one of Latin America’s most dynamic banking markets. The transaction represents a significant shift in Panama’s financial sector, a nation long recognized as a premier Panama financial center. For the…
The fight against public sector corruption in Panama has yielded tangible results, with authorities recovering more than seven million dollars from ongoing investigations. Senior prosecutor Adela Cedeño announced the milestone after a court hearing involving three customs officials accused of demanding illegal payments from a service user. The recovery represents a concrete victory for the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office Panama in its broader campaign against administrative crimes. Cedeño spoke to reporters following a guarantee control hearing where three employees of the National Customs Authority faced formal charges. One suspect received provisional detention while the other two must report regularly and remain…
A wave of gastrointestinal illness has swept through six schools in Panama’s western Chiriquí province, forcing administrators to suspend in-person classes as health authorities scramble to contain the spread. The decision, announced Tuesday by the regional education directorate, affects hundreds of students and staff members who have reported symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Local education officials said the temporary closures target schools with the highest concentration of cases. The affected institutions include Colegio Félix Olivares Contreras, Instituto David, Instituto Profesional y Técnico Arnulfo Arias Madrid, Colegio Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles, Colegio Jean Piaget, and Colegio La Esperanza. Each…