Author: spieper

A science and technology camp for youth run by the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP) has received a major international award. The “Technology Camp for Youth in STEM” was honored with the “Call for the Common Good” Community Prize by the World Energy Council during its global energy week held in Panama City.The project, spearheaded by Dr. Jessica Guevara and Dr. Vanessa Quintero, was one of only four initiatives selected worldwide from a pool of fifty applicants. It competed against proposals from several European nations, including Austria, France, and Germany. The award was ultimately chosen by the World Energy Council…

Panama’s Ministry of Culture has initiated the controlled demolition of two building facades in the historic center of Colón, Panama. The National Directorate of Cultural Heritage and the Office of the Historic Center of Colón City announced the project’s shift into its physical intervention phase this week. This carefully monitored process aims to reconstruct the unstable facades on Central Avenue, a move officials describe as essential for public safety and long-term urban renewal.Work crews will dismantle the fronts of buildings located at lots 2480 and 2580. All necessary approvals and permits for the technical demolition are now in place. The…

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, is traveling to Panama as the first stop on a multi-nation tour of Latin America. Her visit, which commenced this week, will also include official engagements in Peru, Guatemala, and Belize. The tour focuses on championing women’s rights and highlighting the United Kingdom’s partnerships in the region.This trip marks the first official visit by a member of the British Royal Family to Panama in over a decade. The itinerary for the Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh is packed with meetings focused on empowerment, education, and security. She will engage with local leaders, community activists, and survivors of…

Panamanian security forces intercepted a massive shipment of narcotics in the Pacific Ocean this Tuesday, November 11, setting a new national record for a single drug seizure. The operation, a coordinated effort between the Servicio Nacional Aeronaval (Senan) and the Drug Prosecution Unit, resulted in the confiscation of approximately 13.5 tons of illegal drugs with an estimated street value of $200 million. Ten foreign nationals were apprehended during the mission near San Jose Island. The drugs were discovered aboard a tugboat navigating the central Pacific waters of Panama. Officials tracked the vessel as it moved southwest of the island, reportedly…

Fifty Panamanian citizens have completed the nation’s first creative industries training program. The National Training Program called “From Idea to Action” concluded its pilot phase this week with a graduation ceremony in Panama City. This initiative represents a significant step in the government’s strategy to build a formal Creative Economy sector.Minister of Culture, through the National Directorate of the Creative Economy, developed the program. They collaborated with the Authority for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and the Technological University of Panama. Graduates received certificates formally accredited by the university, adding significant value to their credentials.A Diverse Group of GraduatesThe inaugural…

Communities across Panama’s Azuero Peninsula have now lived for nearly half a year without reliable access to potable water. A severe contamination event detected in late May 2025 forced the shutdown of critical water treatment facilities. Thousands of families in Herrera and Los Santos provinces remain dependent on water distribution points and boiling all water for safety. The crisis originated on May 27, 2025, when the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN) suspended operations at four key water purification plants. Officials took this drastic action after discovering dangerously high contamination levels in the La Villa and Estibaná rivers. These…

Panamanian athlete Victor Camarena Bortoletti has secured the Central American Championship in the Men’s Under-18 category of the ALAS Global Tour for 2025. The young surfer from La Punta de Santa Catalina achieved this regional victory after a demanding competitive season spanning multiple countries, establishing himself as a leading prospect in junior surfing. Camarena Bortoletti demonstrated remarkable consistency throughout the tour. He competed in events held in Peru, Panama’s Bocas del Toro, Venao, Puerto Rico, and Guatemala. His high-level performances at each stop accumulated the points necessary to clinch the regional title and position him among the continent’s most prominent…

Panamanian officials formally requested the country’s exclusion from European Union tax lists during a major international summit in Brussels. The nation’s Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation, Carlos Guevara Mann, delivered the statement at the Fourth Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the European Union on Sunday, November 10.Guevara Mann characterized the EU’s tax lists as discriminatory and a significant obstacle to normal international relations. He argued that overcoming this discrimination is essential for building stronger ties between the two regions based on mutual respect and shared values.A Call for Respect and an End…

A Colombian student at a Panama City public school could not carry the Panamanian flag in patriotic parades despite achieving the highest academic rank in her class. Rosanel Quiroga, a twelfth grade student at the José Antonio Remón Cantera school, became the center of a national debate after a video about her situation went viral on social media. The case has ignited conversations about merit, national identity, and the regulations governing civic ceremonies in Panama’s educational system. The controversy emerged from a video published by Panamá América newspaper showing Quiroga expressing her disappointment. School officials reportedly prevented her from carrying…

The Panamanian Ministry of Environment is reviewing a landmark proposal to establish the Sierra Llorona National Park. This new protected area would safeguard at least 15,000 hectares of forest in the Colon mountain range. The initiative emerged from a major redesign of the Caribbean Corridor highway project after environmental concerns halted its original construction. Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro explained that he found the project’s environmental assessment was improperly fragmented upon taking office. This discovery prompted the immediate suspension of all work. A subsequent dialogue process with local communities and stakeholders produced a new plan. The agreement transforms the infrastructure…