Author: Sebastian Pieper
A severe drop in water levels at two critical reservoirs has forced Panama to temporarily stop selling 200 megawatts of electricity to its Central American neighbors. The decision, announced by state power transmission company Etesa, prioritizes domestic energy security over regional trade commitments. It’s a move that underscores just how vulnerable even modern power grids remain to shifting weather patterns. The National Dispatch Center made the call after reviewing data from Lakes Fortuna and Bayano. These are the country’s primary water reserves for hydroelectric generation. Both have fallen to concerning levels. The culprit? A strengthening El Niño phenomenon that has…
Panama City, Panama. The prison walls at La Joyita couldn’t hold them. On June 1, 195 inmates escaped in a mass breakout that shook the nation. One month later, 15 remain on the run. For President José Raúl Mulino, this incident has become a stark symbol of the gap between his administration’s promises and the ground-level reality. As he enters the second year of his five-year term, the president is shifting gears from a message of order and discipline to one focused on concrete results: roads, jobs, and water. Mulino took office with a forceful mandate. He told the National…
The emergency rooms in Panama’s western region looked more like disaster triage centers than quiet clinics this week. Nearly 450 people flooded hospitals and health centers in David, the capital of Chiriqui province, suffering from violent vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. Health officials are now racing to confirm whether a Norovirus outbreak is to blame. The surge in patients started late Monday, June 29, catching medical staff off guard. By the time the sun came up Tuesday, the region’s healthcare system was stretched thin. Both the Ministry of Health Panama and the Social Security Fund scrambled to reinforce their emergency departments.…
Walking through Panama City’s streets, residents might not notice a small but significant change beneath their feet. Mayor Mayer Mizrachi recently announced the installation of the 200th recycled manhole cover in the capital district. It’s a quiet revolution in urban infrastructure that combines environmental goals with practical city management. The 200th cover was adopted by Starlink, the satellite internet company known for its global connectivity ambitions. This marks a growing trend where tech firms invest in local Starlink urban sustainability projects as part of their corporate responsibility programs. The initiative transforms discarded plastic into durable street furniture that can withstand…
Volunteers and municipal workers sorted donations through the weekend at the Hatillo building in Panama City. By Monday morning, everything was ready. A cargo plane loaded with 22 metric tons of food, medicine, and essential goods taxied down the runway at Tocumen International Airport and lifted off for Venezuela. This second shipment marked another chapter in Panama’s growing response to the devastating earthquakes that have shaken communities across Venezuela. Panama City Mayor Mayer Mizrachi watched the aircraft depart. He thanked the hundreds of volunteers who gave their time and energy to make the delivery possible. “This is what solidarity looks…
Walking outside in Panama City this week feels like stepping into an oven. The air is thick, the sun is relentless, and your skin starts to prickle within minutes. That’s not just your imagination. The Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Panama has issued a warning. The heat index, or what your body actually feels, could hit between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius across the Pacific region. This isn’t a normal summer spike. It is a perfect storm of weather events colliding over the isthmus. Three Weather Systems Converge Over Panama Meteorologist Emmanuel Velázquez explained that Panama is currently trapped…
Deep in the province of Panama Oeste, a pair of panoramic binoculars now sits at a renovated viewpoint called Caja de Agua. Visitors who look through them see something remarkable: more than 4,800 hectares of protected forest that started it all. This is Altos de Campana National Park and Biological Reserve, the very first national park Panama ever created. On June 28, 2026, the park turned 60 years old. The Ministry of Environment Panama held a celebration that drew government officials, park rangers, and community leaders to the site. They didn’t just come to cut a cake. They came to…
The University of Panama is preparing for a historic voting day. More than 55,000 members of the university community will head to the polls on July 1. The election will determine who leads the country’s largest institution of higher education for the coming term. Rufino Fernández, president of the University Electoral Organism, confirmed that logistics are fully in place. Campaign activities officially end on June 29. The voting pool includes 52,030 students, 4,011 professors and 3,958 administrative staff members. They will select a new rector along with deans, vice-deans and regional directors across 16 faculties and 9 regional campuses. This…
Panama’s customs authority has arrested three of its own employees. The officials are accused of demanding illegal payments from a service user. The Panama National Customs Authority confirmed the detentions in an official statement released this week. The three workers allegedly asked for a bribe totaling $20,000. Investigators say the suspects received an initial advance payment. They promised to complete the full amount before being caught. The arrests stem from an ongoing crackdown on corruption in Panama within government institutions. Zero Tolerance Policy Reaffirmed The customs agency moved quickly to distance itself from the accused employees. Officials said the arrests…
The Panama Canal has transformed from a commercial asset into a flashpoint for strategic competition between the United States and China. Global trade routes are being reshaped as superpowers race to secure critical international shipping nodes. Analysts now describe the waterway as the epicenter of a systemic struggle for influence in the Western Hemisphere. This shift did not happen overnight. It resulted from a decade of diplomatic and economic tensions that culminated in early 2026. Panama’s Supreme Court declared a port concession contract illegal in February 2026. That concession had allowed Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong based…