Author: spieper

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino led national celebrations on Monday, November 10, 2025, marking the 204th anniversary of the First Cry of Independence of La Villa de Los Santos. The civic ceremonies in the historic town honored the event that sparked Panama’s separation from Spanish rule. Official events began with the national flag raising at Rufina Alfaro Park. The annual commemoration recognizes the brave actions of Villa de Los Santos residents in 1821. Their initial declaration of freedom ultimately led to Panama’s full independence just weeks later. This year’s observance featured a significant military and civilian presence, underscoring the day’s…

Mayors from three of Panama’s largest districts are demanding the national government transfer approximately 500 million dollars in outstanding property tax revenues. The municipal leaders from Panama, Colon, and San Miguelito accuse the Ministry of Economy and Finance of withholding funds legally designated for local governments, warning that the shortfall is crippling community projects and essential services. This financial dispute, which has simmered for years, reached a new intensity during recent national budget hearings where official figures revealed the massive gap between taxes collected and funds transferred. El reclamo de los municipios al Gobierno: $500 millones que nunca llegaron del…

More than twenty countries have urged Panama to enhance legal protections for its LGBTQ citizens. The recommendations came during Panama’s Universal Periodic Review before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. Nations including Chile, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Iceland, and Australia called for specific legal reforms. The session, focused on Panama’s human rights record. A primary demand was the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories within the country’s existing anti-discrimination law, Law 7 of 2018. Several countries also pressed for administrative, safe, and self-determination based procedures for legal…

Panama has formally requested the extradition of a suspect in the 1994 Alas Chiricanas Flight 901 bombing after his capture in Venezuela. Venezuelan authorities detained Ali Zaki Hage Jalil, a 57-year-old man wanted for one of the deadliest attacks in Panamanian aviation history, on Margarita Island. The Panamanian government announced it is initiating all necessary diplomatic and judicial procedures to bring the long-sought suspect to trial. This arrest concludes a manhunt that spanned more than three decades. The suspect was apprehended by agents from Interpol Venezuela, acting in coordination with Panamanian judicial authorities. A Red Notice from Interpol Panama had…

Panama’s Ministry of Culture has chosen the artistic project that will represent the nation at the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2026. The winning proposal comes from the collaborative duo Antonio Jose Guzman and Iva Jankovic, selected through an open international competition. This announcement, made on November 7, 2025, confirms the country’s continued participation on one of the world’s most prestigious contemporary art stages. A rigorous independent jury reviewed eighty-nine submissions before reaching its final decision. The selection process emphasized principles of openness and institutional transparency, aiming to strengthen the global projection of Panamanian contemporary art.…

Chiquita Brands is initiating a large scale hiring campaign in Panama to staff its banana plantations in the Bocas del Toro Province. The company plans to fill 5,000 jobs through a series of recruitment fairs scheduled from November 11 to 15, 2025. This hiring surge marks a significant step in resuming full operations after a months long shutdown caused by regional protests.All new positions will be managed through five partner farming companies operating under a specific agricultural model. Under this arrangement, Chiquita provides the land to producer associations who then cultivate the fruit. The global company handles purchasing the harvest…

A major disruption in Panama’s National Interconnected System left large sectors of Panama City and Colon without water for hours on Saturday. The widespread power outage forced the critical Chilibre Federico Guardia Conte water treatment plant offline, halting potable water production for the metropolitan area. Rutilio Villarreal, the General Director of the Institute of National Aqueducts and Sewers (Idaan), confirmed the cascade of failures and detailed the ongoing recovery efforts in a press conference from the institute’s control center.The Chilibre plant, a primary source of drinking water for the capital, remained non-operational for approximately one hour due to the electrical…

Panamanian homeowners with subsidized mortgage loans will see higher monthly payments starting this November. The Superintendency of Banks of Panama officially increased the benchmark mortgage interest rate for the final quarter of 2025, a move that directly impacts preferential housing loans across the banking system. This adjustment raises the key reference rate from 6.25 percent to 6.50 percent, representing an increase of twenty-five basis points. Financial institutions including Banco General, Multibank, and Global Bank have already begun notifying customers about the change. The new rate took effect October 1, with banks implementing the adjustment throughout October and November. Regulatory Announcement…

A new $15 million university campus in Panama sits empty and nearly finished, awaiting final approval from government auditors. The San Miguelito Regional University Center, a project of the University of Panama, has reached 98 percent completion but remains closed to students due to bureaucratic delays. University officials are now appealing directly to President Jose Raul Mulino for intervention to open the advanced facilities. Legal advisor Miguel Delgado confirmed the standstill stems from two pending addendums that require approval from the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic. These documents are essential for releasing the final funds and authorizing…

Air travel between Panama and the United States continues uninterrupted this week despite significant flight reductions within the US. The Federal Aviation Administration is temporarily cutting domestic flights by ten percent due to a federal government shutdown that has limited air traffic controller staffing. This situation has not impacted international routes to and from Panama, according to officials at Tocumen International Airport and major airlines.Passengers can expect their flights to operate on schedule. Airlines are nonetheless advising travelers to arrive at the airport early and monitor for any notifications about potential delays with connecting flights inside the United States. The…