Author: spieper

American and Panamanian special operations forces executed a coordinated crisis response exercise at the U.S. Embassy in Panama in Panama City on December 5. The drill involved elite units from both nations working to secure the diplomatic compound during a simulated emergency scenario. Officials stated the training aimed to validate joint response protocols and enhance interoperability for real-world incidents.Participating forces included operators from the U.S. Navy SEALs and the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne). They trained alongside their counterparts from Panama’s Dirección Nacional de Fuerzas Especiales, known as DINFEE. The exercise focused on rapid deployment, site security, and tactical coordination…

Panama will host the eleventh International Spanish Language Congress (CILE) in 2028. The decision, now at the center of a public dispute between Spain’s leading language institutions, was confirmed this week by the director of Panama’s Language Academy, Jorge Eduardo Ritter.The announcement follows reported tensions in Spain between the director of the Instituto Cervantes, Luis García Montero, and the head of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), Santiago Muñoz Machado. García Montero has publicly suggested that Muñoz Machado unilaterally selected Panama without proper consultation, a claim Panamanian officials strongly deny.In an interview with La Prensa on Tuesday, December 9, Ritter clarified…

Panama has been selected to chair the region’s primary anti-money laundering body next year. The country will assume the Pro Tempore Presidency of the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America (GAFILAT) for 2026, a decision made during the organization’s latest plenary session in Guatemala.Isabel Vecchio Arófulo, Panama’s National Coordinator before GAFILAT, will lead the presidency. Her role places Panama at the helm of setting regional priorities and directing key committees for the 18-member organization. This position grants the country significant influence over initiatives in financial transparency and crime prevention.”We assume this responsibility with a firm commitment to the transparency…

United States Ambassador Kevin Marino Cabrera and Panama’s First Lady Maricel Cohen de Mulino inaugurated a major clean water project at a school in Colon. The “Water in Your Classroom” initiative aims to provide reliable drinking water to thousands of students across the country. The launch event at the Bilingual Gatuncillo School on November 19 marked the start of a public-private partnership designed to address a critical infrastructure gap.Panamanian Minister of Education Lucy Molinar and Minister of Health Dr. Fernando Boyd Galindo joined the ceremony, highlighting the government’s prioritization of the issue. The program’s first installation will serve over 500…

Panamanian labor inspectors discovered ten children performing hazardous work on coffee farms in the western province of Chiriquí. The Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development (Mitradel) conducted the operation last week, removing the minors from dangerous conditions in the district of Boquete, Chiriquí.An official report from Mitradel detailed that the group consisted of seven boys and three girls. Their ages ranged from seven to seventeen years old. Inspectors located them across 18 different coffee plantations during the harvest period, known locally as the “zafra.”Children Removed from Hazardous ConditionsAuthorities immediately extracted the children from the work areas upon discovery. They were…

More than 500 delegates from 196 countries gathered in Panama City last week for a major United Nations environmental conference. The event relied on the logistical support of 112 Panamanian volunteers, highlighting a national culture of service as the world looks toward the International Year of Volunteers in 2026.The 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC23) ran from December 1 to 5. It is a key oversight body of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The session focused on reviewing global progress against land degradation, desertification, and drought.Volunteers Provide Essential…

Panama’s government has officially enacted a landmark law designed to overhaul the nation’s approach to waste and production. The new legislation, known as Law 502, establishes a comprehensive legal framework for a circular economy, aiming to reduce pollution and create green jobs. President Laurentino Cortizo sanctioned the law this week, setting the stage for a systemic shift from a disposable model to one focused on resource efficiency.The law moves far beyond traditional recycling concepts. Its core objective is to eliminate waste at the design stage of products, keep materials in use for as long as possible, and regenerate natural systems.…

Panama’s Panama Pacifico Special Economic Zone is accelerating a series of major infrastructure projects designed to solidify its position as a premier investment hub. The zone’s administrator confirmed this week that connectivity, a current challenge, will see dramatic improvements with the completion of the Fourth Bridge over the Panama Canal, a new Metro station, and a future railway link. These developments come as demand for space in the zone has already reached full capacity, forcing an accelerated construction timeline for new warehouses and residential units.The zone, located near the Pacific entrance to the canal, is strategically positioned between Panama City…

National police in Panama have captured one of the country’s most wanted fugitives, an alleged gang leader with a significant bounty on his head. Edwin Enrique Quintana, known by the alias “Chemberre,” was arrested during a raid in the Río Abajo district following a joint operation with prosecutors.The arrest marks a critical development in an ongoing crackdown on organized criminal groups in Panama. Quintana was allegedly the leader of the “P*tos Ganster” gang, a group previously targeted and dismantled by authorities in mid-2025.Capture of a High-Value TargetOfficers from the National Police of Panama executed a search warrant at a residence…

Panama’s government says it would grant temporary asylum to members of Nicolas Maduro’s administration if it helps usher in a political transition in Venezuela. Vice Foreign Minister Carlos Hoyos made the statement in a television interview this week, outlining a potential role for Panama in the regional crisis.The offer comes amid heightened military tensions in the Caribbean and a diplomatic freeze between Panama and Caracas. Panama severed formal diplomatic ties with Venezuela following the contentious 2024 presidential election, which much of the international community deemed illegitimate.Conditional Offer of Safe HavenHoyos clarified that the lack of formal relations currently prevents Panama…