Author: spieper
Copa Airlines inaugurated a new direct route from Panama City to Los Cabos, Mexico this Thursday. The inaugural flight departed from Tocumen International Airport with 95 percent of seats occupied, signaling strong initial demand for the beach destination.The Panamanian carrier will operate three weekly flights to the Mexican resort area on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This expansion adds a key leisure destination to the airline’s network, known as the Hub of the Americas, which connects travelers from across Latin America.New Route Attracts Regional TravelersAccording to Copa Airlines sales director Diego Bermúdez, the route is already drawing passengers from multiple countries.…
A Caja de Seguro Social (Panama) employee was arrested this week on corruption charges. The arrest followed allegations she accepted bribes to expedite medical appointments at a major public hospital complex.National Police officers from the Judicial Investigation Directorate (Panama) carried out the detention in coordination with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities apprehended the public servant at the CSS administrative offices in the Clayton area of Panama City on Thursday, December 4. She is expected to face a guarantee judge for a formal hearing in the coming hours.Investigation Uncovers Appointment ManipulationPreliminary evidence suggests the employee manipulated the CSS’s digital scheduling system.…
Panama’s government has secured immediate and long-term funding for the National Library of Panama. President José Raúl Mulino announced a new cultural cooperation agreement this week, ending years of financial uncertainty for the institution. The pact between the Ministry of Culture of Panama and the Pro National Library Foundation promises to modernize the nation’s primary repository of historical documents.Mulino made the announcement during his regular weekly press conference, framing the move as part of a broader commitment to cultural institutions. He stated the guaranteed resources will enable key modernization projects that have been stalled. A central focus will be the…
Panama’s Ministry of Agricultural Development is conducting rigorous inspections on imported flowers. The heightened agricultural quarantine measures come less than 96 hours before the nation’s Mother’s Day celebration this Sunday. Officials are focusing on cargo entering through Tocumen International Airport to meet a surge in national demand.The Executive Directorate of Agricultural Quarantine, a division of the ministry, leads the operation. Its specialized laboratory analyzes flower and foliage samples for harmful pests. From November 1 to 30 alone, the lab received and processed 795 samples from imported floral products.Scientific Safeguards Against PestsEach shipment undergoes a mandatory entomological analysis. This scientific study…
Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado publicly thanked Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Wednesday for agreeing to attend her Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The gesture highlights international solidarity for Venezuela’s democratic movement as Machado prepares to accept the prestigious award in December. Machado expressed her gratitude directly to Mulino through a post on the social media platform X. She called his planned presence at the event in Norway a significant honor for both nations. “Dear President @JoseRaulMulino, what an honor to have you, in the name of the brotherly people of Panama, at what will be a historic day…
Copa Airlines has temporarily suspended all flights to and from Caracas, Venezuela, citing concerns over ground-based navigation signals. The preventive measure, announced Wednesday, affects travel scheduled for Thursday, December 4, and Friday, December 5, 2025. The Panamanian carrier stated the decision followed pilot reports of intermittent signal performance but emphasized operational safety was never compromised.The airline is now actively evaluating the technical situation to determine when normal service can safely resume. Passengers holding tickets for the affected dates are being offered flexible rebooking and refund options. This disruption highlights the critical reliance modern aviation has on ground infrastructure for safe…
Panama faces a growing public health crisis as lung cancer, one of the world’s deadliest diseases, advances largely undetected. The country records approximately 370 new cases and over 300 deaths from the disease each year. Medical experts and health officials point to late diagnosis and limited access to specialized care as the primary drivers of its high mortality rate.Lung cancer accounts for 8.1 percent of all cancer diagnoses in Panama. Its lethality is stark, responsible for 1.8 million global deaths annually, more than any other cancer type. The national statistics reveal a critical systemic failure. A staggering 85 percent of…
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino launched construction of the nation’s first public veterinary hospital this week. The landmark facility in the Juan Díaz, Panama district represents a 14.1 million balboa investment aimed at expanding access to pet care and strengthening public health safeguards. Officials from the Presidency confirmed the project start on Wednesday, December 3. They awarded the construction contract to the firm Construction Management Group with an expected completion date set for 2027. This initiative fulfills a key campaign promise from Mulino’s administration. “With this initial groundbreaking, we are not just starting a construction project. We are keeping a…
Panamanian customs officials have confiscated a shipment of undocumented onions and cigarettes during a retail inspection in the border province of Bocas del Toro. The National Customs Authority of Panama (ANA) conducted the operation at a store in the Barranco area of Changuinola district. Authorities suspect the goods entered the country illegally, bypassing all required import controls and tax payments.Inspectors discovered fourteen sacks of onions lacking any commercial invoice. The packaging on all sacks bore markings and logos indicating origin from the Republic of Costa Rica. This detail immediately raised red flags for possible smuggling across the nearby border. Officials…
A judge in Panama’s Chiriquí province has ordered the suspension of a university dean from her positions following allegations of a significant salary fraud scheme. The ruling against Dr. Evelia Aparicio de Esquivel, former dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Unachi), was handed down this week after a hearing in the local Accusatory Penal System.The judicial measure mandates her immediate removal from both her dean and teaching roles. Prosecutors from Panama’s Public Ministry presented evidence alleging she collected dual public salaries improperly from 2017 through 2021. This case centers on the crime of embezzlement,…