Author: spieper

Firefighters in Panama successfully rescued a 66-year-old Canadian hiker who suffered injuries on La India Dormida mountain in the Province of Coclé. The Coclé Regional Fire Department executed the operation after receiving an alert about a lost hiker near the La Piedra Pintada trail on Tuesday. Specialized Search and Rescue (SAR) teams located the man and provided critical medical stabilization before a safe evacuation.The rescue operation involved personnel from the Extinction, Search and Rescue Unit (Doexbure) alongside regional volunteers. They responded immediately to the distress call. Officials reported the hiker had taken a fall during his trek. This accident caused…

Copa Airlines will reveal the winning design for a special Panama national football team aircraft in the coming days. The airline’s CEO confirmed the selection this week, marking a major promotional push ahead of the team’s debut at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Panama’s flag carrier ran a national contest that attracted over 100 design submissions from local artists. The chosen artwork will adorn a brand-new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft scheduled for delivery in May.Design Contest Celebrates Historic QualificationDubbed “El avión de la Sele,” the competition launched last November through a partnership between Copa Airlines and the Panamanian Soccer Federation (Fepafut).…

Park rangers in Panama’s Bastimentos Island National Marine Park began installing a network of eight mooring buoys this week. The initiative, funded by the Fundación Natura, aims to shield sensitive coastal ecosystems from anchor damage caused by tourist boats. This first phase saw four buoys with stainless steel chains placed at Cayo Zapatilla No. 2. The project forms a core part of a broader marine management and conservation plan. Its immediate goal is to organize public use and navigation in areas close to popular beaches. Officials from Panama’s Ministry of Environment (MiAMBIENTE) stressed the ecological urgency behind the move. The…

The Panamanian Ministry of Environment has published a second progress report on its comprehensive environmental audit of the Cobre Panama copper mine. The document, prepared by the international firm SGS Panama Control Services, outlines ongoing field verification work but stresses no final conclusions have been reached. This audit is a critical component of the government’s oversight following the mine’s transition to a care and maintenance program.This latest report details site inspections conducted to verify compliance with the mine’s 370 applicable environmental commitments. Field teams specifically examined structures designed as Wildlife crossing points. Their work involved preliminary assessments of dimensions, structural…

Panamanian immigration authorities deported 108 Colombian citizens on a single charter flight this Thursday. The operation forms part of the government’s ongoing efforts to enforce migration control and national security. The group, consisting of 96 men and 12 women, departed from Panama aboard a government-chartered aircraft bound for Medellin, Colombia. Flight number 62 was organized and financed by the country’s National Migration Service (Panama). The plane took off from Captain Juan Delgado Air Base, located at the old terminal of Tocumen International Airport, under strict security protocols. Legal Basis for the Mass Deportation Official information reveals a dual legal approach.…

A significant vegetation fire is burning within Panama’s La Yeguada Forest Reserve, prompting a major multi-agency response. Volunteer forest brigades from the Ministry of Environment (Panama) are leading firefighting efforts with support from Veraguas Fire Department units and a non-governmental Search and Rescue (SAR) team. The blaze was first reported near the community of Loma de La Cebolla on January 22, 2026. The fire is consuming large quantities of grasses and mountain straw in a remote northern section of the protected area. Officials describe the terrain as extremely difficult to access. Reaching the active fire zone requires a two-hour hike…

The Panamanian government has added eight more chemicals to its national prohibition of highly hazardous pesticides. Officials announced the new restrictions this week, bringing the total number of banned agricultural pesticides to twenty since President Jose Raul Mulino took office. The move aims to protect public health and align the country with international chemical safety standards.A new resolution, published in the official gazette on January 20, 2026, formally prohibits the registration, import, manufacture, sale, and use of eight specific compounds. The banned substances are Alachlor, Benomyl, Carbaryl, Endosulfan, Formaldehyde, Imazalil, Propachlor, and Spirodiclofen. This action follows an earlier ban on…

Panama’s Ministry of Health confirmed approximately 100 cases of dengue fever during the first epidemiological week of the new year. The data, covering January 4 to 10, shows no severe cases or deaths so far, but health officials are intensifying national prevention efforts. This early surge has prompted a renewed focus on vector control and public cooperation to curb transmission.The national epidemiology report breaks down the 100 cases into 90 without alarm signs and 10 with alarm signs. Nine patients required hospitalization, though none developed into severe dengue. The country’s incidence rate currently sits at 2.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants,…

A violent assault inside the office of a community judge in Las Tablas has sparked urgent safety concerns across Panama’s justice system. The attack occurred this week when a man entered the local office and physically assaulted the presiding judge and another court official. This incident has reopened a critical debate about security protocols in community justice offices, which frequently handle emotionally charged cases. According to the affected judge’s testimony, the situation escalated rapidly after the individual entered her workspace. He initially asked if she was still the serving community judge, a question that did not immediately signal danger. The…

The 65th La Chorrera International Fair opened officially on Wednesday, January 21, launching an 11-day celebration of Panamanian culture, commerce, and agriculture. The event, one of the country’s most popular, is expected to draw over 300,000 visitors to the district of La Chorrera, Panama before it concludes on February 1. Organizers commenced the fair with a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony. Folkloric groups in traditional “pollera” dresses and musical bands provided entertainment for the opening day crowd, setting a festive tone for the coming days. Cultural Passport Guides Fairgoers A new “cultural passport” serves as this year’s primary innovation for visitor navigation.…