Author: Sebastian Pieper
Rice producers in Panama warn that rising international costs will inevitably lead to higher prices for consumers. The warning comes after a meeting between farmers and the country’s agricultural minister to discuss the economic strain from global conflicts and supply chain disruptions.Omar Spiegel, a national rice producer, stated that increased expenses for fuel and agricultural inputs cannot be absorbed by farmers alone. These costs, he explained, will be passed through each stage of the agricultural supply chain.Spiegel participated in recent talks with Minister of Agricultural Development Roberto Linares. He described the meeting as a preliminary assessment of how international instability…
Panama’s National Highways Authority (Empresa Nacional de Autopistas, or ENA) has formally initiated a major expansion project for the congested Corredor Sur toll road. The $300 million initiative aims to double the highway’s capacity to address severe daily traffic congestion driven by explosive eastern urban growth. Officials confirmed the pre-qualification phase for contractors is now underway, with construction expected to begin later this year. The project will add two new lanes in each direction along the entire 21-kilometer route, transforming it from a four-lane to an eight-lane highway. Work will stretch from Punta Pacifica near downtown Panama City all the…
Panamanian lawmakers and the mayor of Panama City toured the USS Nimitz this weekend. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is operating in Panamanian waters as part of a major multinational military exercise. The visit, organized by the U.S. Embassy, aimed to strengthen bilateral security cooperation between the two nations. The delegation included National Assembly members José Pérez Barboni and Roberto Zúñiga, alongside Panama City Mayor mayer mizrachi. They landed directly on the carrier’s flight deck via military aircraft on Saturday, March 28. The group observed flight operations and received briefings on the ship’s capabilities from crew members. The USS Nimitz and…
The Colon Free Trade Zone, the world’s second largest free trade area, is undergoing a significant realignment of its trade partners and product flows. New data for the first two months of 2026 shows a 9.6 percent increase in cargo volume contrasted with a slight 0.3 percent dip in total trade value, signaling a complex transformation in global supply patterns. Belgium and Japan have dramatically increased exports to the zone while China and the United States have seen their shares decline.Total commercial exchange for January and February reached $3.696 billion. Within that figure, imports contracted by 2.3 percent to $1.873…
Panama President Jose Raul Mulino officially ignited the torch for the 2026 South American Youth Games in a ceremony on Friday, March 27. The event marks the final countdown for Panama as it prepares to host the major regional sporting competition for the first time in history. The flame will now travel across all ten provinces and two indigenous regions of the country. Its journey culminates at the opening ceremony on April 12, 2026, at the Rommel Fernández Stadium in Panama City. Organizers expect over two thousand young athletes from fifteen nations to compete. A Historic Moment for National Sports…
Panama’s Chinese community leaders gathered in Panama City this Saturday to highlight their group’s profound historical and economic contributions. The conversation served as a prelude to the official Day of the Chinese Ethnicity celebration scheduled for Monday, March 30. Representatives detailed a legacy woven into the national fabric since the 19th century. The event, organized by the Council of the Chinese Ethnicity, focused on tracing the community’s journey from its earliest arrivals to its current role as a pillar of Panamanian society. Discussions covered commercial, medical, and educational achievements spanning generations. Officials emphasized that this history is not a separate…
The Social Security Fund (CSS) of Panama is conducting a comprehensive review of its technological platform. Officials launched the probe following the possible detection of an unauthorized intrusion into its systems this week.Web services for patients and beneficiaries remain operational during the ongoing investigation. The agency confirmed it is evaluating what it described as a hacking attempt against its digital infrastructure.Contingency Plan Activated With Government PartnersAs a preventive measure, the CSS coordinated with the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG) to activate a contingency and response plan. This joint action aims to mitigate any potential impact swiftly. The primary goal…
Panamanian child welfare officials confirmed the recovery of five teenagers on Thursday following a group escape from a state shelter earlier this week. The National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and Family (Senniaf) reported that fifteen young people fled the Tocumen Comprehensive Care Center on Tuesday, March 24. An active Amber Alert remains in effect for the ten individuals still missing as search efforts intensify across the capital region.The incident represents one of the largest single escapes from a government care facility in recent years. Located in the populous Tocumen district, the center provides temporary housing and services for minors under…
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) launched a major update to its long-term transit reservation system on Friday. The new program, called LoTSA 2.5, aims to provide shipping clients with more certainty and flexibility as they navigate the critical waterway.Officials described the update as a strategic enhancement to the Long-Term Slot Allocation (LoTSA) framework. It maintains the program’s core structure while introducing operational adjustments for today’s volatile maritime market. These changes directly respond to carrier feedback and shifting global trade dynamics.The revisions focus on redistributing available slots based on service package type and transit direction. A new sequential competition process by…
Mayors and local representatives across Panama confronted the nation’s finance ministry this week, demanding the complete transfer of property tax revenues owed to their municipalities. The meeting at the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) headquarters followed a unified show of force at the National Assembly, highlighting a deepening fiscal conflict between local and central government. Officials from the Association of Mayors of Panama (Adalpa) presented detailed financial records to Minister Felipe Chapman. These documents, they argued, prove a sustained and severe reduction in the disbursement of funds collected from the Property Tax (Impuesto de Bienes Inmuebles, IBI). Local governments…