Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.

PANAMA REOPENING FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURISM ON OCTOBER 12th

Panama has officially released their reopening plan, which was approved this Tuesday by the cabinet, and has international aviation and tourism activities set to restart on October 12, 2020.

The government has suspended international commercial flights since March 22, but come October 12 after almost 6 months of lockdown, they could see a resurgence in international tourism once again.

Source: Travel Off Path

Transgender and Trapped in Sex-Based Social Distancing.

The day Yineth Layevska was finally able to change the name on her identity card, she felt reborn. When the 38-year-old indigenous transgender woman went out with her friends on the weekends in Panama City, dressed up in high heels, she looked forward to being asked by the security guard at the nightclub door to pull out her national ID card, with her new female name freshly printed on it.

But all of that changed with the pandemic. “Now,” the transgender activist said, “I’m afraid to go out.”

Source: Foreign Policy

International Cover-Up Fear As Panama Drawn Into Wakashio Oil Spill Ship Controversy In Mauritius.

The front half of the large Panama-flagged, Japanese vessel responsible for the worst oil spill in the Indian Ocean, the Wakashio, that has brought heartache to islanders on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius since its arrival 28 days ago, has gone missing in the Indian Ocean.

There has not been an official statement from the Government of Mauritius on the exact location of the vessel – which is the size of an aircraft carrier and in the largest 1% of vessels ever built – and the Governments of France, Japan who have Ministers and Advisers on the ground have remained silent on its precise location.

Source: Forbes

How to find the best healthcare coverage in Panama!

Finding good healthcare, and taking care of you and your family’s health and well-being are critical to relocating to a foreign country, and Panama’s no different. Finding the right doctor, insurance, medication, and emergency services can seem like a daunting task in a country you don’t know much about.

Luckily, Panama has some of the best quality healthcare in the Americas, and at a cost that is more often than not, reasonable and fair. For a country of its size, Panama’s high quality hospitals, doctors, and physical rehabilitation centers are well known in the region. So much so, that many people come to Panama as tourists, just for medical procedures. Here’s why:

Source: POLS Blog

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Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.

Chinese challenge in Panama.

The Panama Canal, built by the United States more than a century ago, has long been a linchpin of projecting influence and defending America’s interests in the Western Hemisphere. Now, the People’s Republic of China has its eyes on undermining the U.S.Panama relationship. Beijing’s chosen weapon for that assault is the “debt-trap diplomacy” of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The BRI is a top priority of Chinese Communist Party Secretary-General Xi Jinping, who designed it to extend Chinese influence around the world. The Oxford Business Group reports BRI projects are currently underway in 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries. And Panama has been a focal point of that activity.
In 2018, Panama became the first Latin American country to sign a BRI compact. Even before that, as far back as the 1990s, China had begun positioning itself at either end of the Panama Canal by winning contracts to establish container ports run by Chinese state-owned companies.

Source: The Washington Times

First 2020 pineapples from Panama arriving in China soon.

Pineapples from Panama will arrive in China in the coming days and officially start their sales in this market. Fruit is an important export product of Panama, and their pineapples, the second-largest export fruit after bananas from this country, are world-renowned.

In fact, as early as the end of 2018, China and Panama had signed the “Protocol of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture Development of the Republic of Panama on Plant Quarantine Requirements for the Export of Fresh Pineapples from Panama to China”. With this, pineapples became the first fruit to gain access after being showcased at the Expo. In the second half of 2019, the first volumes were showcased at the Shanghai International Import Expo, leaving a good impression on the general public.

Source: Fresh Plaza

Panama Resumes Reopening of Businesses and Places of Worship Amid COVID-19 Outbreak.

Panama is resuming the gradual reopening of businesses and places of worship after five months of lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

An elderly parishioner at the Iglesia del Carmen, in Panama City told the French News Press that she was overjoyed to have mass in person for the first time in five months.

On Monday, churches, hair salons, retail shops and car lots also reopened.

The hair salons and barbershops will operate with appointments only and at 50% of their capacity, as the country tries to reenergize the sluggish economy.

Source: VOA News

Check out these can’t-miss famous sites in Panama City!

Panama City has plenty of must-see landmarks and things to do, but getting to visit them all in one trip can be a challenge.

Whether it’s a taste of old world Panama in Casco, or a day spent at the majestic Miraflores Locks, there truly is something for every taste and every budget. So, when you plan your next trip to Panama City, it’s important to know what’s in store for you, and where you should go to get the most out of your time spent there. Here’s a quick list of five of the best must-see landmarks in and around Panama City:

Source: POLS Blog

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Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.

Evo Morales to open Panama Social Forum

Former Bolivian President Evo Morales speaks Friday at the opening ceremony of the Panama Social Forum, announced its organizers who assured that almost 500 participants were registered to analyze social, economic and political issues.

Morales will speak on the socio-economic crisis and hegemony: an alternative development model for Latin America and the Caribbean, and then Panamanian academics Guillermo Castro and Juan Jovane will give the keynote speeches ‘Crisis of the transit model: Where is Panama going?’ and ‘Towards an alternative development strategy,’ respectively.

Saturday’s agenda is made up of talks and exhibitions on neoliberalism and the structural crisis of the economy in Panama, employment problems due to the economic crisis and the pandemic, social security and pension regime, and the pharmaceutical business and the race for the vaccine to fight the virus causing Covid-19, among others.

Source: Prensa Latina

Desperation and violence in Panama migrant camp.

Desperation is palpable in La Penita, an indigenous community in the Panamanian jungle province of Darien where 1,500 migrants have been blocked by the coronavirus pandemic from heading towards the United States.

“I don’t want to live in Panama, I want to go to Costa Rica and continue to Mexico.”

The migrant camp is full of children, babies and pregnant women.

The lucky ones live in crowded tents, but others sleep outside in the humidity and frequent downpours.

The migrants cook and wash in the open air, and almost no one uses a mask despite the pandemic and the camp’s over-crowding.

“This is not a place for humans,” complained Haitian Thomas Saint Louis, who was visibly angry as he showed the bushes that migrants use as toilets.

“These are bad conditions. Come and look, and help us,” he added.

Source: Tico Times

Innovation ecosystem developer BaseCamp to establish tech park in Panama.

During a speech at the CybertechLive Latin America online conference, Panama’s commerce minister said the park is part of a plan to transform the country into the digital hub of the region.

The Panamanian government and Israel’s Innovation BaseCamp company announced Tuesday they will collaborate on a high-tech park project aimed at transforming Panama into one of Latin America’s leading countries in terms of innovation.
The announcement came during the CybertechLive Latin America online conference, a one-day event by Israel’s Cybertech that brought together government officials, industry experts, academics, companies and startups from around the region.

Source: Jerusalem Post

Retiring in Panama: Expectations vs. Reality

Retiring in Panama has been popular with many North Americans and Europeans for quite some time now. Over the years, the country has offered fantastic options for expats to spend their retirement in comfort, at a great price, with many amenities and activities to make it all worth while. Have you been thinking about retiring in Panama?

With so many options for retirees in Panama, it can be tough to gauge where you fit in, and how you’ll feel once you’re here. Don’t worry! That’s what we’re here for. Here are some basics that you can prepare for and expect as a new arrival, once you’ve taken the leap to make Panama your new retirement home.

Source: POLS Blog

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Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.

Cortizo eliminates humanitarian flights for returning Panamanians

The president of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, announced this Wednesday that humanitarian flights for nationals will be “eliminated” starting next week and that they will only be required to have a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country.

Those humanitarian flights that were coordinated for Panamanians, as of next week will cease to exist, said the Panamanian president.

Nationals and residents who wish to enter Panama must deliver a negative COVID-19 swab test result 48 hours in advance or undergo an antigen test in the country, and make a mandatory quarantine for fourteen days, as measures to avoid the contagion.

Cortizo also announced that the Tocumen International Airport, the main airport in the country, will be maintained as a “mini humanitarian hub.”

Source: Panama Times

PANAMA BEGINS PHASED REOPENING OF TOCUMEN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FOR TRANSIT.

Panama has taken its first step towards reopening the Tocumen International Airport which is a major hub for Latin America and was the busiest airport in Central America prior to the pandemic.

Through an executive decree signed by Panamanian President Laurentino Cortizo on July 31, the Tocumen Airport will open for international transiting passengers and Panamanians to enter and exit the country under certain protocols.

Source: Travel Off Path

Panama proposes flying Haitian migrants home after clash.

The government of Panama said Monday it has proposed giving some Haitian migrants flights back to their homeland after frustrations boiled over at the remote camps where they are stuck.

The camps in Panama’s southern Darien province also house some Cuban and African migrants, but about 80% of the 2,000 migrants there are from Haiti.

Public Safety Minister Juan Pino said Monday he offered improved medical services or repatriation flights to the migrants, who want to travel overland to the U.S. border but cannot do so because of coronavirus restrictions. Over the weekend the migrants protested conditions at the camp, setting afire tents and tossing rocks at Panamanian officials.

Source: WTOP

Panama’s Population Still on Steady Growth Course

In 2010, during the census taken of the entire country of Panama, there were 3,322,576 registered residents on the isthmus. Now, according to new data, that number could reach close to 4,500,000 by 2022.

This is a massive increase for such a small amount of time, and one that many believe is a positive sign of both economic growth, and quality of life increases. During this same period, Panama added thousands of new houses and residential buildings to meet the demand, sparking a construction boom unlike any in the region. Now, as the population continues to surge, Panama continues to work hard to meet growth for relocation and international investment.

Source: POLS Blog

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Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.

Over 1,000 Restaurants Call It A Day In Panama.

Burdened by fixed costs and a disappearing customer base over 1,000 Panama restaurants have permanently closed their doors leading to 6,000 lost jobs.

Parallel, with the near-total stoppage of activities and the need to generate income, an independent movement has been created in social networks for the sale of food, which sparked the attention of both consumers and authorities.

“Food preparation that is being done in apartments and in workshops, the public has to be very careful about hygiene. That is a problem that the authorities (the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Commerce and the General Directorate of Revenue) have to attack, because they are also businesses that do not pay taxes,” said Domingo De Obaldía, president of Arap.

Source: Q Costa Rica

Covid-19 vaccines to be tested in Panama.

The announcement that Panama will begin in mid-August the phase one study of a ribonucleic acid vaccine against Covid-19, developed by a biotechnology company in Germany, has generated great expectation on Tuesday.

On an interview with Radar television program, Dr. Eduardo Ortega-Barria, responsible for medical affairs of the Covid-19 Vaccine Research Consortium in the country, assured that this will only happen after the vaccine is approved by the General Directorate of Health, the Bioethics Committee and regulatory authorities in Panama.

Ortega-Barria stated that once the phase one is completed, phase two of clinical trials will be activated in September, where the safety of the vaccine candidate and his immune response will be assessed.

Those tests will be performed at the Institute for Scientific Research and High Technology Services of Panama. This institute was chosen as a reference center to carry out these laboratory tests in collaboration with the biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, the doctor said. About the issue, the infectologist indicated that WHO established that in the first stage, the Covid-19 vaccine will be given to health workers, who represent about 1% of the world population, adults aged 65 years (8%) and people with some kind of disease (15%).

Source: Prensa Latina

Panama workers on a war footing.

The Friday call to ‘the great popular protest’ against labor reforms in front of Parliament radicalized the actions by Panama’s labor sectors, which escalate the confrontation to the government, after a week of protests.

During a Friday morning session, the legislators made the final analysis of the bill that will be voted on at the plenary session, after the criteria for and against the text were heard.

The National Assembly on Thursday approved in second debate, with some modifications, ‘temporary’ changes to the Labor Code proposed to the legislature by the current Laurentino Cortizo administration, after several previous refusals so the Executive would take such a decision.

The bill was presented by the Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development, allegedly based on the agreements of a tripartite board with business, workers and government participation, but unionists denied that they reached consensus in that debate.

Source: Prensa Latina

Traveling to Panama in 2021 on a tight budget? We can help!

Find the best deals on flights, where to stay, where to eat, and where to shop, all before you’ve stepped foot in this wonderful Central American country. Here are a few pointers to help get you started.

Traveling smart in Panama during any season requires a certain amount of planning ahead, although, if you need to book last minute, you can still get some great deals. Your best bet for flights is to book about 10 weeks ahead of your scheduled departure. Another good idea is to be flexible about your dates. If you have flexible vacation time, or flexibility in your agenda while in Panama, you will have many more price options for flights and hotels. Typically, the best (and cheapest) days to fly are Tuesdays and Thursdays, and if you’re willing to endure some connecting flights, you can drive the price down even further.

Source: POLS Blog

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Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.

Panama murder: Man charged in killing of seven youths.

Prosecutors in Panama say an 18-year-old man has been charged following the killing of seven youths who were on a swimming trip to Gatún Lake.

The bodies were found in a wooded area near the lake on Saturday with gunshot wounds to their heads.

Their relatives had reported them missing when they failed to return from their excursion on Friday.

Six survivors said they had been threatened by two men who had led the victims away at gunpoint.

Source: BBC News

Panama reports the biggest peak of Covid-19 cases this week.

Half of the population of Panama woke up on Saturday under a strict absolute quarantine that included the capital and its neighboring Panama Oeste province, as a controversial measure to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The week that ends on Saturday broke all the statistic records of the pandemic regarding infections, deaths, positivity rates of the tests carried out and hospital admissions, without a visible strategy promising a control to reverse the situation, according to health experts.

In the last briefing, the country accumulated 51,408 Covid-19 cases and 388 deaths, the day with the highest number was on Monday reaching 1,540 afflicted and the week threatened to beat the mark on that indicator, while health authorities registered yesterday another record – 38 deaths in 24 hours – and reported 1,284 Covid-19 patients admitted in hospitals.

Source: Prensa Latina

Relatives in Panama still seek justice for 1994 terror attack.

Abigail Benzadon remembers perfectly the day 26 years ago when her husband Moshe Pardo left home to catch a flight to Panama City.

He hadn’t planned on flying but he had a medical appointment and decided to go anyway, she recalled.

He and 21 others — most of them Jewish — never made it to their destination.

Alas Chiricanas Airlines Flight 00901 exploded shortly after takeoff on July 19, 1994 from Colon, Panama in what Israel and the United States believe was an act of terrorism.

Relatives of the victims are still awaiting resolution of the case.

Source: Tico Times

Best Expat-Friendly Areas in Panama City

If you’re planning on moving to Panama, chances are you’ve done some research on where to live. There are many expats all over Panama, and a variety of great expat communities in nearly every part of the country.

When it comes to population density, however, the greatest numbers of expats live in the capital, Panama City. Panama City is a bustling metropolis with many things to offer, whether you’re an expat or a local.

The city is growing at a breakneck pace, and each neighborhood offers something a little different. If you’re looking at moving to Panama City, and want to know where you should live, we recommend you visit first. That being said, here’s some solid info to get you started so you know what to look for once you’re here. Here are Panama City’s top 5 neighborhoods for expats:

Source: POLS Blog

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Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.

Panama hospitals on verge of collapse as virus cases surge.

With a population of four million, Panama has gone from 200 cases a day to 1,100 over the last few weeks.

“Our daily number of infected patients has been increasing in a sustained way to the point of passing 1,000 cases,” David Villalobos, head of the intensive care unit at the Arnulfo Arias Madrid Hospital in Panama City, told AFP.

“There are no hospitals that could sustain such a number,” he said.

The sharp increase has forced authorities to adapt existing hospitals and look for new spaces, like convention centers, to boost a health system with a range of problems including long waiting lists.

Source: Tico Times

Panama: New Trans Discrimination Cases Under Covid-19 Measures.

Six transgender people have been stopped by security officials in Panama in recent weeks for allegedly violating Covid-19 curfew rules based on gender, even though the government had promised to resolve the problem, Human Rights Watch said today.

The government needs to take more decisive steps to prevent the continuing discriminatory impacts of its gender-based quarantine or scrap the measure altogether.

The quarantine schedule, implemented by the Health Ministry on April 1, 2020, requires women and men to remain at home on alternate days. From the first day of these measures, trans people – who have a gender identity or expression that may not match the “female” or “male” sex marker on their identification document – faced discrimination.

Source: Human Rights Watch

China to Further Use Panama Canal as Important Means to Encourage Global Trade, Beijing Says.

China, which actively promotes economic globalization, will further develop friendly relations with Panama and use the Panama Canal to encourage global trade, the office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said ahead of the centenary anniversary since the canal’s official opening to commerce, marked on 12 July.

“China, as an active protagonist in protecting and promoting economic globalization, will continue to deepen friendly relations with Panama and use the Panama Canal to fulfill the important role of stimulating global trade,” the office said.

Source: Sputnik News

Retire in Coronado, Panama.

Panama is rich with natural beauty and modern conveniences, and when it comes to both in one place, Coronado has it. This is one of many reasons why Coronado is one of the best places to retire in Panama.

Coronado is a beach town with so much to offer for retirees; you’ll feel right at home. At the same time, you’ll also enjoy the tropical paradise that is the Panamanian Pacific coast. There’s world-class shopping, golf, great restaurants and bars, and of course, a booming real estate market. Coronado is also just an hour’s drive from Panama City, making it an easy trip to Tocumen International Airport, and all of the amenities the capital has to offer.

Source: POLS Blog

The post Panama hospitals on verge of collapse as virus cases surge : Weekly News Roundup, July 17th, 2020 appeared first on POLS Attorneys.

Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.

Former Panama presidents face corruption charges.

Panama’s last two presidents, Ricardo Martinelli and Juan Carlos Varela, were charged Thursday with money laundering, as two separate scandals tarnished the political legacy of the former allies turned enemies.

Martinelli was charged with money laundering over the so-called “New Business” case in which a publishing group was allegedly purchased with government funds during his 2009-14 term.

Martinelli, 68, was in a combative mood as he departed the public prosecutor’s office in Panama City.

“I’m going to be frank with you, this pisses me off, this political persecution that has no end… they want to involve me (in the case) in order to do away with me,” he said, after refusing to testify.

Source: Yahoo News

Long-term consequences of river damming in the Panama Canal.

Humans have manipulated and managed rivers with dams for millennia. The number of river dam projects is predicted to rise sharply in the future, especially in the tropics where demand for hydroelectricity and water is accelerating.

Over a century ago, the Chagres River was dammed to form Gatun Lake, the principal waterway of the canal and at the time the largest man-made lake in the world.

Jorge Salgado, STRI fellow and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Nottingham, led a team that retrieved sediment cores from a basin in the lake and, with paleoecological techniques and historical records from the Panama Canal Authority, built a chronological sequence of biological and environmental changes.

Their findings were recently published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

Source: Phys.Org

Five multinationals establish HQs in Panama.

The establishment of five headquarters of multinational companies with an initial investment of $38 million has been approved by The Ministry of Commerce and Industries (Mici).

“After complying with all the requirements set forth in Law No. 41 of 2007, the companies Spectrum Biomedical Latam (Canada), Inceca Regional Services, Inc. (Nicaragua), ABB Central America and the Caribbean, SA (Switzerland), Alórica Panama (United States States), and EY Latam North Holding, SA (the United Kingdom and the USA), will be able to start operations soon, said a Mici statement,

According to Mici the multinational companies are related to the manufacture of medicinal products, beverage production and distribution, electricity generation, call center services, and audits and tax services.”

Source: MENA FN

Why You Should Open a Panama Bank Account.

Considering moving to Panama or doing business in Panama? Where and how you bank is something you need to think about, and with priority.

If you are relocating to Panama, either as an expat, retiree, or investor, chances are you have a bank account from your home country, or the country where you do your business in. Many of these banks are international, and thanks to the nature of digital banking in the 21st-Century, business can be done from anywhere without actually changing your bank account or moving it to another financial jurisdiction. There are, however, a few catches.

Source: POLS Blog

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Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.

How the coronavirus will impact Panama’s economy.

As of March 17, 2020, Panama had more cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) than any other country in Central America, with eighty-six confirmed cases. Panama has implemented nationwide policies to combat the spread of the virus and signed a regional agreement to address the pandemic with members of the Central American Integration System (Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana—SICA).

President Laurentino “Nito” Cortizo has prioritized citizens’ health over the country’s economy, which in the third quarter of 2019 plunged to a near-decade low.

With Fitch Ratings downgrading Panama’s rating on March 2020 from stable to negative, and the country still unable to improve its international reputation for transparency—Panama is still listed in the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) money laundering watchlist—the coronavirus is likely to have severe effects on the Panamanian economy.

Source: Atlantic Council

Panama to suspend all international flights from Sunday night.

Panama will for 30 days suspend all international passenger flights from 11:59 p.m. on Sunday to contain the spread of coronavirus, President Laurentino Cortizo said on Thursday.

Writing on Twitter, Cortizo said cargo flights, humanitarian flights and domestic flights would continue operating as normal for the time being.

Source: WKZO

Panama Tribal Gathering festival locked down.

People attending a festival in Panama have been put on lockdown after the country declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus, organisers say.

he Tribal Gathering festival said officials had taken the “extraordinary step” of ordering all guests at the site to remain there until 23 March.

One attendee said some 300 people were there.

The organisers said there were no confirmed or suspected cases of the virus among the guests.

Panama, which appears to be the hardest-hit country in Central America, has confirmed 69 cases and one death. It has closed its borders to foreigners and non-residents, and ordered non-essential shops to close, amid other restrictions.

Source: BBC News

What you need to know before buying or renting property in Panama.

If you’re looking to buy or rent properties in Panama, there are many options to suit any taste or any budget. There are great deals to be had, fantastic areas to live in, and many diverse choices that can fit your need specifically.

Just like anywhere else, you need to do a good amount of research and personal introspection before you make your decision when it comes to Real Estate. After all, you’re buying or renting in a foreign country, and you should know the rules before you start.

Source: POLS Blog

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