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About this blog

Current events and items of interest in Chiriqui and Panama

Entries in this blog

Public Ministry Charges 43 Individuals in the Odebrecht Case

Public Ministry Charges 43 Individuals in the Odebrecht Case Officials at the Public Ministry have been under terrific pressure from civic groups and the press to move ahead with justice in this case.  It must have taken thousands of work hours by prosecutors and forensic accountants to put these charges together. The Brazilian mega constructor is still working for Panama on projects including the Tocumen Airport expansion and the massive Colon redevelopment scheme. Odebrecht has

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

Nothing to Report ?

It seems like it's been a long time since we've seen any public updates from either of the entities handling emergency incident reports, specifically Alto Al Crimen and Rodny Direct. Any statistics on the number and nature of calls received and the type of response that was required? Is the incidence of local criminal activity up or down, etc.?

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

48 New Ambulances for CSS

Bids from 20 businesses will be opened this morning and the contract will be awarded for the purchase of 48 new Ambulances for the Caja de Seguro Social or CSS.  Some of these ambulances will be equipped with 4WD. The supplier is required to provide maintenance for the vehicles and their specialized equipment. The reference price is $6.2 million. Previous administrations of the CSS leased ambulances. http://laestrella.com.pa/panama/nacional/sera-licitacion-para-adquirir-48-am

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

No Community Service Sentencing for Sex Offenders

Our local Deputy in the National Assembly, H.D. Athenas Athanadasias, is proposing legislation which will make jail time mandatory for sexual offenders and perpetrators of child abuse. There is action on this topic because a man convicted of molesting a 10-yera old in Santa Fe, Veraguas was set to be released recently to do community service instead of his prison sentence. That situation was reversed on appeal.  

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

Shakedown near Gualaca

Expect the Unexpected When Police were called away and left behind some traffic cones on the highway to Bocas near Chiriquicito, a couple of guys went into business for themselves. They set up a roadblock and were shaking down motorists while wearing vests from the D.I.J. They were  later arrested and found to be members of the 'Kilamanjaro' gang. Two firearms were recovered. https://www.tvn-2.com/nacionales/Detectan-falso-reten-Chiriqui-detenidos_0_4809269055.html

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

Panama to Host Regional Maritime Safety Training Centre

Panama to Host Regional Maritime Safety Training Centre Panama will host a regional center for training in maritime safety, designed with the support of the UN and seeks to instruct for the realization of "risk profiles of the containers that may pose a threat in the field of drug trafficking and fraud", among other crimes. The center, which could be ready in the first few months of 2018, "is the result of the close collaboration that has kept the International Maritime University

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

The Panama 'Atomic' Canal Proposal of 1962

In 1962, during the JFK administration, the U.S. explored the possibility of widening the Panama Canal by exploding atomic devices. A program called Project Plowshare was looking for peacetime uses of nuclear power. National Security Action Memorandum No. 152 (dated April 30, 1962, subject: Panama Canal Policy and Relations with Panama) signed by President Kennedy is still in effect. In particular, this memo states that, "The Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, will establish within the Plo

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

"In Panama" by Vincent Urban

"In Panama" is a very fast moving video with some beautiful camera and editing work, imo. About the Director Vincent Urban is a director / dp / editor who has been to almost every corner on Earth. He and his friends ship their Land Rover to some place on this planet every year to make visually arresting, fast paced films about the beauty of the world’s cultures. Over the past 6 years he has pumped out 9 vimeo staff picks chronicling his travels in Asia, Africa, as well as the Amer

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

Prosecutors Appeal Light Sentences to Gang Members

Recently I have noticed that prosecutors from the Ministerio Publico in Chiriqui have been appealing the length of prison sentences bestowed upon gang members, as in this case. At the request of the Anti-gang Superior Court Prosecutor, Third Judicial District Overturns Sentencing Ruling The Superior Court of the Judicial District of the province of Chiriqui, reformed a sentence for the crime of gang activity that had not been applied to several people in the gang "Niño Divino", then th

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

Hilton to Open Hampton Inn & Suites in Central David

Hilton to Open Hampton Inn & Suites in Central David The international hotel chain Hilton announced that together with the company Hotel Chiricanas Investments, S.A. will open a new Hampton by Hilton hotel in the city of David, Province of Chiriqui. The project will be developed by the Chagres Real Estate Capital and the TASH architecture workshop. Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2019, this new hotel of 120 rooms is located in the main shopping area of the province o

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

Family Values in Panama City

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people were marching in Panama City today in support of family values, which I suppose means 'just say no to sexual education and gay marriage'.  

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

National Theatre Restoration

The beautiful old National Theatre in Panama City is being restored at a cost of $11.8 million.  Slated to re-open in December 2018, in time for the 500th Anniversary of Panama in 2019, it's been closed since 2015 for safety reasons.

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

Report Concludes Panama Needs More Skilled Labour

Report Concludes Panama Requires More Skilled Labour 12 Jul 2017 Catherine Perea 03.38pm A progress report on the 'Evolution, Situation and Prospects of Employment in Panama' concluded that the Panamanian economy generated 104,156 jobs between August 2014 and March 2017 and will continue to generate jobs, requiring more trained Panamanian human resource personnel. The Ministry of Labor and Social Development, MITRADEL, said that 39,230 people entered the labor market between March

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

Takin' Care of Business

During the last week, four expat fellows passed on in the community whom I didn't know personally. Bruce, Scott,  Bill, Allan. RIP A good personal reminder to be making sure I leave things in good order.  

Keith Woolford

Keith Woolford

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