Bonnie

I thought I felt a couple of vibrations, or very mild tremors, yesterday. I wrote it off to nearby equipment of some kind, even though it was unusual.

Apparently, the storm was concentrated in the City as it had little to no effect on Copa flights. A Boquete friend flew from David to PTY in mid to late afternoon without incident.

You’re right. This is the best looking pizza I’ve seen in Boquete. I’m going soon.

It looks like this guy has struck all over town.

Sorry. I can't seem to get the pics to transfer from Messenger.

Yep. It’ll be coming down. A friend sent me these photos of a man engaged in very similar activity for the past three years in (at least) Volcancito and Jaramillo, asking to come in and use the bathroom. I think it’s him even though the pics are far from crystal clear.

I agree. I don’t know what to make of it.

I don’t know how he could have known the door was unlocked. And if he saw my housekeeper sweeping the porch and then going inside, he would have known I was not alone. Palo Alto is a relatively small community, and my housekeeper has lived here her entire life. It seems she would have known him if he were from around here. But who knows?

It happened shortly before noon.

I was robbed today in my home of all the money in my wallet while both I and my housekeeper were here. It's a long story, and a little frightening because the maleante was a big man, but I'm writing this to alert everyone and to pass along a few tips. My gate was open, and my front door was unlocked. The gate often is open during the day, but no more. I keep the front door locked, but my housekeeper had just come inside after sweeping the front porch and didn't lock the door behind her. I confess that I'm sometimes guilty of this too. Thankfully, no one was hurt; and I still have my cedula and credit cards. My housekeeper called the police, and two armed officers in camouflage arrived in less than ten minutes. They were very professional and very polite and took all the necessary information. They stuck around awhile because the two of us were pretty shaken and ultimately gave us a long but gentle lecture about the importance of keeping all doors and all gates locked at all times. They reminded us how lucky we were not to have been hurt once the robber realized he was not alone. They told me I could file a denuncia. I said, "Por que?" and one replied "Exactamente." I appreciated the candor. We all agreed that it was a lesson learned. They patrolled the neighborhood and came back to let me know that they would be keeping an eye on things for a while. This kind of law enforcement response was reassuring.

I’m enrolled, and I receive all Embassy messages. (I actually receive all messages twice because they come to me as ACL.). This is an automatically generated email program. And, as an ACL, I can testify that having emergency information on file with the Embassy can be vital in the event of an emergency. This is standard, long-standing stuff and largely independent of other Embassy functions subject to change.

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) What is STEP? The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service that allows U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad to enroll with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Benefits of enrolling in STEP: Receive the latest safety and security information for your destination country, helping you make informed decisions about your travel plans. Help the U.S. Embassy contact you in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency. Help family and friends get in touch with you in an emergency. Stay Informed. When you enroll in STEP, you will automatically receive the most current information we have about your destination country, including: Security and Emergency Message updates from the U.S. Embassy Travel Advisories Just sign up once, and then add trips later for all your future travel plans! Stay Connected. Enrolling in STEP will help the U.S. Embassy to contact you and provide assistance to you in an emergency. The information you provide in STEP will make it easier for consular officers at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to contact you and your loved ones during an emergency — including situations where your family or friends in the U.S. are having difficulty contacting you with important news. Stay Safe. We believe that a well-informed traveler is a safer traveler. Our consular officers around the world compile country information, Travel Advisories, fact sheets and emergency messages to provide you with timely and accurate information about every country where you may travel. We include reports on risks and security threats so that you can make informed decisions about your travel plans and activities. Stay informed by connecting with us via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so you can have safe and enjoyable travels! Enroll Here [In the event that the link does not work for you, the URL is https.//step.state.gov/step] Your Privacy Is Paramount All the personal information you provide to us is protected under the Privacy Act of 1974. This law prohibits us from sharing the information with anyone without your written authorization. Certain exceptions exist, such as when we need to share information on a limited basis in order to protect your safety and welfare in an emergency.

Rodny reports there was a lightning strike in David so it’s widespread.

I doubt it's a pre-event event because then contestants would have to make their chili twice. I believe what it means is that judging this year will be by professional chefs rather than popular vote, which some have complained was largely a popularity-of-the-cook contest and/or that cooks would recruit friends and family purely for the purpose of voting for them. I think I am safe in saying that the event will be held on September 2 (it's on the CL calendar), that everyone will be invited (they always have been because this is a fundraiser), and that there will be an entrance fee to sample all the chilis (again, because this is a fundraiser). I'm sure there will be follow up by AdA directed toward the general public.

Note that the title is "Chili Challenge--Submit Your Chili!"

I read it as a preliminary announcement for the purpose of recruiting chili chefs.

Information would be more widely available if the business would advertise. Many small Panamanian businesses don't, and a frequent result is their demise.

The outsourcing of Social Security issues to Costa Rica took place well before any funds or personnel were restored. And it remains in Costa Rica for reasons unknown to me. My best guess--and it's only a guess because officials at the Embassy are not forthcoming about this--is that anything that was restored went to diplomacy, business and trade relations, drug interdiction, etc. rather than to citizen services for reasons stated above. I agree with others, however, that Panama ACS should be able to respond to phone calls more than four hours a week, particularly since they no longer handle Social Security issues. I find it very hard to believe that the Citizens Services unit is that busy.

I don't know, but I feel sure there were more than now because the purge of employees didn't begin until late 2016-early 2017. There may be hope, though: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/us/politics/mike-pompeo-lifts-hiring-freeze-state-department.html This also addresses the issue of responsibility for the personnel and budget cuts.

My job prior to retirement took me to a number of countries around the world where I worked with and through the American Embassies to consult with foreign governments. I never perceived the embassies to be bloated. On the contrary, I witnessed embassy employees doing an awfully lot with relatively few employees, many of whom were locals. It is fashionable to criticize government, but I believe that, historically, the State Department is one of the least deserving of criticism. I also note that when I took over as a warden in the spring of 2016, American Citizen Services at the U.S. embassy in Panama was a well-oiled machine. When I sought answers for expats, I got answers; and I got them promptly. I still find them to be responsive insofar as they are able within newly imposed restrictions. The articles referenced above by Two Sailors (which are only two of many), in my view, tells the true story. The State Department has been decimated, and it’s beginning to show. As Doug noted, American citizens abroad are relatively few and have little political clout, so expat services are the first to go.

There is an audio/video of the encounter that has been posted on Facebook. In the audio someone, possibly a policewoman, says something about an "estadounidense." The man himself says that he is not from Boquete.

I apologize. I misunderstood both you and Keith. I thought Keith was referring to the current bilingual ACL.

I've received a number of personal emails inquiring about what this means for U.S. citizens here who have come to rely on the Wardens for help. I believe it means just what it says. For all practical purposes, there no longer are U.S. Wardens as the term previously was understood, i.e., as representatives who aid U.S. citizens abroad with solving their problems. This responsibility has wholly reverted to the Consulate itself. The new American Citizen Liaisons (ACLs) now liaise primarily with the Consulate and minimally with expats. One warden has resigned, primarily due to potential liability fears, and many others have expressed concern. Chief among these concerns is whether U.S. expats will be able to receive timely aid, given that social security has been outsourced to Costa Rica (which I understand has been very slow to respond) and the fact that telephone contact with the U.S. Citizens Services division now is limited to four hours a week. It has been my experience, though, that the Panama office usually responds quickly to emails. As a reminder, that address is panama-acs@state.gov. By all means continue to come to me and Hank with your questions and problems. If there is public information that can address those concerns, we will provide it. And we continue to stand ready to direct you to sources that may be able to help. But please understand that we have no authority to address or investigate unique circumstances and situations.

You may not care, but the U.S. government does. An ACL must be a U.S. citizen.

From the dictionary: A·mer·i·can əˈmerəkən/ adjective adjective: American 1. relating to or characteristic of the United States or its inhabitants. "the election of a new American president" relating to or denoting the continents of America. "the American continent south of the tropic of Cancer" noun noun: American; plural noun: Americans 1. a native or citizen of the United States. a native or inhabitant of any of the countries of North, South, or Central America. 2. the English language as it is used in the United States; American English.