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3-year-old killed in gangland assassination
Posted 23/06/2021
A 19-year-old man and a 3-year-old girl were shot and killed in El Chorrillo on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 22. Gang members stole a vehicle and drove to 13th Street in pursuit of their target- In the midst of the shooting, a group of minors who were playing in the street was hit by bullets, resulting in several injuries and the death of the little girl. The killers fled in a taxi with other gang members, witnesses revealed
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/3-year-old-killed-in-gangland-assassination
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Appeals Court asked to sanction Martinelli defense lawyer
Posted 23/06/2021
Attorney Carlos Herrera Moran, legal representative of Mauro Zúñiga (victim of illegal wiretapping) will ask the Superior Court of Appeals to sanction Martinelli defense lawyer Alma Cortés since two guarantees judges and the appeals court itself have ruled on the request for the prescription of the criminal action and in both cases, the defense argument has been dismissed.
This follows the filing in the Superior Court by, Cortés of an appeal against the decision of the guarantee judge María José Urbina to deny the prescription of the criminal action in the illegal wiretapping case.
Sources from the Public Ministry confirmed that the Judicial Office of the First Judicial District established that the hearing to settle this claim will be next Monday, June 28, at 8:30 a.m.
At said hearing, the defense Alma Cortés, who was admonished by the judge at the previous hearing must support the appeal.
The trial for this case will resume on July 5, while forensic examinations are carried out and the medical disability of Martinelli is reviewed, who allegedly underwent back surgery, on June 20.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/appeals-court-asked-to-sanction-martinelli-defense-lawyer
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OPINION: Dodging The Bullet
Another photo-op for Martinelli
Posted 23/06/2021
YESTERDAY in the trial of the punctures, there were no surprises, but, yes, a lot of cheek. Neither former President Ricardo Martinelli nor his lawyer Alma Cortés appeared at the hearing and, instead, sent excuses: the first, convalescence in a hospital after spinal surgery, and the second, an urgent appointment at the dentist for a cavity. And there were no surprises because we have been watching for weeks how the former president left the dance and the party to show on social networks alleged illnesses that would lead him to a hospital bed instead of to the dock. It was a stage prepared so that, precisely, there would be no surprises when the curtain opened. The court has done well to appoint a public defender for him if he does not appear within two weeks. But the former president's spokesman replied that Martinelli will be in recovery for six months and after that he will go to therapy. The excuses of all of them reveal with absolute clarity the deep contempt they feel and openly manifest for justice and the victims of the punctures. Here is one of the favorite dodges of the former president: is it that these evasions do not violate the due process of the victims? LA PRENSA, Jun.23
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-dodging-the-bullet
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Zero Hour for Martinelli Fantasies
Posted 22/06/2021
Zero hour has come for the second puncture [wiretap]trial. It is supposed to start today, but with the star defendant, anything can happen, since if his lawyers do something right, it is to try to delay the holding of the hearing with legal resources.
Curiously, those whom the accused pointed out as those responsible for being prosecuted, are no longer on stage, so he has sought new protagonists to replace them in his absurd fantasies, which he later disseminates on his social media and media accounts. The truth is that, having the means to clarify his entire situation, what he wants is to prevent the trial from being carried out at any cost.
He has a whole team of lawyers doing their best to block a trial in which he could clear his name, especially, because he wants Panamanians to give him a vote of confidence again to lead the country from the Presidency of the Republic.
But, under the current circumstances, it is not enough for him to claim his innocence. The trial should clear all doubts about his alleged participation in the spying of the private communications of dozens of Panamanians and foreigners. Otherwise, the doubts will simply persist. LA PRENSA, Jun. 22
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/zero-hour-for-martinelli-fantasies
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“Buck stops here” for Martinelli as appeals denied
Posted 22/06/2021
Former president Ricardo Martinelli suffered two new judicial setbacks clearing the way was cleared for the new oral trial in the illegal wiretapping case.
The Court of Appeals of the First Judicial District denied him a writ of habeas corpus and the appeal that presented his defense against that decision.
With habeas corpus, Martinelli - through lawyer Jamis Acosta - attacked the decision of the guarantee judge María José Urbina not to declare the criminal action prescribed.
Acosta alleged that the trial against his client is "violative", that the "complaint has the continuing interest" of seeing the former president imprisoned, that he has the "Public Ministry against him", and that the judge, not knowing the merits of the prescription request, left him defenseless.
However, justices Giovanina Antinori, Greta Marchosky de Turner and Carlos Rivas Alarcón concluded - in a ruling of June 20 - that in this case the figure of habeas corpus does not apply, since it, in accordance with the Constitution and the law, has restorative, preventive or corrective purposes, that is to say "to demonstrate that there is a certain threat against the fundamental right of liberty ...".
However, Martinelli is not in custody nor has an arrest warrant been issued against him.
Meanwhile, the Superior Court concluded - in a ruling of June 21 - that the appeal is not admissible, “since, in accordance with the provisions of Article 2608 of the Judicial Code, there is only room for appeal in suspensive effect , in the case in which an arrest is declared admissible [...] which has not happened ”in this case.
Judge Urbina denied the statute of limitations request on June 18, as she considered that it had been widely debated by other courts and considered that the appeal was a delaying tactic that, as a judge, she should avoid.
David Cuevas, a lawyer for Rosendo Rivera - one of the plaintiffs in the process - stressed that in recent months the defense of the former governor has used "all kinds" of inappropriate resources to stop the hearing, but this has not been possible.
"The worst that can happen tomorrow (today) is that he - the former president Ricardo Martinelli - or one of his lawyers presents a medical disability and automatically, by law, the Court must set a new date within the next 10 days", He said.
In this scenario, the complainants and the Public Ministry reported that they coordinated with the authorities of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (Imelcf) in the event that a review of the ex-president's state of health is necessary for him to appear at the hearing.
The Oral Trial Court will be made up of judges Iveth Francois, Jennifer Saavedra and Marysol Osorio.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/buck-stops-here-for-martinelli-as-appeals-denied
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Martinelli plays health card, trial moved to Nov. 5
Posted 22/06/2021
The trial of former president Ricardo Martinelli, scheduled for June 22 was postponed to July 5, while forensic examinations are carried out to verify his state of health after spinal surgery on Sunday.
Also the trial court - made up of judges Ibeth Francois, Jennifer Saavedra, and Marisol Osorio - assigned a public defender to Martinelli, who will represent him in the event that neither he nor his lawyers appear on July 5.
The trial was due to begin on Tuesday, 22, but neither Martinelli nor his lawyers attended, and instead sent certificates of medical incapacity, which will also be verified by the staff of the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (Imelcf).
The night before it was learned that the ex-president is hospitalized, convalescing from a "major surgery" on the spine.
The former president is at the Pacifica Salud Hospital, in Punta Pacifica, where on Sunday he underwent a spinal operation by neurosurgeon Waltter Kravcio .
According to Martinelli's spokesman, Luis Eduardo Camacho, the former president will be "in recovery" for six months and then he will have to do therapy.
The circus
“Now begins a new ordeal for Mr. Martinelli. Now he is going to have a procession of diseases, health problems, body aches ... So this will depend on the Court ... Indeed, it has all the mechanisms to prevent this from being a circus again, as in the previous hearing. For that, legal and technological instruments are available, so that Mr. Martinelli, at rest, can see the hearing and be aware of everything that is happening, ”said Mitchell Doens, plaintiff victim.
It is not the first time that Martinelli has appealed to his medical condition reports La Prensa . In the intermediate phase, he alleged several ailments: hypertension, hernias, myopia, glaucoma, anxiety ... On one occasion, the then magistrate Jerónimo Mejía , acting as judge of guarantees, visited him at the Santo Tomás Hospital, with a group of forensics, to verify that, in effect, he was prevented from appearing. It was then determined that his condition was stable and that he could appear. Mejía, had declared him "in absentia" in December 2015 because he was absent from the process, which is why his capture and extradition from the United States was arranged, which finally happened on June 12, 2018.
Balbina Herrera, also a complainant victim, indicated that the important thing is that the trial formally begins, although it must later be suspended so that the forensics examine the accused in the hospital.
"Let public opinion know L that the same hospital where he is now is where Mr. Cucalón was," Herrera warned, referring to the former General Director of Revenue, Luis Cucalón, who was admitted to the Punta Pacifica hospital on September 7 2015 to September 4, 2017, in order to evade the process in which he was convicted of embezzlement and corruption of officials.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinelli-plays-health-card-trial-moved-to-nov-5
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Panama hosts regional security conference
Minister of Security Juan Pino
Posted 21/06/2021
Representatives from 10 countries will participate for two days in the Central American Security Conference, hosted this year in Panama, and will be focused on joint assistance and collaboration in the face of natural disasters, humanitarian assistance programs, irregular migration, and applied experiences. by security forces during the Covid-19 pandemic, reports the Ministry of Public Security.
Delegations from the public security agencies of the United States, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Mexico, and Panama will hold meetings with experts from the Center for Prevention and Natural Disasters of Central America, who will also have the opportunity to share experiences with representatives of security organizations from Canada, France, and the United Kingdom, who will participate in the event virtually, said the Ministry.
The conference, organized by the Ministry of Public Security and the United States Embassy, will be held on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 June.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/world/panama-hosts-regional-security-conference
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Doctor in court for new Martinelli trial
Posted 21/06/2021
The start of the new trial of former President Ricardo Martinelli for the case known in Panama as the “punctures" (wiretaps) is scheduled for Tuesday, June 22. Martinelli has everything through his lawyers to prevent the trial from taking place and has presented two new constitutional guarantees before the First Court of Justice.
In case he tries to use the health card as he has done frequently in the past, the prosecution has trumped the move in advance and will have a forensic doctor in court on standby reports Mi Diario.
The plaintiffs' lawyers have indicated that the action does not stop the trial scheduled for 9:00 am in the First Court of Justice. Balbina Herrera, one of five plaintiffs, said on TVN Noticias that the case has not expired because there have been various processes that have suspended the terms. Martinelli will be tried for the alleged crimes of inviolability of secrecy and the right to privacy
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/doctor-in-court-for-new-martinelli-trial
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Three arrests in food bags scandal
Over 500 food bags and frozen food found in residence
Posted 21/06/2021
The Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office has ordered the arrest of three officials for the alleged commission of a crime against the Public Administration, in the "Panama Solidario food bags” investigation.
More than 500 bags from the Panama Solidario program were located inside a private residence in the San Francisco district a week ago.
The Public Ministry, through the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, initiated an investigation
Last week it was reported that Julio Caballero, a former official of the Ministry of Public Works and member of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), was surprised with a large quantity of food bags from the Panama Solidario Program inside his residence in San Francisco, was apprehended on Wednesday, June 16.
He was released after completing the 48-hour term in which he had to remain at the orders of the Public Ministry to be brought before a judge of guarantees.
The hearing against Caballero was not held within 48 hours, as the Public Ministry was conducting proceedings and the information was not obtained in time from the authorities reports TVN.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/three-arrests-in-food-bags-scandal
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The failure of youth protection
Protestors against child abuse at government supervized shelters
Posted 21/06/2021
The national government has outstanding debts with the youth of this country. Young people lack an education in line with the new century - an aspiration so old that the years without fulfilling it are counted in decades - and which is the worst of all the inheritances that the youth can receive from our politicians. It seems that, deliberately, they aspire to let ignorance reign, rather than a prepared population. In health, there is no progress for our young people, and less in personal safety. The scandals of the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents, and the Family (Senniaf) attest to the little importance that the rulers give to the youth. And now we see with great pain, how the security forces - without exception - fail to provide protection. The Security Council, the National Police and other intelligence entities have failed to provide citizen security. That is why hundreds of young people are recruited by gangs and gangs, and in other cases, we see children and young people fall victim to the crossfire in clashes between these criminal groups. All this screams in our faces the disdain with which the future of our country is treated. It really is a shame! LA PRENSA, Jun. 21.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/the-failure-of-youth-protection
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Murder of young actor highlights Panama’s grim homicide toll
Posted 21/06/2021
The murder of 14-year-old Fernando Xavier de Casta, the star of the film Plaza Catedral, due to premiere next year highlights, the homicide toll on young people in Panama.
Data from the Public Ministry (MP) confirm that most of the victims of the more than 2,000 homicides in the last five years are young people in sectors such as Panama, Colón, and Panama Oeste.
Many have been executed with firearms. Statistics detail that from 2016 to this year, 2,470 citizens have been murdered, 1,523 of the victims between the ages of 18 and 39.
In 2016 there were 416 homicides nationwide, of that total 235 were in Panama, 54 in the province of Colón, and 38 in the province of Panama Oeste.
But, homicide numbers have been on the rise. In 2020, 500 people were murdered, with Panama the province with the most cases, (246) including the district of San Miguelito, where there were 70 homicides that year. In Colón there were 99 homicides and in Panama Oeste 93
In 2020, the country was mired in the Covid-19 pandemic, with mobility restrictions applied since March. But in July of that year, Panama was shaken by the news that seven young men had been killed in a bunker near Gatun Lake, in Espinar, Colón.
In 2020, the body of 21-year-old Enrique Ryce, a resident of, Arraiján, was found in three garbage bags on the road leading to Punta Chame.
While of the 223 homicides to date this year, the homicide of 16-year-old Kevin Campos is remembered, who had been missing since April 8 and whose body was found burned in a vacant lot in the Ciudad Esperanza sector
Security authorities have said that some of the cases are linked to account settlements. Last April, the Minister of Security, Juan Manuel Pino, referred to Colón as one of the three provinces with the most homicides in the country. He said that 80% of the victims who die from homicides in Colón had criminal records.
“They are all the product of gang and drug fights, where criminals kill each other. This is logically not good for Colón, ”said Pino during a visit to the village of Gorgona, district of Chame
The former Minister of Security, Rodolfo Aguilera, argues that the increase in homicides is explained by the absence of a clear policy to confront crime.
Carlos Lee, from the Citizen Alliance for Justice, agrees. In his opinion, what the country needs is a comprehensive citizen security plan, which, incorporates citizens. The security policy of President Cortizo is unknown.
In January 2020, when homicide figures soared in the country, the president in his report to the nation recognized that security requires a state policy that goes beyond government. He spoke about prevention, repression, re-socialization, and increasing the number of police officers.
In the country, there are at least 19 institutions offering programs and projects, aimed at the young population, between 15 and 29 years old.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/murder-of-young-actor-highlights-panamas-grim-homicide-toll
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Panamanian Pineapple is Being Sold in Israel
After HBM Global Trading Corp exported the first shipment of MD2 pineapple, the fruit began to be sold in Israeli supermarkets.
Friday, June 18, 2021
Prilatinode is the brand name of the exported pineapple, which was packed in 300 gram packages and arrived in Israeli markets in a shipment of 525 boxes, being the first to be exported under the Israel-Panama Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The trade agreement between the two countries came into effect on November 1, 2019.
Through a statement from the Panamanian embassy in Israel, it was reported that HBM Global Trading Corp, a member of the Panamanian Exporters Association (APEX), has been the first to use the FTA and take it to make its way with pineapple, Ananas as it is known in Hebrew, to the Israeli market.
Laestrella.com.pa reports that "... it was learned that the Israeli importer Sasson & Associates, part of the Tnuva group, one of the largest food companies in Israel, will have HBM Global as an important local strategic partner. The company says it is 'projected to bring some 100 containers of pineapple annually to Israel for some 2,000 outlets'."
The article adds that "... it was announced that they are in communication with the supermarket network and the exporter to devise mechanisms to promote the Panamanian pineapple among Israeli consumers. The incorporation of pineapple recipes, in Hebrew language, is among the market strategies to be applied."https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Panamanian_Pineapple_is_Being_Sold_in_Israel
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The June 17th Community Chat was recorded. Here is the video of that presentation.
There was an important announcement in this presentation of a new VSO facility to be opened in Boquete in the near future.
Contact Information
- JR Pazo: vso.chiriqui.2008@gmail.com or telephone 775-7042
- Panama Veterans Commission website: http://vsooverseas.com/
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Panama: Corporate Credit Decreases 16%
Between April 2020 and the same month of 2021, corporate credit to the local sector decreased 16% from $26,628 million to $22,386 million.
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
According to the report "Informe de Actividad Bancaria - Abril 2021", prepared by the Superintendence of Banks of Panama, consumer credit showed a 0.9% increase driven by mortgage credit.
The total non-performing loans rate of the International Banking Center (+30 days), stood at 3.6% in March 2021. As for the portion of the portfolio with arrears between 30 - 90 days, the indicator maintains a level of 1.7%, while loans in non-performing condition (arrears greater than 90 days), the indicator is 1.9%, highlights the official document.
See "What Financial Services Do Consumers Demand?"
The figures reported for April regarding the delinquency rate are supported by the relief measures dictated by the regulation, where there is a sort of freeze in the delinquency percentage, which is possibly not being computed. The low economic activity and the high level of unemployment will undoubtedly lead to a possible deterioration of the portfolio when the moratorium expires, according to the report.
The aggregate figures detail that as of April 2021, credit to the local sector recorded a balance of $54,100.8 million, with a decrease of $1,670.8 million (-3%) compared to the end of April 2020. This decrease is due to the lower performance of credit to the private sector.https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Panama_Corporate_Credit_Decreases_16
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Supreme Court will decide future of advisors
Counselors Salcedo,Ruiz and Pardini
Posted 20/06/2021
The Supreme Court has appointed Magistrate Maribel Cornejo Batista as rapporteur in the unconstitutionality action against Executive Decree 113 of July 1, 2019, in which Carlos Augusto Salcedo, Eyra Ruiz, and José Rojas Pardini were appointed minister counselors
In the lawsuit, filed by the lawyer Ernesto Cedeño, the phrase "with the treatment of Ministers Counselors", of Article 1 of Executive Decree 113, is requested to be declared unconstitutional.
The magistrates of the Supreme Court will have to decide whether or not one of the first decisions of President, Laurentino Cortizo, adheres to the Constitution: the appointment on July 1, 2019, of three members of his closest work team: Eyra Ruiz, Carlos Salcedo, and José Rojas Pardini.
After his inauguration signed executive decrees 112 and 113. In the first, he appointed ministers with traditional portfolios, and in the second, he appointed Ruiz, Salcedo, and Rojas as "presidential advisers with the treatment of ministers advisers.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/supreme-court-will-decide-future-of-advisors
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OPINION :"Advisors” making decisions
Health Ministry Counselor Eyra Ruiz
Posted 20/06/2021
The figure of the "minister counselor" does not exist in our governmental system. It is a charge invented in various administrations. The position of adviser does exist, so it was never necessary to distinguish any person as a “minister counselor”. However, the current President of the Republic has given his counseling ministers functions reserved for officials that already exist and who are the ones who have to face the Assembly, for example, when they attend for any reason. For this reason, and with good sense, the Supreme Court of Justice has processed a lawsuit of unconstitutionality against such appointments, as it is not part of our laws. If the president desires the advice of experts, he can obtain it from suitable persons who are assigned emoluments to fulfill that function. But what their current “advisory ministers” do goes far beyond advising. They make decisions and even carry out functions for which they are not authorized by law. Their work in the Executive is equivalent, in the Judicial Branch, to making formal legal decisions without any legitimacy, since they lack the official position to do so. It is time to put a stop to these inventions. LA PRENSA, Jun. 20
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-advisors-making-decisions-1
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Questions when judges seek re-election
Posted 19/06/2021
Anyone who meets the requirements of the Constitution to be a deputy or magistrate has the right to stand for election or selection. But that does not mean that that must be all that is necessary to receive such a privilege. In the case of the deputies, it has been proven that it is a position that should not be reelected, because, in their efforts to remain in office, they change the electoral division of the country, seek to do works to gain sympathy, manipulate the budget of the State, etc., while their duties are relegated to the background. In the case of the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice, their selection should be meticulous, strictly attached to merit, ethics and an impeccable track record. But there have been many times that these appointments respond to the payment of favors or vice versa, to benefit a partner or simply, the position is reserved for lawyers without reputation, experience or scruples for the sale of their judgments. The Executive is preparing to appoint - along with the National Assembly, where ethics and morals went for an eternal walk - the next magistrates. We hope that impeccable legal professionals will be chosen and not those who meet only the minimum requirements of being Panamanian, a lawyer and over 35 years of age. LA PRENSA, Jun. 17.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/questions-when-judges-seek-re-election
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Panama child actor gunned down
Ilsa Salas. Aber Benaim and the murdered actor during the film shoot
Posted 19/06/2021
The 14-year- old child actor Fernando Xavier de Casta, who played a leading role in the upcoming film Plaza Catedral, was gunned down in Torrijos Carter on Thursday and his lifeless body left on the street beside a taxi.
The film's producer, Panamanian filmmaker Abner Benaim, and Mexican actress Ilse Salas, who starred in the film little Fernando and is known in Panama for her performance in the Netflix telenovela “One Hundred Days to Fall in Love,” lamented what happened.
“ Fernando and so many other young people die from violence in our beloved country almost daily. We have to work as a society and as individuals so that these gruesome and senseless deaths are not part of normalcy. Rest in peace Fernando. We will never forget you,” said Benaim.
Salas paid tribute to the young actor on Instagram "Fernando Xavier de Casta. He was an outstanding dancer, soccer player, and actor. Brilliant and funny, very bright and very funny. He taught me NOT to act, to dance, and to understand Panamanian. And to understand many more things. He is the protagonist of 'Plaza Catedral', a film that he did not see, of which he would have been very proud because his work is precious. A tremendous colleague, very hard, "he wrote."Fernando Xavier de Casta. He was an outstanding dancer, soccer player, and actor. Brilliant and funny, very bright and very funny.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-child-actor-gunned-down-1
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OPINION: Controversial choice for Assembly president
Cristiano Adames
Posted 18/06/2021
Without a doubt, the PRD has excelled. Its bench – the majority in the National Assembly - has already elected deputy Crispiano Adames as the next president of this state body, so the vote in the plenary session will only be a formality. With Adames there will be, as second vice president, a member of Molirena, a party that is not only part of the government alliance, but also of embarrassing recent scandals.
Adames, who has not made it clear whether or not he has a visa to travel to the United States since it is not clear when he talks about it, would come to that presidency with the dubious credential of having supported and promote - against all union, professional, student and in general - a bill that sought to reduce the requirements to certify medical students, claiming that "an exam is not one that measures anyone's training." Adames has also starred in shameful incidents with his colleagues on the bench, even accusing one of them of being "a person delivered to civil society", as if being a citizen were a crime. This man - of an irate and intolerant character - is the one who will occupy the presidency of the Assembly. Nothing good about his credentials and pedigree. LA PRENSA, Jun. 18
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-controversial-choice-for-assembly-president
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Judge rejects Martinelli “delaying tactic” rebukes defense
Posted 18/06/2021
Once again, a guarantee judge rejected a request from the defense of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli, this time the official denied it outright as inadmissible, described it as a delaying tactic, and also called attention to the defenders.
The ruling came on Friday, June 18, during a hearing on the violation of rights requested by Alma Cortés, Martinelli's defender.
This would not be the first time that a statute of limitations has been alleged, this type of request has been made at least four times and all have been rejected.
Martinelli's lawyers will file an Amparo, but the start date of the trial remains for June 22.
The plaintiff lawyers also described this appeal by Martinelli's defense as a delaying strategy for the trial, considering that it should be sanctioned.
The plaintiff attorney Carlos Herrera Delegado indicated that the plenary session of the Supreme Court of Justice would not have the capacity to review anything in this case, except that it is a protection of guarantees. "But from now on I tell you, there is nothing that makes it impossible to start the trial."
On May 28, Judge Elkis Martínez rejected for the second time the request for the prescription of the criminal action requested by Martinelli's defense in relation to the puncture case, explaining that the time had not yet reached its end, however, the decision was appealed by the defense. On June 4, the Superior Court of Appeals rejected that appeal.
On November 20, the Court of Appeals annulled the "not guilty" ruling against former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014). From now on, the ex-president will have to face a second trial for the "punctures" case.
Martinelli was declared "not guilty" of the crimes of interception of telecommunications without judicial authorization (4 years in prison), monitoring and surveillance without judicial authorization (4 years), embezzlement for theft (10 years) and embezzlement of use (3 years).
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/judge-rejects-martinelli-delaying-tactic-rebukes-defense
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First death this year from hantavirus
Rodents carry the virus
Posted 18/06/2021
The first death this year from hantavirus was a man, from the district of Aguadulce, Coclé reports The Ministry of Health (Minsa So far in 2021, there have been 11 cases of hantavirus in Panama.
According to the Department of Epidemiology of the Minsa, the regions that have been affected by the hantavirus are the district of Tonosí, province of Los Santos (3 cases); a case in Parita, Herrera province; and a case in Chepo, Panama East region.
Hantavirus is a serious acute viral disease. Cases of infection in humans generally occur in rural areas, where rodents harboring the virus can be found, but transmission in urban areas is also possible.
Infected people may experience headaches, dizziness, chills, fever, and myalgia.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/first-death-this-year-from-hantavirus
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Panamanian Congressman, Gabriel Silva, had comments on El Salvador's move to adopt Bitcoin as a currency today on Twitter and called for Panama to do the same.
Silva said that Panama cannot be left behind and that the country must support cryptocurrency to be a hub of technology and entrepreneurship.
"This is important. And Panama cannot be left behind. If we want to be a true technology and entrepreneurship hub, we have to support cryptocurrencies We will be preparing a proposal to present at the Assembly. If you are interested in building it, you can contact me."
Silva's comments were in direct response to a tweet from El Salvador's President, who is now pushing a bill through the country's congress to make Bitcoin legal tender.
Silva marks the next Latin American politician to join the trend of adoption in the region, following the President of El Salvador and a Congressman from Paraguay.
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Vehicles: Sales in Panama Up 20%
Between the first four-month period of 2020 and the same period of 2021, vehicle sales in the local market increased by 20%, a rise that is largely explained by the behavior of marketed units of cars and SUVs.
Thursday, June 17, 2021
The Office of the General Comptroller of the Republic reported that between April 2020 and the same month of 2021, the number of new units registered in the country increased 2,634%, going from 117 to 3,199. This abnormal variation is a consequence of the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
See "Vehicles: Sales Potential by Brand"
From January to April 2021, sales of regular car-type vehicles reported a 9% rise compared to the same period in 2020, going from 3,291 to 3,578 units, and sales of SUVs recorded a 34% increase, rising from 3,355 to 4,479 units.
You may be interested in "Vehicles: Prices, Trends and Potential Market"
For their part, trucks also recorded an increase for the months in question by rising from 217 to 280 units, representing a 29% increase.
See statistics from the Comptroller's Office.https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Vehicles_Sales_in_Panama_Up_20
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Dairy: Regional Trade Up 7% in 2020
During last year, trade in milk and dairy products between Central American countries totaled $355 million, 7% more than what was recorded in 2019.
Thursday, June 17, 2021
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData.
Nicaragua, Main Exporter
During 2020, the main exporter of milk and dairy products to Central American countries continued to be Nicaragua, with $158 million, followed by Costa Rica, with $120 million, El Salvador, with $40 million, Honduras, with $27 million, Panama with $10 million and Guatemala, with $900 thousand.
Intraregional Trade Behavior
Between 2019 and 2020, trade in milk and dairy products between Central American countries recorded a 7% increase, rising from $332 million to $355 million.
In the case of volume traded, a 1% increase was reported for the periods in question, from 172,103 tons to 174,171 tons.
Main Intraregional Buyer
Last year, El Salvador was the main buyer of the other Central American countries, importing $166 million, of which $124 million was purchased from Nicaragua, $23 million from Costa Rica and another $18 million from Honduras.
Guatemala was the second largest importer, buying $123 million in milk and dairy products from the other Central American countries, of which $58 million was imported from Costa Rica, $31 million from El Salvador, $25 million from Nicaragua and $9 million from Honduras.https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Dairy_Regional_Trade_Up_7_in_2020
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