Maggie's List (our pet care resource listing) shown above was updated today to Issue 1.18 with the removal of Jose Espinosa as a groomer in Volcan. He has relocated outside of the Volcan area.

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New Year sees 6.5%  wage increase

Posted on December 27, 2017 in Panama

 

Juan Carlos Varela

Post Views: 202

 

Some 292,000  Panama workers will get a 6.5% pay raise on January 1  bringing the minimum wage in all provinces except Darien to $721 a month.

President Juan Carlos Varela announced the increase on Tuesday, December 26, In  Darién and the Comarcas the minimum will $563.

The increase for small businesses (from 1 to 5 workers) was 4.5%. The adjustments will apply for the years 2018 and 2019

The salary review minimum has to be done every two years.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/new-year-sees-6-5-wage-increase

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Society owes debt to anti-corruption prosecutor

Posted on December 27, 2017 in Panama

 

Carlos Bolivar Pedreschi

Post Views: 105

 

“A magistrate with a vocation and  a record of anti-corruption struggles is preferable  to more prominent lawyers but indifferent to the problem of corruption and impunity.”

The statement comes from prominent constitutional lawyer Carlos Bolívar Pedreschi who has weighed into the debate over the ratification of Ana Lucrecia Tovar de Zarak and Zuleyka Moore as magistrates of the Supreme Court.    “In the crucial hours in which the country is living, what is most urgent is a Court with proven magistrates in the fight against corruption and against impunity, “he said.

Tovar de Zarak and Moore

On December 15, President Juan Carlos Varela announced that Tovar de Zarak and Moore were chosen to replace retiring judges Oydén Ortega and Jerónimo Mejía. On  Wednesday, December 27  the citizen consultations began in the Credentials of the National Assembly Credentials Committee.

“In my opinion, both nominees meet the requirement to be linked to the fight against corruption and against impunity. This feature is more noticeable in the case of prosecutor Zuleyka Moore, to whom society owes the prosecution  and imprisonment of prominent figures in politics and the national economy linked to corruption “,

Regarding the fact that if Moore is ratified as a magistrate she would have to declare herself impeded in the cases she handled as anticorruption prosecutor,

Bolívar Pedreschi says he sees more advantages in the fact that a person of known character and rectitude is introduced to the court that in the disadvantages derived from the eventual impediments. ”

He said that as far as he is aware, “the cases of possible impediments do not pass 15% of the total of those handled by all the anti-corruption prosecutors. I definitely have no doubt that the Court and the country would win more with Moore in the Court that out of it. “

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/society-owes-debt-anti-corruption-prosecutor

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Chaotic” debate over new judges

Posted on December 27, 2017 in Panama

 

Dionicio Rodríguez

Post Views: 85

 

If Ana Lucrecia Tovar de Zarak and Zuleyka Moore are ratified as Supreme Court judges, their lack of independence would govern the administration of justice .taken in the next 10 years says the president of the National Bar Association (CNA)

Dionicio Rodríguez and over 45 organizations and individuals were at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Dec,27, to express their views.

Rodriguez said that those who occupy positions in the Supreme Court of  (CSJ) must have independence, objectivity and impartiality and that although the newly named have favorable academic profiles for their current branches, they do not have the proper conditions to hold office in the Court.

He said that the ANC has called on the National Assembly to listen to the voice of the people. “The people have spoken and there are no demonstrations in favor of the appointments,” reports La Prensa.

According to the lawyer, “the Executive brings us chaotically to a debate of magistrates of the CSJ”, adding that it has not been broad, nor will it be broad due to the limitations of time  “Two days for people to be heard is not enough … two days to present objections in writing is not a term for a subject as important as the choice of judges,” he said. Participants before The National Assembly Commission of Credentials The participants had ten minutes to present their observations in front of the candidates.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/chaotic-debate-new-judges

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6,943 Seizures By Food Safety Authority

Posted on December 27, 2017 in Panama

Post Views: 231

 

Panama’s Food Safety Authority (AUPSA), made   6,943 seizures food seizures of food that entered Panama illegally during 2017.

The seizures were made at points of entry such as ports, airports, borders and in surveillance operations throughout the country.

665 continuous surveillance operations were carried out in stores nationwide in order to ensure that imported food had sanitary and phytosanitary registration.

According to the report, entry points were reinforced with veterinarians and the food inspection process was modernized with the use of new digital devices.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/6943-seizures-food-safety-authority

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Mario Martinelli drops CD presidency bid

Posted on December 27, 2017 in Panama

Post Views: 145

 

MARIO MARTINELLI, the brother of, currently jailed ex-president Ricardo Martinelli, has withdrawn from candidacy for president of the board of directors of the  Cambio Democrático (CD) Party which remains a family fiefdom.

Martinelli who, like numerous others seeking spots on the board including the fugitive sons of the ex-president is facing criminal charges,  He has asked Rómulo Roux, also a candidate for the CD presidency to do the same, thus ensuring the CD, formed to further Martinelli’s political ambitions,  will remain a family business.

“I would recommend Romulo to recognize the leadership of my brother and that he should step down like I did, “Martinelli said during a political tour in Divisa on WednesdayDec. 27.

Emma Correa, president of the CD Elections Commission confirmed that she received the resignation of Martinelli.

Ricardo Martinelli and Rómulo Roux are running for the presidency of a divided party on January 21, 2018.

The former president, who has been behind bars in a Miami Detention Center since he was arrested near his Coral Gables mansion on June 12, is awaiting extradition with over a dozen criminal charges pending.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/mario-martinelli-drops-cd-presidency-bid

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2018 Car Sales Projections

The union of vehicle dealers in Panama expects stability in sales of new cars next year, after the year 2017 showed deceleration with respect to the previous year.

Friday, December 22, 2017

Laestrella.com.pa reports that "...The executive explained in an interview with Xinhua that Panama should not expect to see a greater fall in 2018 than in 2017, following a period between 2000 and 2016, with a slight interruption in 2008 and 2009, in relation to with the global crisis, in which Panama's economy grew significantly, as did vehicle sales."

See: "Sale of New Vehicles Down 13%"

".... Díaz explained that this year, and after a 2016 in which there was a record in the sales of new cars in the country, one element that had a small impact on the hardening of sales was a decline in migration of foreigners to the country which occurred between 2012 and 2015, and the fact that 'the consumer economy is more endured' (conservative)."

See also: "The Vehicle Market in Central America"

Added to these factors are also the more demanding credit conditions that banks have imposed on granting loans for vehicle purchases, according to representatives of the Adap.

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Projections_for_Car_Sales_in_2018

Moderator comment: This news article is not specific to life in the Chiriqui Province, but given that it was published on News Room Panama, we are taking a liberty of including it here on CL. I suspect most of us know someone who has been or currently is directly affected by Alzheimer's, including some who live in our area.

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Hope for Alzheimer’s Patients

Posted on December 26, 2017 in Health, Health, Panama

Post Views: 136

 

By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

In 1901, Auguste was taken to an insane asylum in Frankfurt, Germany, by her husband. She was described as a delusional, forgetful, disoriented woman who “could not carry out her homemaking duties.” She was seen by a Dr Alzheimer and was to become the case that made his a household name.

On autopsy, he described the plaques and tangles in her brain that would go on to characterize the disease, but in the excitement of discovering a new entity, a clue may have been overlooked. He described arteriosclerotic changes—hardening of the arteries—within her brain.

We typically think of atherosclerosis in the heart, but atherosclerosis involves virtually the entire human organism—our entire vascular tree. One of the most poignant examples of this systemic nature is the link between coronary artery disease, degenerative brain disease, and dementia.

Back in the 1970s, the concept of “cardiogenic dementia” was proposed—dementia generated from the cardiovascular system. Since the aging brain is highly sensitive to lack of oxygen and since heart problems are so common, it was easy to imagine that’s how dementia could result. Now we have a substantial body of evidence that strongly associates atherosclerotic vascular disease with the number one cause of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease. Autopsy studies, for example, have shown that individuals with Alzheimer’s have significantly more atherosclerotic narrowing of the arteries within their brain.

What kind of brain arteries do you want in your head?

The normal amount of blood circulating in our brains is about a quart a minute, but we lose about a half-percent a year; by age 65 we may be down 15-20%. This doesn’t necessarily affect brain function since we have a built-in buffer. However, this age-related decline in cerebral blood flow can become critical to brain cell survival if an additional burden further lowers flow. This reduction of blood flow can starve the brain of oxygen, cause silent little mini-strokes and brain atrophy, the cumulative effects of which appear to play a pivotal role in accelerating and augmenting the development and evolution of Alzheimer’s disease.

You can see the vast difference in the amount of atherosclerosis in the arteries that specifically supply blood to critical memory and learning centers of the brain of healthy, non-demented controls compared to those with Alzheimer’s disease. In light of such findings, some have even suggested the disease be reclassified as a vascular disorder.

Reversible?
This is good news, though, because atherosclerosis is potentially reversible. These findings were confirmed in two larger studies of more than 1,000 autopsies each, which found the same thing. Atherosclerosis in the brain is significantly more frequent and severe in those with Alzheimer’s disease.

This suggests that strategies proven to delay the progression of artery disease like plant-based diets may be useful for preventing or treating Alzheimer’s disease. Of course, autopsy studies are a little late for that, so to assess the impact of intracranial arterial narrowing on the progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease, researchers followed 400 people with cognitive impairment for four years using CT angiography—special CAT scans that evaluate the amount of brain artery blockage.

The cognition of those with the least atherosclerosis in their heads remained pretty stable over the years, but those with more cholesterol buildup got worse and those with the most blockage rapidly declined. The ability to carry on the activities of daily living was also affected, and the progression to Alzheimer’s disease was doubled.

An inefficient blood supply to the brain has very grave consequences on brain function.

But does treatment of vascular risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol actually make a difference? We didn’t know, until a recent study of 300 patients with Alzheimer’s. Those with all their vascular risk factors treated showed significantly less decline and slowed progression of their disease, compared with those who went untreated.

It’s been said that the “goal of medicine is to provide patients with hope and when there is no hope, to offer understanding.” Well, for the first time in the history of this disorder, we have the chance to provide Alzheimer’s patients with hope.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/hope-alzheimers-patients

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First Poland-Panama direct  flight lands at Tocumen

Posted on December 26, 2017 in Panama, Panama

Post Views: 202

 

A PLANE carrying  tourists  made  first the  direct airline flight from Poland to Panama on December 25, and landed at Tocumen International Airport at night,

It was an  LOT Polish Airlines charter, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, and its arrival was announced by the President, Juan Carlos Varela, through his Twitter account.

“Our air hub continues to unite the world, let’s go to Panama,” Varela said in a Tweet.

The Chancellery of Panama was quick to point out that the new connection was promoted by the president, in 2016  when he made an official visit to Poland and signed agreements on tourism cooperation and others while lobbying Pope Francis to hold the 2019 World Youth Day in Panama.

LOT Polish Airlines will operate charter flights every ten and eleven days until March 17, 2018, using  Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners with 252 seats. The airline established in 1929 by the Polish government, has been a Star Alliance member since 2003; It has central offices in Warsaw covering 68 destinations in 36 countries.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/first-poland-panama-direct-flight-lands-tocumen

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Court Nominees Cynical Setback

Posted on December 26, 2017 in Panama

 

Ana Matilde Gomez

Post Views: 144

 

THE DESIGNATIONS of  the anti-corruption prosecutor Zuleyka Moore and the specialist in banking and finance, Ana Lucrecia Tovar de Zara, as magistrates of the Supreme Court, constitute a “cynical setback in terms of democratic strengthening” and  an equally cynical setback in terms of institutionality ” said the National Assembly’s only    independent deputy Ana Matilde Gómez  on Tuesday December 26.

Speaking on TeleMetro of the appointment of Moore, the former Attorney General said that it was not recognition of her work ” [In the Odebrechr bribery scandal]  on the contrary, it is completely nullified”. According to the deputy,  “She [Moore] leaves the Public Ministry (MP) at the moment that more knowledge is needed from the Odebrecht case. “Taking her out of there  is to take out that knowledge and you will not be able to use it in the Court, ” Gomez  stressed that, should she  Moore be  endorsed as the new Justice of the Court she  “is not going to to be able to pronounce herself because  she will declare herself impeded.

Gómez said, this does not mean that the prosecutor is not an honest person and committed to work, as she knows from when she was her subordinate when She held the post of Attorney General. Gomez said that if President Juan Carlos Varela wants to fight corruption then why not increases wages to anti-corruption prosecutors and provide more protection.

Regarding of Tovar de Zarak, Gómez said that there are substantive circumstances and form that do not allow her to endorse the appointment in the Court.

When on Tuesday the  Assembly Credentials  Commission held its first meeting on these designations, it was well known That she is the wife of the vice minister of Economy, Ivan Zarak. He reported his resignation on Thursday, December 14, one day before the Extraordinary Cabinet Council approved the two designations for the Supreme Court; his resignation will be effective Friday, December 29.

“I would like to know if, in spite of everything that is happening in the  Assembly both are still willing,  to be magistrates of the Court, ” said Gomez.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/court-nominees-cynical-setback

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Panama: Tourist Spending Continues to Slow Down

From January to October 2017, tourist spending grew by only 1.6% compared to the same period in 2016, significantly lower than the 13% recorded between 2015 and 2016.

Friday, December 22, 2017

According to figures from the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic, during the first ten months of the year tourists who arrived in the country spent $3.798 billion, an amount that exceeds by $60 million the $3.738 billion registered in the same period in 2016.

See: "Will Chinese tourists come?"

For the periods in question the number of tourists increased from 6.3 million in 2016 to 6.7 million in 2017, however, this line also recorded a slowdown, since the growth of 2017 versus 2016 was 5.7 %, very far from the 11% increase between 2015 and 2016.

See statistics by the Contraloria. (In Spanish)

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Panama_Tourist_Spending_Continues_to_Slow_Down

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Metro boss bribery report spurs action call

Posted on December 25, 2017 in Panama

 

Roberto Roy denies bribery reports

Post Views: 140

 

Statements by a former Odebrecht executive alleging that the director of the Panama Metro, was bribed.  has civil society demanding speedy court action in an appeal against a ruling which has blocked continued investigation of the Odebrecht scandal.

the Second Court of Justice must decide whether the deadline for investigation by Special Anticorruption Prosecutors following the trail of bribes paid by Odebrecht in Panama should be extended. It has been paralyzed since October 25, after a ruling of Court XII.

The call for speedy action comes after revelations by Rodrigo Tacla Durán, to Spanish prosecutors that Metro Director and Canal Minister   Roberto Roy was bribed by FCC, a partner of Odebrecht during construction of  Metro lines 1 and 2.

“All these new statements and disclosures prove that the terms of investigation have to be adequate, “said Olga de Obaldía, executive director of the Foundation for the Development of Citizen Freedom, the Panama arm of Transparency International.

“The MP requires longer time and even more resources to clarify the facts, something. We are facing a level of complexity and sophistication that requires that the law against organized crime be applied, ” she said, and warned of the “deep crisis of confidence” that the citizens have with the Judicial Organ … the Second Tribunal must act independently and with promptness to solve this case.”

Annette Planells, of the Independent Movement, (MOVIN) said that this scenario gives  “more weight to the importance of the ruling “that must be issued by the Second Court.”

On February 13, Tacla Durán said that Roy got money from FCC Construcciones, partner of Odebrecht.

The Public Ministry said the declaration of Tacla Durán was received on November 1, after Judge Lania Batista stopped the investigation of the Odebrecht case and ordered the file to be sent to the Criminal Court XII.  Prosecutor Zuleyka Moore, , appealed the ruling.

Former Comptroller Alvin Weeden told La Prensa that the case of FCC and other construction companies that served Odebrecht is new and, in his opinion, this forces the MP to investigate it in new summaries.

“I, in fact, formulated a criminal complaint against an Odebrecht subcontractor who gave bribes to a relative of a high official for more than $2 million. In Spain, FCC is investigated and that is why they interrogated Tacla Durán, “he said.

Annette Planells, leader of the Independent Movement (Movin)  said that the Tacla Durán statements must be investigated since they were exposed before a prosecutor’s office. “This, , adds a lot more weight to the statements given by Tacla Durán to the newspaper El País [July 2017]. in an interview with El País, Tacla Durán also linked president, Juan Carlos Varela, with the plot.

According to Planells, with  these new revelations, Roy must separate from the direction of the Metro until he is investigated.”

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/metro-boss-bribery-report-spurs-action-call

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Minor pregnancies up 10.4% as lawmakers dither

Posted on December 25, 2017 in Panama

Post Views: 190

 

PREGNANCIES  among Panamanian girls aged from 10 to  19 years old reached 9,086  in  the first 11 months of the year according to the Ministry of Health (Minsa) while a bill dealing with sex education in schools remains stalled in a National Assembly committee

The figure reflects an increase of 859 cases or 10.4% compared to the same period last year when 8,227 teenage pregnancies were reported.

Panama is the province with the highest incidence (3,883)  followed by the Ngäbe Buglé (1,133) and Chiriqui (1,106).

The remaining 2,964 cases are distributed among the other provinces.

Minsa data does not include the reports of pregnant young women seeking care in the Social Security system (CSS )or in private clinics in the country. The Dr Arnulfo Arias Madrid CSS hospital  alone  in Panama City minors dealt with 319 minors in the first 1o months of 2017.

The Ministry of Education created an  inter-institutional  commission in September 2016 in order to select  information to create a “pedagogical instrument” that addresses the particularities of each age group in Panama’s education system

However, a year has passed and few advances are known, reports La Prensa.

In addition, in January of this year, the members of the Work, Health and Development Commission of the National Assembly decided to suspend the discussion of Bill 61, to adopt public policies of integral education, attention and health promotion.

At the time it was reported that the objective was to reach consensus outside the commission, for later resumption of the discussion.

For Rossana Uribe, president of the Panamanian Association for Family Planning (Aplafa), the situation is due to the fact that there are no public campaigns aimed at young people to treat the subject.

Aplafa began a social media campaign in which young people can ask for advice and help because the State does not provide them with the necessary tools on the topic of sex education.

Churches are strongly opposed to sex education in the school system

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/minor-pregnancies-10-4-lawmakers-dither

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Million  dollar drug bust off Chiriqui

Posted on December 25, 2017 in Panama

 

Undelivered Christmas packages

Post Views: 410

 

OVER a ton of drugs in 1,067  one kilo packages were seized from a high-speed boat on Christmas Day by Panama’s  National Aeronaval Service (SENAN).

Three foreigners tried to evade SENAN’s interdiction operation, but were captured after the chase off the coast of Chiriqui, on the border of Costa Rica.

The security force said the shipment is valued at over $1 million and it and The boat were delivered to the competent authorities for processing said SENAN.

In another  Twitter message, it states a “million-dollar consignment of alleged illicit substance/speedboat / 3 foreigners” are already in the hands of the Drug Prosecutor’s Office of Chiriquí.

2 hours ago, Pantah said:

EliMar auto parts, a small tiendita across from Pension Topaz [in Boquete]

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Alert for  small boats and bathers

Posted on December 24, 2017 in Panama

Post Views: 212

 

CONTINUING strong  north trade winds will create  swells and high waves at frequent intervals on Panama’s Caribbean coast  from December 24 through 26  says The Electricity Transmission Company (Etesa),

An alert has been issued for, bathers and light boats. They recommend the coastal population and bathers to be cautious, due to the presence of currents and warn of dangerous trawling in beach areas, docks and bays.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/alert-small-boats-bathers

For those unfamiliar with Isla Flamenco:

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/fire-destroys-two-boats-isla-flamenco

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Metro chief denies bribery allegations

Posted on December 23, 2017 in Panama

Post Views: 140

 

Roberto Roy who oversaw the construction of Metro line  during the Martinelli administration and has remained at the helm of the state company Metro de Panamá, S.A  under Varela, denies having received bribes from the consortium that built the Metro.

He has described as “false” a testimony of Rodrigo Tacla Durán who told Spanish prosecutors last February that the consortium that built Metro Line 1 –  of which Odebrecht was part-paid bribes to Panamanian officials.

Tacla Duran was the same witness  who said that President Juan

Carlos Varela received money from Odebrecht reports La Prensa.

He said ” I  remember a case of a bribe that Roberto Roy received that FCC paid. ”

[FCC was the Spanish company that partnered with Odebrecht to build the Panamanian subway]. Duran said that this bothered the Odebrecht Director in Panama, André Rabello, because “he tried to pay Roberto Roy who did not take the money because he wanted money from the Spanish company [FCC] because he saw that there was less chance of being discovered or suspected of receiving bribes. ”

Tacla Duran was arrested in a hotel in Spain in November 2016, at the request of the Brazilian authorities, for having been part of a cartel of companies that systematically paid bribes in exchange for public works contracts.

Spain denied his extradition, but in return offered to judge him in its courts for the crimes that are imputed to him by Brazil.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/metro-chief-denies-bribery-allegations

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OPINION: Fugitives running for election

Posted on December 23, 2017 in Media Watch, Panama

 

On the run, mocking justice system

Post Views: 206

 

ALTHOUGH  they are being sought by Interpol and their whereabouts are unknown, the brothers Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares have been able to run for positions on the board of directors of the Cambio Democrático party. (CD) The internal elections of that group on January 21 would protect these fugitives  brothers until the month of February 2018 despite the fact that in the past the Electoral Tribunal  has already raised this type of exemption  from prosecution, there is a dislike in the community, which has been witness to how such legal institutions are manipulated

with the purpose of  repeatedly avoiding the action of the justice system. The whole nation must ask itself: why our electoral regime so permissive? It is inexplicable that people who are not in the country and are required by the law can be eligible for elected positions in a political party that is subsidized with our taxes. This type of hoax is what produces a National Assembly shaped by political hucksters. Let the repudiation of society make the difference.  LA PRENSA, hoyporhoy, Dec 23

http://www.newsroompanama.com/features/media-watch/opinion-fugitives-running-election

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Court upholds money laundering probe

Posted on December 23, 2017 in Panama

Post Views: 164

 

ANOTHER  blocking tactic by a high profile suspect facing criminal charges has been thrown out, this time involving Cristóbal Salerno, who has testified he took suitcases stuffed with cash to Ricardo Martinelli when he was president and is facing money laundering and embezzlement charges.

The Second Criminal Court rejected an nullity incident filed against the investigation carried out by the Seventh Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office over  alleged money laundering related to the collection of delinquent taxes through the company Cobranzas del Istmo (CISA).

In a ruling dated December 9 , Second Criminal, Judge, Johann Barrios, dismissed the arguments presented by Gustavo Sierra Castellanos, defender of Salerno,  alleging  that the process for his client was  based on the same facts as the summary proceedings carried by the First Criminal Court for alleged embezzlement.

Judge Barrios, however, concluded that the crime of money laundering imputed Salerno is autonomous, regulated independently by the Criminal Code.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/court-upholds-money-laundering-probe

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Panama Sets Sights on Adventure Tourism

Posted on December 23, 2017 in Panama, Travel

Post Views: 158

 

ADVENTURE is the current buzzword in Panama tourism circles with ambitious plans underway to create and develop an adventure tourism program that will be highlighted in an “Adventure  Week” for invited travel specialists in late May.

The event, is the result of an alliance between the  Tourism Authority (ATP), the Panama Chamber of Tourism and the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).

It will allow 23 international guests to experience for 7 days and 8 nights, selected adventure opportunities to generate visits in the medium and long-term.

Tour operators and travel agents, media and international bloggers, will be invited to experience the trip and promote the destinations.

According to the ATTA, a trip can be qualified as adventure tourism if it involves two of three key elements: “nature, culture and physical activity, such as hiking, biking, rock climbing, rafting and other activities that require technical knowledge or specialized equipment”.

Rafting
The rafting takes place by descending a river with rapids, in a pneumatic boat using an oar as a rudder during the trip.

Panama, due to its geographical situation and tropical climate, has a diversity of rivers ideal for the activity. According to information from the ATP, in the province of Chiriqui, the Chiriquí Viejo, Chagres, Grande, Mamoní, Pacora, Dolega, Esti, Boquerón and Majagua rivers are ideal for the activity because they present different degrees of difficulty.

Trekking
Adventure trekking consists of an outdoor walk, along paths whose level of difficulty can vary depending on the place and conditions.

Rock climbing in Boquete

Rock climbing required ascending or passing through rock walls and gullies,, steep slopes or other natural reliefs, using securing equipment. The Boquete, district  of Chiriqui, is  one of the most visited places for this type of activity

For adventure cycling, special bicycles are used in natural circuits, usually through wooded paths with different ascents and descents. Cerro Azul, the Metropolitan Park, Campana, Chame and San Carlos, are some of the places used by adventure cyclists.

Contest
The ATP  has opened a  contest to select the company that will be responsible for developing and operating the Panama Adventure Week itinerary. It must combine adventure activities, nature and culture for 15 buyers, 5 journalists, ATTA staff and 2 narrators), who will be expected to document and develop video material and photos.

Companies interested in applying will have until Friday, January 5 and the selected company will be announced on Wednesday, January 10.

 http://www.newsroompanama.com/travel/panama-2/panama-sets-sights-adventure-tourism

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Guinness World Records certifies Panama as the world’s largest ship registry

 

During an emotional ceremony in the Presidency of the Republic marking the 100th anniversary of the creation of Panama’s Ship Registry on 15 December 1918, the Guinness World Records Organisation, the authority in documenting world records, gave Panama the certification as owner of the "World’s Largest Ship Registry", with more than 8,000 vessels sailing the seas which represent about 18% of the world's maritime fleet.

"We have been serving the world for 100 years, promoting global maritime trade and favouring its development and reaching this mark of excellence represents recognition for our hard work, effort and sacrifice, and a lot of persistence,” said Panama Minister of Maritime Affairs Jorge Barakat. “Without a doubt, it is a great pride for all Panamanians and for our strategic partners at a global level and a great honour to receive this title of Guinness World Records,” he added.

“It is a source of pride for all Panamanians that this service that we provide with such commitment is recognized by Guinness World Records, a prestigious institution that has been present in the world since 1955, and whose publication of records is the most read book in more than 100 countries, and 23 languages, so our record will be recognized in all corners of the planet, where our Merchant Marine is present. It should be noted that this is the first time that this record title has been received, for which the number of vessels was validated with the greatest accuracy, using several international sources that endorsed this important decision, which we hope to maintain indefinitely.”

The Ship Registry generates more than $1 BN guaranteed by mortgage and annually produces more than one million ship transactions, it should be noted that one of the most significant numbers of a Registry is the average age of its fleet. Based on this, we can indicate that the lowest average age is nine years and belongs to bulk carriers, explained Barakat.

The users of the Registry have benefited through the online issuance of technical certificates, which can be printed electronically and directly by the interested parties, thus streamlining processes by not having to physically move anywhere. For next year, it is expected that existing certifications will be fully incorporated.

The opening of 4 new Ship Documentation Technical Offices (SEGUMAR) was carried out in strategic cities such as: London, Manila, Dubai and recently, in Houston - Texas, as well as the relocation of the Segumar New York Office to the State of Florida, with headquarters in the city of Miami, in the United States of America (EU), joining in this way the existing ones that are: Miami, Pireos, Istanbul, Singapore, Busan, Imabari, Seoul, Tokyo and the one that is located in the main headquarters in Panama City.

Thinking about our Seafarers, the necessary controls in training and qualification standards were implemented, achieving the signing of important Agreements with other maritime administrations, such as: Singapore, Vietnam, Ecuador, Iran, Philippines, Kenya, Bahamas and Barbados, that allow the mutual recognition of the training and qualifications of Panamanian seafarers, so that in this way they can access to work in other international markets.

Another transcendental and visionary achievement was the signing of the Maritime Cooperation Agreement with the People's Republic of China, through which Panama receives the status of "Most Favoured Nation", where ships registered with the Panamanian flag will receive preferential rates upon arriving at the ports of the People's Republic of China.

 

Posted 20 December 2017

http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/news/americas/guinness-world-records-certifies-panama-as-the-world-s-largest-ship-registry.html

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Panama Receives Guinness Record for Largest Vessel Registration

Panama, Dec 17 (Prensa Latina) With a total of 8,094 vessels, Panama is emerging today as the country with the largest registry of ships in the world, a figure that made it worthy of a Guinness Record.

 

Official figures revealed that, in 2016, the Isthmian nation brought together about 18 percent of the world fleet, followed by Liberia, the Marshall Islands, China Hong Kong and Singapore, which together account for 57.8 percent of the total quota of the market, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.

Last October, the Maritime Authority of Panama opened three new offices in London, Manila, and Dubai for the international registry of ships, with the aim of diversifying the maritime business and reinforcing its presence in Europe and Asia.

With the opening of so-called Segumar technical offices, in destinations considered strategic, the country also ventured into profitable and non-traditional emerging markets, such as gas, cruise, and yacht vessels, the entity said.

The Panama Ship Registry network is composed of 60 private consulates of the merchant marine, where they provide vessel registration services, change of owner and tonnage, cancellations, among other commercial activities, for which it has more than 200 inspectors around the world.

In addition to having the largest merchant marine, the Central American nation is also one of the most important logistics platforms in the world, thanks to the inter-oceanic canal that connects more than 140 sea routes and 1,700 ports in 160 different countries, through which passes close to six percent of international trade.

The delivery of the Guinness World Records Certificate to Panama is part of the activities for the centenary of the foundation of the Panamanian merchant marine flag system.

Three years after the start of operations of the Panama Canal, on December 15, 1917, the International Ship Registry of Panama was created in order to meet the needs of the international maritime community by means of a flag without nationality restrictions, which offers residence to the owner of the vessel and the crew.

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?o=rn&id=22349&SEO=panama-receives-guinness-record-for-largest-vessel-registration

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ECLAC: Latin America And The Caribbean Should Grow 2.2% In 2018

RTTNews

Dec. 17, 2017, 09:02 AM

(RTTNews) - The economies of Latin America and the Caribbean should experience a moderate recovery in 2018, expanding 2.2% next year after recording an average 1.3% growth this year, said the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in its preliminary report on 2017.

Next year, the global economy should expand at rates close to those of 2017, around 3%, and that there should be greater relative dynamism of emerging economies compared to developed ones. Broad liquidity and low international interest rates should remain unchanged.

ECLAC expects South-American economies to grow 2% in 2018, from 0.8% in 2017. Central America, on the other hand, may expand 3.6%, up from 3.3% in 2017.

The activity in Brazil should improve further, with the country growing 2% in 2018, from 0.9% in 2017. Also, several nations that were growing at moderate rates may see a higher expansion rate - Chile, from 1.5% in 2017 to 2.8% Colombia, from 1.8% to 2.6%

In Latin America, Panama is expected to be the economy that should record the highest growth rate next year (+5.5%), followed by the Dominican Republic (+5.1%), and Nicaragua (+5.0%). Cuba, Ecuador, and Venezuela should show figures of 1%, 1.3% and -5.5%, respectively, while the rest of the economies of Latin America will grow between 2% and 4%.

http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/interestrates/ECLAC-Latin-America-And-The-Caribbean-Should-Grow-2-2-In-2018-1011612331