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Court rejects defense pleas in Martinelli trial

Posted 18/08/2021

On day 19 of the second trial of former President Ricardo Martinelli for illegal wiretapping, the prosecutor's office read  160 pages of transcripts of conversations of union leaders and opposition political parties tapped by the National Security Council between the years 2012-2014.

The information presented to the court included numerous messages, memes, and montages made by television presenters and opponents of the Martinelli government, prepared, according to the prosecution, with the intention of denigrating and offending them.

During the hearing,  defense lawyer Sidney Sittón objected to the presentation of the booklets, arguing that the documents p did not have authenticated stamps and were therefore illegal, but the prosecution replied that the evidence was already approved in the intermediate phase of the process by Judge Jerónimo Mejía, who acted as a judge of guarantees when the case was in the Supreme Court.

Sittón's argument was not accepted by the court and it concluded that these objections should have been raised in the intermediate phase of the process and not in the trial.

Martinelli's defense alleges that both the booklets and the discs that contain the taps are not legal proof, because the chain of custody was violated and some even have alterations in the seal that guarantees that they have not been tampered with.

However, the prosecution pointed out that this situation will be clarified when the expert witness Luis Rivera Calle, who made the transfer of to the reading booklets, appears in court.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/court-rejects-defense-pleas-in-martinelli-trial

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Highway embezzlement hearing gets 2nd suspension

Jaime Ford (left) and Federico Suarez (right)

Posted 17/08/2021

A  preliminary hearing for former Ministers of Public Works Federico Suárez and Jaime Ford and nine other people for the for alleged embezzlement in the construction of the Arraiján-La Chorrera highway was suspended for the second time on Tuesday August 17 by defense legal maneuvers.

The highway project had a cost of $161.8 million and was assigned to the company TransCaribe Trading, SA (TCT).

The presentation of an appeal for annulment before the Second Court of Justice against a decision of the Third Court for Criminal Proceedings not to accept an appeal for annulment of the process forced the suspension of the preliminary hearing.

The hearing was suspended for the first time on July 20, but the presentation of legal resources by two defense attorneys prevented it from taking place.

In October 2018, the Discharge Anticorruption Prosecutor forwarded to the Judicial Branch the tax hearing in which it requested a trial for 11 people, among whom are Suárez, Ford and TCT directors David and Daniel Ochy.

Six former public servants were also requested to be brought to trial, including two former officials of the Ministry of Public Works, in charge of supervising the expansion, four inspectors from the Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic, among others.

According to the investigation, the TCT company allegedly gave funds from the State payments for the highway to private companies, such as New Business (investigated for money laundering), to deputies of the National Assembly, corporations, individuals and public servants.

The court is waiting for the Second Court to resolve the appeal to set a new preliminary hearing date.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/highway-embezzlement-hearing-gets-2nd-suspension-2

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Killings rise in tandem  with increased security budget

Posted 16/08/2021

As the public security budget continues to increase, homicides in the country are also on the rise reports La Prensa.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance recommended to the Ministry of Public Security $835.6 million for 2022- $ 81.9 million more than in 2020, and $5.4 million above 2021.

Statistics from the Public Ministry indicate that 318 homicides had been committed up to last July, three more than those perpetrated in July 2020 (315).

81% of the crimes recorded this year were committed with firearms.

The Security Ministry (Minseg) will, use 96% of the funds for operational issues.

$691 million will be earmarked for national security - The National Police, the National Aeronaval Service, the National Border Service, the National Migration Service, and the National 911 Emergency System.

The draft general budget of the State, presented to the National Assembly, does not detail how much will correspond to each of these entities says La Prensa. but data from their payroll gives clues as to how that money is distributed.

In the PN,  there are 87 commissioners, with monthly salaries above $ 4,300, and 158 sub-commissioners with salaries of $3,100 and up.

There are 233  majors with salaries that start at $ 2,200. there are 650 captains, whose salaries start at $1,710. With the rank of lieutenants and sub-lieutenant, there are 5,096 uniformed. A lieutenant has a base salary of $ 1,400, and the second lieutenant's is $ 1,275.

They are followed by 3,197 first and second sergeants, who earn $1,165 and $1,190 respectively. Then there are the 6,755 first and second officers who earn $1,120 dollars With the guard position there are 2,100 uniformed men who earn $900, while 131 have the position of police cadet with a salary of $590.

But on the PN payroll, there is a long list of professionals who have a role in the institution: doctors, psychologists, cooks, nurses, social workers, office workers, engineers, lawyers, among others.

During the two years of Cortizo's government, there have been two security ministers, Rolando Mirones, who left the post in February 2020, and the current Juan Pino. Three directors have passed through the National Police: Jorge Miranda, Gabriel Medina, and the current John Dornheim.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/killings-rise-in-tandem-with-increased-security-budget

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“Gucci” girl seeks replacement  for 3-year jail term

Posted 15/08/2021

Zulema Sucre, former Vice Minister of Social Development will face a hearing on August 20 to request a replacement sentence for the three years imprisonment she received when she was convicted of the crime against the public administration (embezzlement) to the detriment of the entity where she worked.

The former official was sentenced to 36 months in prison, after her assigned  bodyguards  denounced her for wanting to force them to do tasks that did not correspond to their role, such as walking the former vice minister's pet dog called "Gucci."

Sucre's legal defense filed a cassation appeal on May 30, 2021, but it was not admitted by the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/gucci-girl-seeks-replacement-for-3-year-jail-term

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PANAMA CANAL: over 1.1 million transits in 107 years

Posted 15/08/2021

Since its inauguration on August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal has served as a shortcut for more than 1.1 million transits, reducing distance, time and costs in the transportation of goods.

Since the transfer of the Canal to Panamanian hands, it has promoted the development of the country, operating as a profitable and sustainable organization in the face of changing conditions in today's world says the Panama Canal Authority (ACP).

The ACP highlights that the “Green Route” has contributed to reducing more than 830 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), by allowing ships to save fuel by crossing a shorter sea lane and moving greater volumes of cargo from the start-up of the expanded Canal, in June 2016.

The Panama Canal is expected to be a carbon-neutral organization by 2030.

" The world is demanding that companies offer services and products that have a very low carbon footprint, so we are going to make investments to adapt to that reality, in line with our environmental tradition, " said the administrator of the Panama Canal, Ricaurte Vasquez Morales.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/panama-canal-over-11-million-transits-in-107-years

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A disconnect from reality

Posted 15/08/2021

In 2012, in the administration of Ricardo Martinelli, Panama received a donation from Taiwan of an airplane for the use of the Presidency of the Republic. The cost of the aircraft was $22 million and since then, the governments that have used it have had to make use of funds for its maintenance that until now total $6.4 million, the equivalent of 75% of the value of the aircraft. The $6.4 million maintenance includes a new $6.4 million contract that will cover the next five years. Under other circumstances, this contract would not be widely questioned, but Panama is going through difficult economic times, and having an airplane with these expenses –without counting fuel, use of airports, pilots, etc.– constitutes a luxury that is difficult to justify. Citizens are surprised, since there is not a single initiative in the Government to make savings, in contrast to the rest of the country, which has had to adjust its budget; Many others have seen their working hours reduced or have lost their jobs or sources of income, and many more have gone informal, with which debts accumulate, but that does not happen in the Government because it is simply disconnected from our reality. - LA PRENSA, Aug.15

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/a-disconnect-from-reality

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4 million passanger movement at Tocumen will expand with vaccination.

Posted 13/08/2021

The movement of passengers through the Tocumen International Airport added its fifth consecutive monthly increase in July, with the traffic of 903,406 people an increase of 152,187 over June, and the airport administration anticipates continued growth as covid vaccination expands worldwide.

Despite this positive trend, the number of passengers that used Tocumen between January and July of this year - just over 4 million people - is still 58.7% below the traffic reported in the same period of 2019.

Rating agencies such as BRC Ratings - S&P Global have estimated that the movement of travelers through Tocumen would be 60% below the numbers of two years ago when the main air terminal in the country reported 16.5 million passengers.

Of the total traffic from January to July 2021, 3.1 million travelers were transit passengers who arrived in Tocumen to board one of the connections that remain active.

Tocumen currently offers direct connections with 65 cities in 31 countries in America and Europe, through 19 airlines. Before the pandemic, connections totaled 89 destinations in 39 countries.

The rebound in positive cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) has led authorities in Brazil, Argentina, and China to keep destinations that previously had a direct connection from Panama closed.

In its monthly report, Tocumen informs that in July 8,274 air operations were carried out between takeoffs and landings, being the cities of Miami and Orlando (United States), Cancun (Mexico), Bogotá (Colombia), and Guayaquil (Ecuador).

https://www.newsroompanama.com/world/4-million-passanger-movement-at-tocumen-will-expand-with-vaccination

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Panama flagged ship breaks in two off Japan

Posted 12/08/2021

A Panama-flagged freighter stranded in the waters of a port of Aomori, in northern Japan, broke in two on Thursday, August 12, causing a spill of fuel into the sea, according to international news agencies.

The Crimson Polaris, a 39,910-ton cargo ship, ran aground on Wednesday four kilometers from the Japanese coast while sailing to the port of Hachinohe, in Aomori prefecture.

The freighter, which is operated by a Japanese company, was transporting wood from Thailand. It was to be refloated Thursday, but a section of the stern of the ship came off, splitting the ship in two and pouring fuel into the sea.

The two sides have not yet moved and continue to be monitored, the Japanese Coast Guard confirmed. According to the office, the spill would have spread about five kilometers away.

Meanwhile, the 21 crew members of the freighter, Chinese and Filipino nationals, were rescued by Japanese Coast Guard personnel. At the moment, no people have been reported injured.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-flagged-ship-breaks-in-two-off-japan

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Court rules in favor of Balbina Herrera in slander case

Posted 12/08/2021

The Court of Appeals confirmed the conviction against the doctor Armando Mocci, sentenced on April 16 for the crimes of slander and insult to the detriment of the leader of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) Balbina Herrera .

Justices Gustavo De Gracia, Giovannina Antinori and Gladys Moreno Peralta are the ones who made up the Court of Appeals that heard the appeal presented by Mocci.

On October 18, 2018, Mocci published the following on her Twitter account: “I would have been calmer if in 1989, instead of forgiving her, they had condemned her as a battalion and murderer. She should be ashamed to open her mouth publicly, but a rod assassin has no shame. "

The court rejected the appeal for annulment presented by Mocci's defense and also confirmed the sentence of April 30, 2021, which sentenced the doctor to the main penalty of $ 10,000 in favor of the National Treasury.

The accessory penalty of disqualification from exercising public functions for a term of 12 months was also ratified, once the main penalty has been completed, as the author of the crimes of slander and libel.

Herrera declared that "with this ruling a precedent is set and a message of responsibility is sent to network users."

He added that networks cannot be used to undermine people's honor.

Herrera demanded at the time that Mocci prove that she had been convicted of murder. He also denounced him for gender violence, but the court considered that Herrera did not prove the commission of this crime. 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/court-rules-in-favor-of-balbina-herrera-in-slander-case

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Aeronaval commissioner gets 6 years for gender violence

Posted 12/08/2021

Belisario Ernesto Bonini Jimenez (Commissioner of the National Aeronaval Service), has lost his appeal against a six-year jail sentence for gender violence.

The event occurred on June 8, 2019,  when Bonini physically and verbally assaulted the victim with profanity, degrading insults, hitting her in the face while traveling in the vehicle driven by the defendant in the area of Albrook Mall where he was arrested.

In addition, he issued death threats, mistreatment, and humiliation during the 3-year period of the couple’s relationship, which caused her psychological problems.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/aeronaval-commissioner-gets-6-years-for-gender-violence

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Motorcycles: Guatemala is the Major Importer in 2020

In 2020, motorcycle imports in Central America totaled $365 million, a 1.42% increase over 2019, with Guatemala being the largest importer in the region.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData:

Increase in Central American Purchases
Between 2019 and the same period of 2020, the value imported into the region increased by 1.42%, going from $360 million to $365 million.

Imports in general, for the periods in question purchases made from companies in China increased, in this case by 6%, growing from $187 million to $198.1 million.

Guatemala, Main Importer in Central America
In 2020 the main importer in the region was Guatemala with $189.7 million, followed by Honduras $62.4 million, Costa Rica $37.6 million, Nicaragua with $35.5 million, El Salvador $32 million and Panama $6.9 million.

Most Important Suppliers
In 2020 the main importer in the region was China with 54.23%, followed by India 33.93%, United States of America 2.6%, Japan with 1.84%, Germany 1.77%.

China is the market of origin of imports that has grown the most for the period in question in recent years, since in 2012 purchases from that country accounted for 52.7% and in 2020 the proportion rose to 54.23%.

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Motorcycles_Guatemala_is_the_Major_Importer_in_2020

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Horizontal Residential Construction

Panama plans to build seventy-two four hundred and fifty square meter single-family homes on two sixty hectares of land.

Friday, August 6, 2021

The interactive platform "Construction in Central America", from CentralAmericaData's Business Intelligence Unit, includes an updated list of public and private construction projects that have submitted Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) to the respective institutions in each country.

Learn more about CentralAmericaData's "Commercial Feasibility Studies."

"In Chiriqui, the construction of 72 single-family residential developments is planned, with an average size of 450 m2 and up for the residential lots.

The public use areas will consist of 3 park areas (a, b and c) and two green areas. In addition, street areas of 12.80 and 12 meters wide, lot for water reserve tank and well, stream and gallery forest easement, area affected by the right of way and pluvial easement.

The residential project will have the basic services of potable water, electricity, primed and double-sealed streets, and a garbage dump for temporary garbage disposal. Wastewater will be managed through an individual septic tank system.

The land area where the project will be developed is 60,000 square meters.

For more information on this and other projects, subscribe to the platform."

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

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Panama and Colombia agree to common front on migrant crisis

49,000 migrants have entered Panama through the Darien Gap this year

Posted 07/08/2021

Following a meeting between the Foreign Minister of Panama, Erika Mouynes, and the Foreign Minister and Vice President of Colombia, Marta Lucía Ramírez. Panama and Colombia agreed on Friday, August 6 to create a "common front" to establish a controlled and safe flow of migrants who transit the dangerous marine and jungle area of both countries.

A   work session will be held in Colombia on August 9, to define issues such as the transit route and the daily number of people who could move.

The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Security, Juan Manuel Pino, and his counterpart from the neighboring country, Diego Andrés Molano.

 Mouynes said ,the humanitarian crisis will only be solved if it is jointly addressed with the countries involved, taking into account that there is also a component of organized crime.

Ramírez stressed that the region is going through a "migratory tragedy" and they will face the situation from a humanitarian and security point of view.

  “This transit is generating very difficult social consequences for our countries. The binational work must be extended to other countries that have to do with the migration. In the first place, the origin of this migration is in Chile, but the destination is the United States and Canada, and for that reason, we must involve them, ”she said.

Official data shows that this year some 49,000 migrants have entered Panama through the Darien jungle and another 10,000 are waiting to cross.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/world/panama-and-colombia-agree-to-common-front-on-migrant-crisis

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Panama  hotels record 7% occupancy

Posted 11/08/2021

Panama hotels with 32,000 available rooms achieved only seven percent occupancy between January and July of 2021 when the optimum level should be 60%.

The pandemic ended up sinking a sector that was already showing signs of exhaustion largely due to overbuilding. Only 38% of hotels have reopened.

Armando Rodríguez, president of the Panama Hotel Association (Apatel) says, the occupation result revealed today is the product of mobility restrictions, such as curfew, checkpoints, and quarantine imposed by the Ministry of Health, as part of the strategy to combat the coronavirus.

Another factor that has affected the low hotel occupancy is the bad publicity that the country has gained in recent months due to complaints from passengers trying to enter the country, Rodríguez said.

Via social networks, travelers complain about the hours they wait in line to get the PCR test when they had already done it in their country of origin.

"The mandatory three-day quarantine is maintained for travelers from South America, who now represent 60% of visitors arriving in the country," he added.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/travel/panama-hotels-record-7-occupancy

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Panama Canal revenues up 11%

Posted 11/08/2021

The Panama Canal, which marks 107 years of operations on Sunday, August 15, has continued to work uninterruptedly  to provide services as a transit route for world trade despite the pandemic and reports r total revenues of $2.13 billion in the first nine months of fiscal year 2021, with a growth of $322 million or 11% compared to the same period. last fiscal year.

The main sources of income for the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) are tolls, the charge for fresh water, reservations, other services related to transit, the sale of drinking water, the sale of electricity and other miscellaneous income.The budget for the interoceanic highway for fiscal year 2021, which will be completed on September 30, estimates total revenues of $3,308.9 billion and contributions to the National Treasury of $1,760.3 billion.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/panama-canal-revenues-up-11

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Martinelli wiretap trial resumes with masks

Ricardo Martinelli with face shield bearing the logo of his newly registered political party

Posted 11/08/2021

 Day 15 of the wiretapping trial of former president Ricardo Martinelli resumed on Wednesday, August 11,  after being suspended on Monday for a positive case of covid-19 reported in one of the public defenders.

The trial court ordered new measures to restrict people's access to the courtroom. 

Only one representative of each of the parties will be allowed to enter. The rest must follow the hearing virtually.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinelli-wiretap-trial-resumes-with-masks

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US gets first bite of Martinelli sons bad apple

Posted 10/08/2021

Stewart Tuttle head of mission of the United States embassy in Panama said on Tuesday that a Panama judge’s extradition request to Guatemala "would not affect in any way" the extradition process of Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares to the United States.

Baloisa Marquínez The judge in the Blue Apple case requested the extradition of the Martinelli Linares brothers.

“I understand that these cases are actually handled in order of priority. In other words, whoever asks first has the right to take the subject, if [extradition] is approved. So we are not worried about that,” Tuttle told journalist Edwin Cabrera on La Tipika station.

The United States requested extradition to Guatemala on July 3, 2020.

"If Panama wanted to have the opportunity to bring them to trial here, they will have that right, after those men spend the necessary time in a North American jail for the crimes they have committed," added Tuttle.

The request to extradite Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares to Panama has not yet reached Guatemala reports La Prensa.

on Tuesday, August 10, Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes said that on Monday afternoon she received a notification of the request for the children of former President Ricardo Martinelli, to attend the trial for bribery in the Blue Apple case. The trial began on August 5, and that day the judge notified the court that she had requested preventive detention and extradition on July 4, 2021.

The Martinelli Linares brothers were arrested in Guatemala on July 6, 2020, because the United States requested their extradition, on various charges related to money laundering.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/us-gets-first-bite-of-martinelli-sons-bad-apple

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Judge has 30 days to rule on future of Blue Apple case

Posted 10/08/2021

Judge Baloisa Marquínez has 30 business days to decide the future of the Blue Apple case peppered with names of former high rollers, allegedly involved in a $40 million business scam.

After hearing both the allegations of the Prosecutor's Office and the 39 defense attorneys, Marquínez the third judge for the Settlement of Criminal Cases, Marquínez, accepted the end of 30 business days to decide whether to call the 51 involved to trial or decree the dismissal.

After 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 10, the arguments of the last defense attorney concluded. and, at 3:15 pm, the media outside the Balboa Theater, temporary headquarters of the Third Criminal Court for Liquidation, learned of Marquínez's decision.

The judge would accept the term established by law due to the voluminous nature of the file, which is made up of at least 320 volumes and due to the number of people involved in the investigation.

Prosecutor Adecio Mojica stated at the end of the preliminary hearing that all those involved will be called to trial by the judge based on the evidence they presented.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/judge-has-30-days-to-rule-on-future-of-blue-apple-case

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Martinelli trial suspended as lawyer tests covid positive

Posted 09/08/2021

The wiretap trial of former president , Ricardo Martinelli, , has been suspended until Wednesday due to the fact that a lawyer tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday August 6

There are 39 lawyers  representing the defendants  and  when, the trial resumes only one representative from each party may enter the courtroom and all must submit a negative COVID-19 test they must also wear a mask

The prosecutor, Ricardo González stressed that the number of participants from all parties  will be limited.

On Friday, the Judicial Branch reported that it continued with the reading of 53 pages, which gives a total of more than 850 pages read in recent days, corresponding to the first two booklets and that most of them are an extract of what happened in a meeting of a party opposed to the Martinelli government.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinelli-trial-suspended-as-lawyer-tests-covid-positive

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World Bank moving regional HQ to Panama

Carlos Felipe Jaramillo,

Posted 09/08/2021

The World Bank is moving its headquarters for Central America and the Caribbean from Washington to Panama and expanding staff.

Carlos Felipe Jaramillo, vice president of the bank for Latin America and the Caribbean said that Panama "is a key and strategic player in the region" and highlighted its geographical location and its connectivity with Latin America and the Caribbean, which will allow the bank to have a presence closer to the countries of the region.

The move has already begun with the arrival in the country of Michel Kerf, director of Bank for Central America and the Dominican Republic, and which will involve expanding the office from 10 workers to around 30 in a period between six months and a year.

Jaramillo is on an official visit to Panama, for meetings with President Laurentino Cortizo, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Héctor Alexander, and with representatives of the private sector.

One of the objectives of the visit is to know first-hand the needs of the Government, how the pandemic has been experienced and how the World Bank can help in this phase of recovery, he said.

The World Bank's current portfolio in Panama includes four projects for a total of $460 million, focused on improving access to services for indigenous peoples, strengthening social protection and inclusion, as well as supporting the response and recovery from Covid- 19.

"We must rethink the way we do things to have a recovery that is not simply returning to where we were before the pandemic but leading us to a better economy with more productivity, more employment, and more inclusive."

On the way out of the crisis, he highlighted the importance of vaccination processes so that the populations gain confidence and return to certain normality.

The reopening of schools will also be key and associated with education is the problem of the digital divide. “In the region, only half the population has good access to broadband and internet. The other half have not been able to have access to work from home or to have their children attend classes, ”he said.

Therefore, it will be necessary to strengthen education programs so that children and young people return to the learning levels they should be at, but also to acquire the digital skills that jobs demand.

The World Bank projects that Panama's economy will grow 9.9% this year, according to its latest estimates, published in June. It would thus return to positive levels of growth after the 17.9% contraction of last year.

The expected rebound this year will not be enough to return to the production levels of 2019. Although countries have set that goal, “we cannot fool ourselves” because the years before the pandemic were not years of good growth economic and good job creation ” said Jarillo in an interview with La Prensa.

Latin America, he said, was lagging behind other regions of the world. In that sense, he recommends "rethinking the way of doing things to have a recovery that is not simply returning to where we were before the pandemic, but leading us to a better economy, with more productivity, more employment and more inclusive."

While the fiscal accounts of governments are under pressure and their capacity to make economic stimuli is reduced, he highlighted the role of the private sector in the recovery, as an engine of growth and job creation.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/world-bank-moving-regional-hq-to-panama

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Panama Geisha coffees score near perfect with international judges

Posted 08/08/2021

Geisha coffees grown in Panama scored almost perfect ratings by international juries, with up to 98 points, in the XXV International Best of Panama (BOP) Tasting, which ended on August 7 

Nineteen international judges, from Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the United States, while there was mirror cupping by a group of national judges.

The note includes the impressions of the judges, who expressed their joy at finding the typical Geisha from Panama, with its unique flavor of blackberries, tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple, papaya, and above all very citrus, which shows the dedication of each coffee grower.

“It is clear that more producers are using the most advanced processing techniques to increase the intensity of what can be tasted in the cup. There are also more varieties entering the competition and getting very high scores from the judges. This is very exciting for the industry! Panama is once again breaking new ground in the ultra-premium sector of the specialty coffee industry, ”said Will Young, the Australian chief judge of the XXV International Tasting of the BOP.

International judges rated Panama specialty coffees with much higher scores than last year, above 94 and 95, an indication of the quality of Panama coffee, added Daniel Peterson, president of the Association of Specialty Coffee of Panama (SCAP).

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-geisha-coffees-score-near-perfect-with-international-judges

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Business Chamber wants better Panama Ports deal

Posted 05/08/2021

After reviewing and analyzing the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors of the Maritime Authority of Panama (AMP), ThePanama Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (Cciap) has called for a “more equitable contract" with Panama Ports Company (PPC) "for the benefit of the best interests of the Panamanian nation."

The Chamber  stressed that "it is imperative that citizens know the result of the audit carried out by the Comptroller General with a view to understanding what the technical considerations were to certify the company's compliance with the previously agreed obligations."

The audit has not been published and the Comptroller's Office responded to a La Prensa request for information, based on the Transparency Law, that it could not provide it because it was "confidential".

Comptroller Gerardo Solís presented a report at a press conference on February 4, 2021, stating that after reviewing the contract the company had complied. Likewise, it was Solís who, during one of the meetings of the AMP board of directors, and after the authorization to renew the contract was approved automatically, proposed to sell PPC the participation of the State in the company, which corresponds to 10% of the Actions.

"Taking into account that there were three addenda that modified the original contract, it was extremely relevant that, as a country," we were emphatic in renegotiating certain terms of the contract, taking as reference the good practices of world maritime trade and the administration of ports of the region".

Likewise, the Cciap adds that it was mandatory to negotiate rates higher than those of the previous 24 years, especially in relation to land leasing and oil transfer. "Thirdly, the elimination of the demands of the company to the Panamanian State had to be agreed, demands that have slowed down the possibility of creating new ports in the Pacific that allow the logistics hub to be strengthened for the next 25 years."

According to the Cciap, administrative and financial audits of port companies must include the advice of technical personnel with extensive experience and experience in the maritime sector.

It stressed that Panama needs to develop its potential in the maritime sector and the port chain, offering added value to the logistics chain because the geographical position and the infrastructure around it constitute the main resource as a country.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/business-chamber-wants-better-panama-ports-deal

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Costa Rica: Main Banana Exporter in Central America in 2020

In 2020, the main exporter of fresh or dried bananas in Central America was Costa Rica, with $1,083 million, followed by Guatemala, with $930 million, Honduras, with $531 million, Panama with $152 million and Nicaragua with $23 million.

Monday, August 2, 2021

Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData:

Costa Rica and Guatemala, Main Exporters
In 2020, the main exporter of fresh or dried bananas in Central America was Costa Rica, with $1,083 million, followed by Guatemala, with $930 million, Honduras, with $531 million, Panama with $152 million and Nicaragua with $23 million.

During 2020, Panamanian exports increased 19% quarter-on-quarter, Honduran exports increased by 11% and Costa Rican exports by 8%. In the case of Guatemala and Nicaragua, sales abroad fell 2% and 8% respectively.

Regional Business Increases
Between 2019 and 2020, the value of banana exports rose 7%, from $2,523 million to $2,725 million.

In the case of exports made by the region to the U.S. also grew for the periods in question, going from $1,646 million to $1,762 million.

U.S., Main Buyer
In 2020, 65% of the value exported from Central America was destined for the U.S., 10% for the Netherlands, 4% for the United Kingdom, 3% for Belgium, 3% for Italy, 2% for Germany, 2% for Spain and 1% for Portugal.

The Netherlands is the destination market for Central American exports that has grown the most for the period in question in recent years, since in 2012 it represented less than 0.5% of sales and last year that proportion rose to 10%.

Export Price Increases
During 2020, the average price of Central American banana sales abroad has shown a slight upward trend, rising from $0.38 per kilo in January to $0.41 in December.

https://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Costa_Rica_Main_Banana_Exporter_in_Central_America_in_2020

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Crew of tanker off UAE coast said to thwart Iran hijacking by sabotaging engines

The crew of a Panama-flagged asphalt tanker off the coast of Oman reportedly managed to thwart an attempt by Iranian gunmen to take control of their ship and divert it to the Islamic Republic.

Roughly half a dozen Iranian operatives stormed the Asphalt Princess, but the crew onboard quickly sprung to action and sabotaged the ship’s engines so that it could not move any further, UK officials told The Times British daily on Wednesday.

The gunmen fled the ship once US and Omani warships arrived at the scene, The Times said, adding that none of the crew were injured in the hijacking attempt.

The incident — described by the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations on Tuesday night as a “potential hijack” — revived fears of an escalation in Mideast waters and ended with as much mystery as it began.

Hints of what unfolded on the Asphalt Princess began to emerge with the maritime radio recording, obtained by commodities pricing firm Argus Media and shared with The Associated Press. In the audio, a crew member can be heard telling the Emirati coast guard that five or six armed Iranians had boarded the tanker.

https://cufi.org/crew-of-tanker-off-uae-coast-said-to-thwart-iran-hijacking-by-sabotaging-engines/