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Crew of tanker said to have thwarted Iranian hijackers by sabotaging the engines

Five or six gunmen tried to take control of Panama-flagged Asphalt Princess off UAE coast, sail it to Iran, UK officials say; they fled after US and Omani warships arrived at scene

By TOI STAFF and APToday, 2:58 am  

 

In this June 14, 2012 photo, the ship that would later become the Asphalt Princess sails through Quebec City, Canada. (Steve Geronazzo via AP)

 

Canada. (Steve Geronazzo via AP)

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.

Five or six Iranian operatives stormed the Asphalt Princess on Tuesday, 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 British daily The Times 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 was 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.

Last Thursday, a Briton and a Romanian were killed in a drone attack on an Israeli-linked vessel, the Mercer Street, that the US, UK and Israel have blamed on Iran.

Hints of what unfolded Tuesday on the Asphalt Princess began to emerge with a 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.

“Iranian people are onboard with ammunition,” the crew member says. “We are… now, drifting. We cannot tell you exact our ETA to (get to) Sohar,” the port in Oman listed on the vessel’s tracker as its destination. It was not clear whether the crew members, whom he identified as Indian and Indonesian, were in danger at the time.

No one took responsibility for the brief seizure, which underscored mounting tensions as Iran and the United States seek a resolution to their standoff over Tehran’s tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Apparently responding to the incident, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh on Tuesday denied that Iran played any role. He described the recent maritime attacks in the Persian Gulf as “completely suspicious.”

Over the past years, the rising tensions have played out in the waters of the Persian Gulf, where just last week a drone attack on an oil tanker linked to an Israeli billionaire off the coast of Oman killed two crew members. The West blamed Iran for the raid, which marked the first known fatal assault in the years-long shadow war targeting vessels in Mideast waters. Iran denied involvement.

Late on Tuesday, the intruders boarded the Asphalt Princess sailing off the coast of Fujairah, authorities said. The official news agency of Oman’s military said it received reports that the Asphalt Princess had been hijacked and immediately dispatched Royal Air Force maritime patrol aircraft and naval vessels “to contribute to securing international waters.”

In the recorded radio traffic, when the Emirati coast guard asks the crew member what the Iranian gunmen were doing onboard, he says he “cannot understand the [Iranians],” his voice muffled, before trying to hand over the radio to someone else. The call then cuts off.

An Emirati Coast Guard vessel patrols off Fujairah, United Arab Emirates on Aug. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

Possible signs of trouble began to emerge that evening when six oil tankers off the coast of Fujairah announced around the same time via their Automatic Identification System trackers that they were “not under command,” according to MarineTraffic.com. That typically means a vessel has lost power and can no longer steer.

Satellite-tracking data for the Asphalt Princess had showed it gradually heading toward Iranian waters off the port of Jask early Wednesday, according to MarineTraffic.com. Hours later, however, it stopped and changed course toward Oman, just before the British navy group declared the hijackers had departed and the vessel was now “safe.”

In an analysis, maritime intelligence firm Dryad Global described the seizure of the Asphalt Princess as the latest Iranian response to outside pressures, economic conflicts and other grievances.

“Iran has consistently shown that in conducting this kind of operation, it is calculated in doing so, both by targeting vessels directly connected with ongoing disputes and [vessels] operating within the ‘grey space’ of legitimacy,” which may be involved in illicit trade, Dryad Global said.

The owner of the Asphalt Princess, listed as Emirati free zone-based Glory International, could not immediately be reached for comment.

The US military’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet and the British Defense Ministry also did not respond to requests for comment. The Emirati government did not immediately acknowledge the incident.

The oil tanker Mercer Street, which came under attack last week off Oman, is seen moored off Fujairah, United Arab Emirates on Aug. 4, 2021. (AP/Jon Gambrell)

The Gulf of Oman sits near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all traded oil passes. Fujairah, on the UAE’s eastern coast, is a main port in the region for ships to take on new oil cargo, pick up supplies or trade out crew.

For the past two years, after then-President Donald Trump withdrew the US from Iran’s nuclear deal and imposed crushing sanctions, the waters off Fujairah have witnessed a series of explosions and hijackings. The US Navy has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers.

In the summer of 2019, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard troops detained a British-flagged tanker, the Stena Impero, near the Strait of Hormuz. Last year, an oil tanker sought by the U.S. for allegedly circumventing sanctions on Iran was hijacked off the Emirati coast and later ended up in Iran, though Tehran never acknowledged the incident.

And in January, armed Iranian Revolutionary Guard troops stormed a South Korean tanker and forced the ship to change course and travel to Iran. While Iran claimed it detained the ship over pollution concerns, it appeared to link the seizure to negotiations over billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen in South Korean banks.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/crew-of-tanker-off-uae-coast-said-to-thwart-iran-hijacking-by-sabotaging-engines/

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HEALTHWATCH: What Do Avocados Do to Your Cholesterol?

Guacamole

Posted 04/08/2021

By Michael Greger M.D. FACLM

Can guacamole lower your cholesterol as well as other whole–food fat sources like nuts, or is that just spin by the avocado industry?

“Avocados are the richest known fruit source of phytosterols,” the cholesterol-lowering nutrients found in plant foods, brags a review sponsored by the HASS Avocado Board. The operative word, though, is fruit.

Yes, avocados contain more phytosterols compared to other fruit, but phytosterols are fat-soluble substances. Most other fruits hardly have any fat in them at all, so avocados will obviously come out on top compared to other fruit.

What if you compare the phytosterol content of avocados to nuts and seeds, though? One avocado has about 100 milligrams of phytosterols. On the same scale, sesame seeds and tahini have 400 milligrams; pistachios, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds have about 300; almonds, almond butter, flaxseeds, and macadamia nuts have around 200; and even chocolate has about twice as many phytosterols as avocados.

Even though nuts and seeds have the highest levels of phytosterols overall, the studies that have been done on lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol with phytosterols have used supplements starting with 600 milligrams and going up into the thousands. So, yes, you can lower LDL cholesterol by about 8 percent with a dose of phytosterols around 2,100 milligrams, but that would be 20 avocados a day. And 2,100 milligrams of phytosterols would, just a single ounce a day. So, phytosterols aren’t the only components of nuts responsible for driving down cholesterol. Nuts must have other components, perhaps fiber or other phytonutrients, that contribute to their cholesterol-lowering effects. Might avocados have such components, too?

There are studies dating back more than a half-century that appear to show that if you add avocado to people’s daily diets, their cholesterol drops. When you remove the daily avocados, however, their cholesterol goes back up, and then it drops down again when you add the avocados back in. The data are pretty convincing—until you see how the study was done. The researchers didn’t just add an avocado. They swapped out animal fat. No wonder their cholesterol went down! Rather than a study about cholesterol and avocados, it may have just as well been about cholesterol and being on or off lard—and nearly all the studies on cholesterol and avocados are like this.

What happened when researchers performed a meta-analysis of ten studies involving hundreds of people? When they put them all together and looked at the results, what did they find? It appears that adding avocados led to a significant drop in cholesterol and triglycerides—an average of about a 17–point drop in bad LDL cholesterol. But, nearly all of the studies were substitution studies, where saturated fat was removed from people’s diets and avocados were substituted in. If you cut down on saturated animal fat, your cholesterol will drop regardless.

 You can tell this review was not funded by the avocado industry because the researchers point this out, saying that “it is important to note that substituting avocados for saturated dietary fats as opposed to adding avocado to an already established baseline diet poses the greatest benefit.” Simply adding avocado may confer no benefits to cholesterol at all.

So, yes, the avocado industry is right in saying that avocados are “a healthy substitute for butter/margarine, cheese, cream cheese,” but that’s a pretty low bar.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Compared with all other fruits, avocados contain more phytosterols, the cholesterol-lowering nutrient found in plant foods, but phytosterols are fat-soluble and most fruits are very low in fat, so it isn’t surprising that avocados top the chart.

When comparing phytosterol content of avocados, chocolate, nuts, and seeds,  nuts and seeds have the highest levels overall and even chocolate has roughly twice the phytosterols as avocados.

So-called bad LDL cholesterol may be lowered with doses of phytosterols equivalent to around 20 avocados or a single ounce of nuts (around a palmful) a day.

Most studies showing that cholesterol drops when a daily avocado is consumed and rises again when avocados aren’t eaten before falling once more when they’re.

Removing saturated fat from the diet and substituting in avocados may lead to a significant drop in cholesterol and triglycerides, but simply adding avocado without also reducing saturated animal fat intake does not appear to result in any benefits to cholesterol.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/healthwatch-what-do-avocados-do-to-your-cholesterol

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CORRUPTION changes  jackboots for collar and tie.

Posted 04/08/2021

Since its founding, La Prensa  promised to fight for freedom and against corruption. Today marks 41 years and the battles have been too many. Panama recovered its democracy but not decency. The corruption sponsored from the barracks moved to the Palace, and it reigns with the same impunity that it enjoyed under the protection of the rifles. Time does not seem to have passed, only the amounts. And justice remains the same, shameful accomplice of endless robbery. Corruption is the worst threat to our democracy today. Years of fighting, exiles, blood, and countless sacrifices seem to have fallen in vain, because civilians steal and lie with the same impunity that always protected the military and its circle of servitors. Corruption stopped wearing boots and now wears a collar and tie. And the lesson of these 41 years is that it does not matter if they wear olive green uniforms or designer clothes, our officials must be closely watched. And it is what La Prensa does every day, and will continue to do so, despite the threats, judicial harassment and attacks that they learned from the military.- LA PRENSA, Aug. 4.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/corruption-changes-jackboots-for-collar-and-tie

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Judge extends house arrest for jailed embezzler

Posted 04/08/2021

The compliance judge Roberto Sánchez granted an extension until December 30 of the house arrest measure in favor of the former director of the General Directorate of Revenue (DGI) Luis Cucalón.

Cucalón avoided arrest for two years in the Punta Pacifica Hospital before being sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzlement and corruption of public servants to the detriment of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Sánchez made the decision based on a  medical report from the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences which said that the ailments that the sanctioned person presents make him vulnerable to Covid-19, so it is risky to send him to prison.

The judge also took into consideration recommendations of the Ministry of Health regarding chronic diseases that can put a patient at risk from the coronavirus.

In May 2020, a compliance judge granted the measure of house-arrest to Cucalón after it was found that he had multiple ailments, which required specialized treatment.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/judge-extends-house-arrest-for-jailed-embezzler

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“Hijacking” of Panama-flagged ship ends

The Asphalt Princess

Posted 04/08/2021

AFP- An incident onboard a Panama-flagged ship off the coast of the United Arab Emirates , considered a “possible hijacking,” concluded without damage, the British maritime security agency UKMTO announced on Wednesday, August 4, six days after an  attack on a tanker in the Gulf.

The people who had come on board "have left the ship", which is "safe", and "the incident is over," the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Twitter.

On Tuesday, the agency had reported a "possible kidnapping" about 60 nautical miles (about 110 km) from the emirate of Fujairah, a member of the United Arab Emirates, a Gulf oil country.

The agency advised ships passing through the area to exercise "extreme caution," and the White House described the situation as "very worrying."

This Wednesday, an Omani maritime security source confirmed having received information according to which the ship was involved "in an incident of kidnappings in international waters in the Gulf of Oman."

"The air force of the sultanate flies over the area of the incident, where navy ships were also sent to help ensure the security of international waters in the region," added the same source, cited in a statement from the Ministry of Defense of Oman.

The Panama-flagged ship, "Asphalt Princess", was heading to Sohar - a port in the Sultanate of Oman (north) - transporting asphalt and bitumen, according to the website MarineTrafficz.

The industry benchmark Lloyd's List magazine's website said Tuesday that the ship was heading to Iran under the control of gunmen.

The incident, which occurred not far from the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a third of the world's oil passes, follows the July 29 attack on an oil tanker belonging to the company of an Israeli billionaire, Eyal Ofer, in which two people died, a British and a Romanian.

The tanker, attacked by "explosive drones" according to Washington, anchored off Fujairah on Tuesday.

Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Romania accuse Iran of carrying out the attack, but Tehran denies it and warned that it will retaliate against any "adventurism" following threats of retaliation.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/hijacking-of-panama-flagged-ship-ends

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Jailed Martinelli sons moved from isolation block

Posted 03/08/2021

The sons of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli  Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares were transferred from the isolation block of the Guatemalan prison where they have been held since the July 1 discovery of an alleged escape plan.

 The director said of the Penitentiary System, Luis Escobar told a Monday press

conference that the Panamanian brothers "are no longer in the isolation area," and the conditions in the other space where they are now located "are adequate to respect the integrity and dignity of the person".

Escobar said that as a result of the information they obtained of the alleged escape plan from the United States Embassy and the Guatemalan Ministry of the Interior, the Penitentiary System reinforced "the security protocols with more highly qualified or elite personnel.  Regarding the escape plan of Ricardo and Luis Martinelli, he emphasized that they could not "corroborate that there was an escape attempt, because there was not," however, "the information of the plan, we proceeded to investigate, "and, consequently, they were directly isolated ".

The brothers were removed from the "VIP area", as it is popularly known to the area where high-profile inmates are sent, located within the Mariscal Zavala Military Prison. , to an adjoining dungeon in order to isolate them and thwart their plan.

  The prison director added that the Mariscal Zavala prison suffers from a "vulnerability" due to the "renovation of some walls" that "could lead to a danger where they could try to escape."He emphasized that the Penitentiary System works "in conjunction with the American Embassy and the Ministry of Defense, and directly with the Ministry of the Interior with all its intelligence agencies and this it has led us to be successful in any escape attempt that might occur. "

The information on the alleged intention to escape "was clear. There could be an attempt, so we proceeded to reinforce those protocols."

Now, the Martinelli brothers, who are both awaiting an extradition process to the United States, are located in "another space that needs to have greater attention on the issue of their protection." Luis Enrique, 38, and his brother, Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, 40, were arrested in Guatemala on July 6, 2020, at the request of the United States due to the alleged crime of money laundering during the mandate of their father in a corruption case linked to the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.

According to the indictment of the District Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, the Martinelli Linares are responsible for the crime of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two crimes of concealment of information, between 2009 and 2015.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/jailed-martinelli-sons-moved-from-isolation-block

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Financial Pacific Trial date set but key players awol

Posted 03/08/2021

The preliminary hearing of 18 people investigated for the alleged money laundering to the detriment of the Superintendency of Securities Market (SMV), from the defunct firm Financial Pacific, will be held on September 13 and 14.

This was decided by Judge Baloisa Marquínez, of the Third Criminal Court for Liquidation, in an edict signed on June 25. An alternate date was established on October 18 and 19.

For this case, West Valdés and Iván Clare, founders of Financial Pacific, as well as Joel Antonio Watson, Ori Sasson Zbeda Levy, Mariel Rodríguez Espino, Carlos Javier Osorio Wald and Ramsés Owens are being investigated reports La Prensa.

Also featured are Riccardo Francolini, Aaron Mizrachi Malca, Ramón Crretero Napolitano, Valentín Martínez Vásquez and Margie Ángel Cohen.

The list of those investigated is completed by Cristóbal Salerno Ballesta, María Alejandra Salerno Gómez, Gabriel Btesh, Salomón Jack Btesh, Harry Nessim and Felipe Alejadro Virzi.

All of them were appointed public defenders (main and alternate), to represent them at the hearing, in case they do not appear before the judge that day.

Marquínez also ordered the notification (by summons) of Aaron Mizrachi Malca, Joel Watson and Iván Clare, all three whose whereabouts are unknown. The judge gave Mizrachi 40 days to appear in court, and Watson and Clare 10 days, and ordered their arrests, in case they do not appear.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/financial-pacific-trial-date-set-but-key-players-awol

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Panama to host  migrant crisis conference

Posted 02/08/2021

Panama’s Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes has invited her counterparts  In countries in the region involved in the growing irregular migration, to an August 11 meeting to find emergency solutions to the crisis.

According to a statement, it is a multidimensional phenomenon that cannot be tackled alone.

The meeting will have the already confirmed participation of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Costa Rica, through whose territories the migrant population travels with their primary destination  Mexico,  and onwards to the United States and Canada.

“Panama maintains that only with the collaboration of all the actors and instances with leadership and responsibility in the management of migration can its adverse effects be mitigated and advocates the establishment of dynamic mechanisms for the exchange of information throughout the migratory route along the continent,” says the statement. The meeting aims to achieve a robust commitment to eradicate dangerous and uncontrolled migration routes, respecting the right of all human beings to freedom of movement without putting life or property at risk.

"For Panama, it is a priority to favor the safe, orderly, and regular passage of migrants who arrive in its territory with the intention of continuing northward, consistent with its principles and with the international conventions that the country has signed," the statement added.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-to-host-migrant-crisis-conference

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4 weeks reading of evidence in Martinelli trial “just a start”

Posted 02/08/2021

The reading of seven volumes of documentary evidence in the wiretapping trial of former President Ricardo Martinelli will take four weeks.

The information is reserved, so access to the media is not allowed.

Ricardo González, spokesman for the prosecution, said that the "full" reading of these booklets could take about four weeks. "You have to read all the details on the pages," he said.

On Monday, August 2, Day 9 of the trial, onzález reported that after that, more testimonial, expert, and documentary evidence will be presented. "We are just getting started," he said.

Meanwhile, the political leader Balbina Herrera, one of the complainants in this process, pointed out that "in the past period the booklets were not read and everything that was done in the National Security Council was consolidated there."

Herrera was also asked by journalists about the constant disparagement of the trial by Martinelli. "Put your feet on the ground. Let him know that we are not playing games. What he did has to set a precedent in this country, "she said.

The former president, accused of the alleged commission of the crimes of interception of telecommunications, monitoring, persecution and surveillance without judicial authorization, reiterated Monday that the trial is a "farce" and that "it will fall."

His defense once again questioned the chain of custody of the documents presented by the prosecution.

According to the prosecution, the booklets contain hundreds of conversations, emails, and follow-ups made between 2012 and May 2014 by a group of CSN officials, on the orders of then-President Martinelli.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/4-weeks-reading-of-evidence-in-martinelli-trial-just-a-start

Luz Graciela Joly and Mitzity Tugri

The July 29^th Community Chat with Professor Luz Graciela Joly and Mitzity Tugri was recorded. Luz is an anthropologist who, in 1990-91, was Director of Indigenous Policy, Ministry of Government, Republic of Panama. On 12 March 2021, she retired as Full Time Tenured Professor of Anthropology at the main campus in David of UNACHI -- Autonomous University of Chiriqui.

Below are the video of that presentation, contact information, and presentation materials, etc. Due to technical difficulties with the computer, the presentation materials could not be displayed. Those materials are provided at the bottom of this posting; simply click on the link to download the PDF formatted presentation materials to your device.

Contact Information

• Luz Graciela Joly email: jolyadames@gmail.com (Spanish and English)

How To Share This Topic With Others

• https://chiriqui.life/topic/17101-bcp-community-chat-the-ngäbe-among-us

Presentation Materials (click below link to download the PDF document)

Luz Graciela Joly - Ngabe PPT compressed.pdf

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43,823 expired products destroyed

Posted 01/08/2021

The Consumer Protection Authority (Acodeco) found 43,823 expired products in Panama stores during inspections from January to June 2021.  The products were withdrawn from sale and subsequently destroyed.

Expired products represent 90.5% of the anomalies in the shops visited.

The total of the fouls was 48,435. In addition to expired products, 2,239 were detected with no expiration date; 1,272 shortfalls in sight prices; 675 spoiled foods, 300 unclear dates on products.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/43823-expired-products-destroyed

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Corruption and conflicts of interest recovery obstacles

Posted 01/08/2021

Corruption and conflict of interest are the biggest obstacles to achieving a post-pandemic sustainable economic recovery says Panama’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture(Cciap)  which has relaunched its Respect  My Future campaign.

“But this process requires the strengthening of  Panama’s foundations and its constitutional, institutional, and social principles," says the Chamber.

The campaign has the purpose of raising awareness and rescuing civic and moral values and has the support of the National Commission for Civic and Moral Values and the Ecumenical and Interreligious Committee of Panama, reiterated the Cciap, in its weekly newsletter.

According to the Cciap, #RespetaMiFuturo focuses on respect, as an inescapable condition for any country that seeks to advance. Respect, in turn, encompasses values such as ethics, freedom, leadership, loyalty, tolerance, inclusion, justice, honesty, equality, equity, the group emphasized.

"If as a union we have decided to protect the campaign, it is because we are convinced that the main threats to social and economic reactivation are corruption and conflicts of interest, which tarnish positive works and good examples," it added.

The campaign has the support of the mass media and opinion leaders in the country.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/corruption-and-conflicts-of-interest-recovery-obstacles-1

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MARTINELLI’S  ‘Useful Fools’

Posted 01/08/2021

He is a person who calls himself respectful of the law; that unofficially becomes the defender of the national treasury and the largest generator of jobs in the country; that nobody can accuse of anything, because it automatically begins to cackle an alleged political persecution against him. 

But it turns out that when he was president —of the country and of Cambio Democrático—, that political group did not pay the employer's quota of its workers, to the Social Security Fund (CSS). Everything happened between January 2010 and October 2015, although now the responsibility (but not the fault) is borne by the current board of directors of CD, where Martinelli is no longer even a member. The CSS has sanctioned CD for events that occurred when its legal representative was Martinelli and now the party must pay almost half a million dollars. That's how important to the former president are the people who work for him. This sanction reveals the hypocrisy of this subject, who obviously cares very little about his environment, except for those individuals who could serve as stepping stones to climb and achieve his goals. Beyond that, they are only useful fools to him.  - LA PRENSA, Aug. 1

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/martinellis-useful-fools

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US Justice and IRS probe Panama offshore service

Posted 31/07/2021

Authorities from the United States Department of Justice (US) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are once again eyeing Panama after a judge authorized the IRS, to require from various courier companies and financial institutions information on US taxpayers who may have used the services of the firm Panama Offshore Legal Services (POLS) and its associates (which together it calls Grupo POLS), to evade payment federal tax.

The Department of Justice said in a statement that it seeks to trace courier deliveries and transfers between Grupo POLS and its clients, to identify those who have used the services of this group to create or control foreign assets and entities to avoid compliance with tax obligations in the United States. 

Among the entities from which information will be requested are banks such as HSBC, Citibank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and even the Federal Reserve of New York, as well as parcel companies such as FedEx, DHL and UPS. The Justice Department note makes clear that the subpoenas do not imply that these companies have done something wrong, but rather that information is sought about possible violations of US law by individuals whose identity is unknown.

The Department of Justice describes POLS as a Panamanian law firm that advertises services, including for clients based in the United States, to help conceal ownership of foreign entities and accounts.

Jon Hanna, the firm's lawyer, told La Prensa that they are studying the case and seeing what options there are to cooperate with the investigation.

He said that the fact that a person from another country has not fulfilled their obligations does not make the firm responsible. He also commented that clients are informed about the obligation to report the existence of accounts in Panama or anywhere in the world to the United States tax authorities and with the signature is relieved of any responsibility for not paying their taxes

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/us-justice-and-irs-probe-panama-offshore-service-1

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Panama-Colombia talks on 10,000 stranded migrants

Posted 31/07/2021

Colombia proposed on Saturday, July 31, to dialogue with Panama to alleviate the crisis caused by an unusual flow of Haitian, African, Venezuelan, and Cuban migrants bound for North America on the border between the two countries.

"Immediate dialogues will begin with the Republic of Panama to agree that these migratory flows have a focus on arrival" to the Central American country, Defense Minister Diego Molano announced in a statement to the media. For several weeks, thousands of migrants have been waiting in the Colombian port of Necoclí for boats to take them to the border with Panama, the next stop on their journey to the United States or Canada.

The arrival of a large quantity exceeded the capacity of the local shipping company to take them to the border municipality of Acandí. Some 10,000 people, including numerous minors and pregnant women, are stranded in the municipality of 45,000 inhabitants, according to Molano.

The agglomeration of people in the middle of the pandemic makes the authorities fear an outbreak of coronavirus when the third wave that Colombia suffers subsides. But the residents of Necoclí celebrate the presence of the migrants because they boost the economy of the small tourist port hit by the pandemic, an AFP photographer confirmed.

The migrants rent hotel rooms and private houses while waiting for a place in the dozen boats that daily cross the Gulf of Urabá, one of the main transit points for migrants seeking to cross on foot to Panama through the jungle corridor. known as the Darién Gap, bound for Panama.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-colombia-talks-on-10000-stranded-migrants

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OPINION: Mediocrity  at its finest

Panama Ports

Posted 31/07/2021

When the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) are read, which include the interventions of its members on the renewal of the contract with Panama Ports Company (PPC), the superficiality with which the subject was discussed is revealed. Much of the concerns of the managers revolved around legal certainty, always in favor of the company, forgetting that PPC was an abusive partner, and leaving aside the issue of alleged violations of the original contract. So, what was the legal security when analyzing everything that the Panamanian State stopped perceiving due to the tyranny of the PPC? When things are done well, there is no need to fear, but as this is a crooked country, these things happen. The terms of the AMP board of directors are a disgrace. They contrast with the way in which the Canal Authority handled the contract with Grupo Unidos por el Canal, confronting first-world, powerful companies that even threatened to sue Panama. But since things are done better in the ACP, there was no objection to filing a fight in the arbitration tribunals. In the case of PPC, the justifications of cowardice outweighed those of reason. Mediocrity at its finest.- LA PRENSA, Jul. 31.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/opinion-mediocrity-at-its-finest

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Fate of Martinelli and sons hangs in the balance

Trial " a witch hunt," says Martinelli

Posted 30/07/2021

WHILE the trial of former president Ricardo Martinelli for illegal wiretapping heads into its 8^th day and he continues his daily trumpeting “political persecution”  he has other things on his mind -- the fate of his two sons detained for over a year in Guatemala Military Prison pending extradition to the United States to face money laundering charges which if proven could earn sentences that would keep them behind bars for much of their lives. Their father on the other hand if found guilty could be sent down for eight years.

The head of mission of the United States Embassy in Panama, Stewart Tuttle, told TVN  his country hopes that the extradition treaty they have with Guatemala, in the case followed by the brothers Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli, will be fulfilled in all its terms.

The Guatemalan Public Ministry informed TVN Noticias that in the case of Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares he was notified that there is no place for the appeal he presented for his extradition, which continues his process.

Regarding  his brother, Ricardo Alberto, the Public Ministry of Guatemala confirms that there are still no notifications of his case

Despite the fact that the Martinelli Linares brothers were detained at the same request from the United States, their proceedings are carried out by different courts in Guatemala.

“The only thing I can say about the Martinelli brothers is that there is a legal case in the United States that is progressing. There is an extradition treaty with Guatemala and we hope that its conditions will be met, "Tuttle said.

In July 2020, at the La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala, the sons  were detained at a request from the United States authorities, where they are accused of alleged money laundering, specifically linked to the Odebrecht case. They were trying to leave Guatemala on a private flight, supposedly to Panama

The accusation of the US Department of Justice indicates that the brothers were intermediaries in the payment of $28 million from the Brazilian construction company to a former high-ranking official in the Martinelli administration from 2009 to 2014.

After the apprehension, a series of hearings were held, following the process established by Guatemalan extradition laws, which consist of an administrative and a judicial part and which have been used by their lawyers to avoid their delivery to the US.

Regarding Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, the Public Ministry of Guatemala confirms that there are still no notifications of his case Despite the fact that the Martinelli Linares brothers were detained at the same request from the US, their proceedings are carried out by different courts in Guatemala.

“The only thing I can say about the Martinelli brothers is that there is a ‘legal case in the United States that is progressing. There is an extradition treaty with Guatemala and we hope that its conditions will be met, "Tuttle said.

The brothers were arrested in July 2020, at the La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala, when they were trying to leave Guatemala on a private flight, supposedly to Panama.

At the beginning of July of this year, there was an alleged attempted escape by the brothers after which the authorities tightened security.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/fate-of-martinelli-and-sons-hangs-in-the-balance

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PERFECT STORM: Failed lawyers,lazy mayor

Mayor Fabrega

Posted 30/07/2021

Recently, the president of the Supreme Court complained that lawyers seeking his suitability are failing in induction courses taught by the Superior Institute of the Judiciary of Panama. Of the almost 600 lawyers who took the seminar between January and May of this year, 50% failed, but - yes - all received their suitability. That is why it is not surprising that there are hundreds of complaints against justices of the peace in the capital district, accused, among other things, of arbitrariness and excess of duties. To examine and resolve these conflicts between citizens and judges, the mayor of the capital city, José Luis Fábrega, must appoint a commission for this purpose, but this official seems to be busy with matters more important than these minutiae, since the members of such commission have not been appointed, despite the fact that the Ministry of Government (Mingob) has requested it. Given the laziness that reigns in the Mayor's Office, the Mingob is preparing reforms to the law, to see if this will solve some issues, that is, to have more than a voice to solve these problems. Hopefully the mayor does not oppose this initiative, as he usually does. After all, you will get more of what you love: free time.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/perfect-storm-failed-lawyerslazy-mayor

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9,000  Panama-bound migrants collapse Colombia town

Posted 29/07/2021

EFE - The Colombian municipality of Necoclí, which is part of the Antioquia department (northwest), is collapsing under  the of  strain an unprecedented migration crisis and for with some 9,000,  people, mostly Haitians, seeking to reach Panama on their way to North America.

The mayor of this town of about 40,000 inhabitants, José Augusto Tobón, has decreed a public calamity and asked the National Government for help in the face of a situation that exceeds the capacities of the local authorities.

The official told the media that it is "the worst crisis in the history" of his municipality because thousands of migrants have not been able to buy tickets to continue on their way to Panama.

The migrants seek to reach other coastal areas by boat in order to enter the Darien Gap, the dangerous border jungle between Panama and Colombia, and continue on their way to North America.

"They have collapsed the health, public services, and food systems. We do not know what will happen to us, we have a health emergency because these people are not vaccinated and we are still under the effects of the covid," Tobón said.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/9000-panama-bound-migrants-collapse-colombia-town

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OPINION: Justice lags as vandals act

Posted 29/07/2021

The recent demolition of an old and historic structure in the city of Colón once again brings to the table the arbitrariness with which certain officials act, in this case, the mayor of the city of Colón, Alex Lee, and the deputy from Colón Jairo Salazar, as well as the shameful inactivity of the Ministry of Culture, which had not even learned that these two did not hesitate for a moment to assume their functions.

The action perpetrated by these subjects is not only an act of supine ignorance, but it deserves to be the subject of a criminal investigation, in order to make them pay for what they did. And we hope that, in the remote possibility that a criminal process is opened, the Supreme Court of Justice will not take refuge in the usual ridiculousness: that there is no summary evidence, Unless they want the rubble of the demolished structure carried to their offices. What these two authorities in Colón have done is openly a provocation to our judicial system, since they not only acknowledge having done it, but they have promised that they will continue to tear down structures in Colón, one every week. It is clear that we live in the country - not the strongest - but the ignorant with the most power. – LA PRENSA, Jul.29.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-justice-lags-as-vandals-act

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OPINION: Tiresome accusations

Ricardo Martinelli

Posted 28/07/2021

President Laurentino Cortizo affirmed yesterday that his government has not been and will not be eavesdropping outside the law. His statement responds to the repeated accusations made by former President Ricardo Martinelli, who is being prosecuted, precisely, for allegedly ordering physical and virtual monitoring of more than a hundred people. Martinelli has also been accusing Vice President Gaby Carrizo for months of being responsible for the annulment of the ruling that acquitted him and of being the architect of this new prosecution. Cortizo's statement about the wiretapping in his administration contrasts with those that, at the time, Martinelli gave, ensuring that he had the pedigree of all, or the audios of telephone conversations of his political opponents that mysteriously appeared on YouTube. But if Martinelli insists that his conversations are heard by the Security Council, he must present the complaints before the judicial authorities in order for them to be investigated. His repetitive speech about his trial and that he is spied on by the Government is already tiresome, especially since he is unable to present a single proof of his assertions. As for President Cortizo, we hope we do not see him later sitting on this same bench. – LA PRENSA, Jul. 28.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/opinion-tiresome-accusations

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Panama boxer in Tokyo quarter-finals

Posted 28/07/2021

Panamanian boxer Athenyna Bylon, 32, is one win away from a medal at Tokyo 2020  after beating Australian Catlin Parker by unanimous decision (5-0) in the round of 16 but first, she has to defeat  Britain’s Lauren Price,27, current world number 1. They last met in the ring seven years ago at the World Cup in South Korea when Bylon won a  split decision (2-1). That year, Bylon won the world title in the 69 kg category.

Bylon has already earned an Olympic diploma, a distinction awarded by the International Olympic Committee to the first eight places in each event.

The match-up will take place on Friday,  July 30.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-boxer-in-tokyo-quarter-finals

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Miraflores visitor center reopening

Posted 28/07/2021

The Miraflores visitor center will open to the public on August 11, after being closed for almost a year and five months as a result of the coronavirus pandemic  The reopening of the site will be under strict biosecurity measures established by the health authorities says The Panama Canal Authority.

Those who wish to can make reservations from Monday, August 2, via the website www.visitcanaldepanama.com .

The Agua Clara visitor center, in Colón, reopened on May 15, under the modality of controlled visits.

The two centers remained closed from March 16, 2020, when the first cases of Covid-19 were reported in the country.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/travel/miraflores-visitor-center-reopening

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Rain and flood alert through Thursday

Posted 27/07/2021

The National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) warns that with the passage of tropical waves 21 and 22, storms will be registered until July 29, The transit of tropical wave 21 will be interacting with other atmospheric systems in the region such as low pressures and the intertropical convergence zone, which will modulate the weather conditions during the next few days, indicated Hydrometeorology of the Electricity Transmission Company.

In coastal areas and zones, maximum accumulated rainfall from 25 to 70 MM of water per day per square meter is expected with higher amounts in mountainous regions and mountain ranges.

A high possibility of flooding of rivers, floods, and landslides between lands already saturated by the rains is expected

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/rain-and-flood-alert-through-thursday

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Spying details revealed in Martinelli trial

"Political bull****" said Ricardo Martinelli.

Posted 27/07/2021

On Monday, July 26, the fourth day of the espionage trial of former president Ricardo Martinelli,    Júbilo Grael, who worked in the National Security Council (CSN) from 2009 to 2019, gave details of the monitoring of Mitchell Doens, Balbina Herrera, Mauro Zúñiga and Raisa Banfield between 2009 and 2014.  

Grael said that the order to follow the "targets" was received directly from Ronny Rodríguez, former deputy director of the CSN and who has never appeared at the trial, as he is a fugitive.

In the case of Zúñiga, he said that the purpose was to let him know that he was being followed.

Super 99

He also testified that he and his partner Javier Quirós were ordered to move a CSN shelf to the offices of the Super 99 in Monte Oscuro, but first he and Rodríguez, Quirós went to the Presidency of the Republic. There, Rodríguez got out and talked for several minutes.

Grael's version was ratified by Javier Quirós, who also served as a witness for the prosecution.

The prosecution also presented as witnesses Nicolás Escudero and Jesús González, from the Liberty Technology company, in charge of installing an internet system at the CSN.

According to the theory supported by prosecutor Ricaurte González, the adjustments were used for the operation of the Pegasus system, used to spy on the "targets" through the CSN. Pegasus was one of three software used to spy on and track politicians, businessmen, trade unionists, journalists, and other civil society actors.

The Trial Court admitted eight pieces of evidence to the prosecution: four testimonials and four documentaries. “The relevance of the last two witnesses was that they give certainty of how they received instructions. There was a public order division that had as part of its management to verify, monitor, all those activities that were generated in the city and the rest of the country. What impact can it have for the security of the country that four people are followed, including two of them in restaurants? What was in the Security Council was a parallel office (...); It has already been indicated who gave the instructions and who was the number one who was indicated by the witness, ”said the prosecutor when leaving the trial.

Martinelli said “So much money wasted on this political bull****. Everything is rigged, everything is falsified, this is a waste of time.”

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/spying-details-revealed-in-martinelli-trial