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Panama Canal transits recorde tonnage
Posted 29/10/2021
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reported on Thursday, October 28, a record tonnage, exceeding by 10% what was achieved in 2019.
Fiscal year 2021 closed with an annual record of 516.7 million tons CP / UMS (Universal Canal Shipment System).
This figure represents an 8.7% increase compared to the fiscal year 2020 and 10% above the tonnage accounted for in 2019, the last fiscal year before the pandemic.
The records achieved come in a year marked by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic around the world, as interruptions caused container rates to increase and production to slow in various sectors due to a shortage of raw materials.
It was reported that 184.3 million PC / UMS tons were registered in the container ship line, an increase of 2% in tonnage compared to 2020.
This was followed by bulk carriers (90 million tons CP / UMS), chemical tankers (65 million, LNG (61 million), and LPG (52.8 million).
Despite the interruptions in the supply chain, LNG vessels increased 31.4% in tonnage through the Canal, which represents the highest increase among all segments.
On vehicle carriers, growth was reported in fiscal 2021, but they have not yet fully recovered from the effects of the pandemic. In addition, a similar situation occurred with passenger ships, a segment that is expected to gradually return through the interoceanic route in 2022.
The ACP also registered a total of 13,342 vessel transits in the fiscal year 2021, with Neopanamax vessels as the main support.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/panama-canal-transits-recorde-tonnage
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Mounting protests by different sectors as Cortizo heads to Glasgow
Posted 28/10/2021
Anti-riot police and protesters clashed on Thursday, October 28, in the province of Colón, on the second day of the strike decreed by the Unity Coalition for Colón (Cuco).
At noon, crowd control units cleared Los Cuatro Altos with tear gas and arrested several protesters.
The director l of the National Police, John Omar Dornheim Castillo, arrived in Colón in the afternoon. He went to Villa del Carmen to convince the protesters to reopen the road.A group of Colonists closed several streets in the province to demand answers from the government of Laurentino Cortizo . Among its demands is the construction of a new hospital, a transport terminal, improvements in the supply of drinking water, and more jobs. They also request the construction of sports arenas, a house of culture, improvements in the educational system and roads.
Cortizo that he will meet with a Cuco commission on November 11 at the Presidency
From early morning Thursday there wer closures on the Transistmica higway, at the Altos de Los Lagos, Villa del Carmen, Sabanitas, Río Rita, Quebrada López and Cuatro Altos .There were also closures in Portobelo and on the internal roads from San Pedro to the old Panama Refinery, Río Gatún and Gatuncillo.
The protests have had the support of the unemployed, community leaders, educators, construction workers, who demanded Cortizo's presence in the province.
Added to the day of protest which followed a march by nurses to confront Cortizo was the second day of stoppage in the collective and selective transport sector protesting rising fuel prices.
Hundreds of people have had to walk from their homes to workplaces, where some public institutions and private companies have seen their daily activities severely affected.
"One thing is a partial street closure, a protest on the side of the road, and another thing is harassment, burning tires and harming third parties," said Juan Manuel Pino, Minister of Public Security, when approached by journalists about the protests
He added. "What the public forces want the least is confrontation and we have demonstrated this in a pandemic," the minister stressed.
With rising prices, unemployment, and discontent at electoral changes, Cortizo could be returning to more of the same. -
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Panama flag returns to Ancon hill
Posted 27/10/2021
The Panamanian flag returned to Cerro Ancón on Wednesday, October 27, after completion of repairs to the lightning rod and the air navigation light reports the Ministry of Finance.
The flagpole and the flag are part of the viewpoint in the Ancón hill area. The first Panamanian flag was installed in the sector in 1979 two years after the entry into force of the Torrijos-Carter treaties.
The restructuring and maintenance work began on September 30 and lasted 27 days.
The tourist complex of Cerro Ancón is under the responsibility of the Administrative Unit of Reverted Assets of the MEF after the transfer of the assets of the old Panama Canal Zone.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-flag-returns-to-ancon-hill
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Four stadiums will be used to celebrate national holidays
Posted 27/10/2021
The exhibition of musical bands in 2021 will take place in four stadiums in the country in lieu of parades to celebrate the national holidays.The Ministry of Education, (Meduca) reports that the exhibitions of the musical bands of official and private schools; independent bands and security forces; They will be held on November 3, 4, 5 and 28 to celebrate 118 years of republican life and the Bicentennial of the Independence of Panama from Spain.
For the second consecutive year, the authorities decided not to carry out the traditional parades due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and instead it was agreed to carry out these exhibitions of musical bands in the month of the homeland.
In the province of Panama, the Rommel Fernández stadium will be conditioned and the participation of the delegations will be limited by each date. For example, on the 3rd at Rommel Fernández, four public schools, three private schools, three independent bands and the Panama Fire Department will participate.
For the 4th there will be three official campuses, four individuals, three independent bands and the National Aeronaval Service. And on November 5, three official educational centers, three private ones, five independent bands and the participation of the Republican Band will be exhibited.
On November 28, the presentation of 11 independent bands and the delegation of the National Police was approved.
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) recommended the participation of 100 people in each student delegation and 150 in the independent bands
“For spectators to enter they must have a ticket. The tickets will be free and will be handled through the municipal councils of the capital district and San Miguelito, the Governorate of Panama Oeste and Colón. Meanwhile, the Ministries of Education and Culture will also have access to the ticket office and they will begin to be distributed from Friday, October 29, ”Meduca reported.
It is made clear that all people who wish to enter the activity must present the QR of vaccination against Covid-19 and those under 12 years of age may attend as long as they are accompanied by their parents.
The other provinces selected to organize the activity are Chiriquí, at the San Cristóbal stadium, Veraguas at the Omar Torrijos stadium, and Bocas del Toro at the Calvin Byron stadium.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/four-stadiums-will-be-used-to-celebrate-national-holidays
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Women deputies present lawsuit against electoral reforms
Posted 26/10/2021Three women lawmakers from different benches accompanied by a group from political women's organizations were at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, October 26 to present a lawsuit of unconstitutionality against the electoral reforms approved in the National Assembly.
The lawsuit was filed by the PRD Zulay Rodríguez; Ana Giselle Rosas, from Cambio Democrático and Yesenia Rodríguez, for the Panameñista Party.
Four articles of Law 247, which reforms the Electoral Code, which were sued as unconstitutional. Among these articles is number seven, which modifies article No. 22 of the Electoral Code because it empowers the magistrates of the Electoral Tribunal to exclude from the Electoral Roll those who have not participated in three elections. In the applicants' view, this violates the right to vote and political participation.
Numeral 3 of article No. 117 is also being sued, which modifies article No. 301 of the Electoral Code, which makes a distinction in electoral offers, for example, it makes mandatory the primaries for president in parties with more than 100,000 adherents.
This would be the first lawsuit against the electoral reforms, which were approved on October 15 in the National Assembly, amid questions from organized civil society, the magistrates of the Electoral Tribunal, and organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture.
The plenary session of the Assembly approved October 21, in a third debate - amid citizen complaints - the presidential veto of just one article of the electoral reforms.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/women-deputies-present-lawsuit-against-electoral-reforms
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Panama flagged ship attacked by pirates
Posted 26/10/2021
THE PANAMA flagged container ship MSC Lucia was hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea International media reported on Monday, November 25.
The vessel was heading from Lomé (Togo) to Douala (Cameroon) when it was attacked by an unknown number of criminals 86 nautical miles (159 kilometers) from the Agbami terminal”.
The Maritime Bulletin portal reported that the Russian Navy supply ship Akademik Pashin approached the container ship to provide assistance to the vessel and its crew. Russian marines boarded the ship and remove the pirates
The waters of the Gulf of Guinea are considered high risk due to the frequency of attacks by pirates.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-flagged-ship-attacked-by-pirates
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The stench of corruption smelling like roses
Posted 25/10/2021
Our society does not seem to have rest, much less peace. Every day there is a scandal. The average citizen must spend every day examining what is behind each law; of each contract; of each discourse, as there is always a double agenda, in which we must discover the true purpose of everything or, otherwise, we are left without a country because we are governed by a party of hypocrites who only live for deception and theft. This is perceived by everyone, even those with an underdeveloped sense of smell ... except the President of the Republic, who, being so closely surrounded by the pestilence, it is inexplicable that everything smells of roses, unless he lacks smell or does not breathe or bear the stench very well. The stench of corruption is so unbearable that many young people - who represent the future of the land that the president says he loves so much - begin to emigrate to other countries. This is a new phenomenon, and one that must be analyzed by the rulers because without them, there is no future. And politicians know very well that pillage and robbery do not generate wealth, and since they are useless satraps, the country will gradually sink, while the president, inevitably, is impregnated with the same smell that he is unable to perceive.- LA PRENSA, Nov. 25
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/the-stench-of-corruption-smelling-like-roses
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Tocumen Airport gears up for holiday rush
Posted 25/10/2021
The administration of the Tocumen International Airport is planning to handle up to 3,900 additional daily passengers both entering and leaving the country for the national holidays from October 28 to November 11.
According to preliminary reports from the airlines, “26,000 travelers will leave the terminal and a total of 20,000 thousand visitors will enter Panama, "said a statement from Tocumen, SA.
October 31 and November 1 and 2 will be the days with the highest movement of passengers leaving Panama, while the return to the country is scheduled between November 7 and 10.
Claudio Dutary, operations manager of the Airport, said that among the main destinations for Panamanians to travel during the holiday are Orlando and Miami, in the United States; Bogotá and Medellín, in Colombia; Cancun in Mexico, and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. While at the local level the province of Chiriquí is among the favorites.
"Each traveler must complete the digital health affidavit that appears on the website https://www.panamadigital.gob.pa/RegistroPacoViajero, in which they will obtain the QR code that the traveler will have. to present at the health control points established at the Tocumen Airport (on paper or mobile).
This tool will allow the traveler to streamline the procedures during their entry into the country, going directly to Migration, Dutary said.
Airlines urge travelers to arrive three hours in advance, to carry out check-in procedures.
It is also recommended that before buying the ticket, the traveler must verify if in the country of destination they request proof of Covid-19 certification, valid vaccination or some other restriction.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/travel/tocumen-airport-gears-up-for-holiday-rush
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ENVIRONMENT: Every meter of world coastline will hold 50 kg of plastic in 20 years
Posted 24/10/2021
In less than 20 years the level of pollution will be such that on every meter of coastline in the world there will be, on average, about 50 kilograms of plastic garbage.
The projections represent a new environmental alert emerging from a study by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP ).
Currently, the different plastic products are equivalent to 85% of the waste that reaches the sea, at the rate of between eight million and 10 million tons per year. By 2040, the figures will increase to reach between 23 million and 37 million tons per year, the study points out as a prelude to the 26th United Nations Conference on Climate Change(COP26), which will be held from October 31 in Glasgow.
So much plastic in the oceans will affect all marine species, including corals, birds, reptiles, and mammals linked to saltwater ecosystems. Each will face risks of suffocation, poisoning, behavioral disorders or starvation, due to the fragments of plastic, or microplastics, that end up entering the food chain.
In the case of humans, plastic waste and its chemical components could cause sequelae such as hormonal changes, developmental disorders, reproductive abnormalities, or diseases such as cancer.
People ingest plastics in water, fish and shellfish, or through common salt, the research says. The low prices of raw materials based on fossil fuels, compared to sources of materials produced by recycling; the lack of articulation in the management of plastic waste, and the lack of consensus on global solutions to significantly reduce the consumption of plastics, are the most critical problems that lead to the negative projections on marine pollution.
Neither are initiatives such as the elimination of the use of plastic bags or single-use plastic products sufficient for the moment. According to the report "Single-use plastics - a route to sustainability", by Environment, in 2018 there were 99 countries that had introduced some legislation to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic material, mainly bags from supermarkets and shops.
Pandemic effects
Three years later, the situation has been exacerbated due to the pandemic, a health crisis that has forced the use of billions of masks, gloves, medical waste, and take-out packaging. Plastic consumption has risen so much that many countries have seen their recycling systems collapse.In Panama, research is being carried out on microplastic on the coasts and waters of the country and two recent laws are in force that promote the reduction of the use of plastic bags and single-use plastic products, such as swabs, clothing covers for laundry services, packaging of eggs, and sticks for candies.
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Son of Martinelli throws in the towel
Posted 25/10/2021
Given the imminent extradition of his brother Luis Enrique, Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares has withdrawn the appeals he presented to prevent his delivery to the United States, where both are required for various crimes related to money laundering reports La Prensa.
"Because it suits my interests and having made the decision to submit to the extradition process passively, voluntarily and spontaneously, I request to desist from the constitutional action for Amparo," he stated in the withdrawal brief filed with the Guatemala Supreme Court
Denis Cuesy, lawyer for the Martinelli Linares, said that Ricardo Alberto made the decision to withdraw all the appeals that he had presented and that he is now waiting for the file to be transferred to the Fifth Court of Criminal Sentencing, Drug Trafficking and Environmental Crimes, which must certify the formal delivery to the United States.
This procedure has already been carried out in the Luis Enrique extradition process, which is settled in another court, , which already declared the delivery to the United States to be admissible, on April 25. The decision was ratified on June 21, by the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals.
Luis Enrique remains in the Mariscal Zavala military prison, like his brother, only waiting for the US embassy in Guatemala to indicate which day he will travel to the United States.
Ricardo Alberto would remain in the military prison since although he has withdrawn his resources, it is unlikely that he will be able to travel on the same flight or on the same date as his brother.
“When they give up extradition appeals, they always take time to resolve. In the case of an alleged Guatemalan drug trafficker [Haroldo Lorenzana], the withdrawal occurred in January and the hearing lasted until May, ”said Rony Rodríguez, from El Periódico de Guatemala.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/son-of-martinelli-throws-in-the-towel
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Business chamber convenes judicial observatory in wake of citizen protests
Citizens march to protest electoral reforms
Posted 24/10/2021
Panama’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (Cciap), announced on Sunday, October 24, the convening of the Observatory of the Judicial System to evaluate the electoral reforms approved in the National Assembly.
The Chamber’s president Jose Ramón Icaza recalled that the observatory is made up of professionals with great experience and knowledge in jurisprudence and will be called because the recommendations of the National Electoral Reform Commission were ignored.
"The main decision-makers of the country chose to ignore the express will of those who participated in the electoral reform process since its birth, to favor the electoral interests of a minority," Icaza recalled in the union's weekly bulletin.
The plenary session of the National Assembly was approved in the third debate on Friday, October 15, bill No. 544, which reforms the Electoral Code.
Four days later, on the eve of a citizen protest, march President Cortizo vetoed only one article of the reforms. After knowing the position of the president in the Government Commission of the National Assembly, he recommended to the plenary session to eliminate article No. 227.
That article said: “An amnesty is ordered for the fines imposed on the candidates who participated in the 2019 electoral tournament, who have failed to comply with the presentation of reports on campaign income and expenses established in article 215 of the Electoral Code, which at the date they owe ”.
On the afternoon of this Wednesday, October 20, the plenary of the National Assembly accepted the partial objection of the president to the electoral reforms.
Icaza recalled that at different times the Cciap observatory has reviewed high-profile cases and fundamental documents such as the proposal for reforms to the Constitution presented by the Camber always with clear objectives of transparency, justice, and accountability.
"We trust that they will help us provide the country with a report that, in addition to teaching and enriching the debate, will serve to determine whether the approved reforms have any signs of unconstitutionality," said Icaza.
If these signs of unconstitutionality are found, the Cciap - and the people and groups that wish to join - would present a lawsuit before the Supreme Court of Justice that defends the right of citizens "to a fair and equitable Electoral Code ."
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Index of economic activity up 12.48% - hotels lag
Posted 23/10/2021
The monthly index of economic activity (Imae) registered a growth of 12.48% between January and August 2021 compared to the same period of the previous year, reported the National Institute of Statistics and Census.
The result is a consequence of the higher level of openness this year, which is compared with the months of greater mobility restrictions last year, at the beginning of the pandemic.
Activities such as transportation, storage, and communications register growth, but there are segments, such as hotels, that are at negative rates.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/index-of-economic-activity-up-1248-hotels-lag
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Martinelli’s offspring to debut as singers?
Potential songbirds
Posted 23/10/2021
As Rubén Blade's song says, in the coming days or weeks, Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal's children –Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares– will have to make Decisions —and transcendental ones—, in which there are no winners and yes much to lose. Luis Enrique will be brought before federal prosecutors for the Eastern District of New York, where he and his brother are indicted for alleged conspiracy to launder money and other crimes.
Let's refresh the memory. At the end of 2016, the United States Department of Justice revealed its investigation into Odebrecht, a company that used its banking system to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to pay bribes to hundreds of politicians across the continent.
In the case of Panama, the Department of Justice said that between 2009 and 2012, Odebrecht agreed to pay $26 million "to two close relatives of a senior Panamanian official " in relation to public infrastructure projects, on the understanding that, in exchange, the official would guarantee the contract to Odebrecht.
Investigations in the US also found that payments were made to a Panamanian official, whose name has not been released, by order of a federal judge. However, documents in the US describe him as " an official with a very high position in the government of Panama between 2009 and 2014" and a "close relative " of the two defendants (Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto). That period belongs to the Martinelli Berrocal administration. Obviously, 2 + 2 is not 3 nor is it 5. It is simply 4.
Let's go back to the decisions that the Martinelli brothers must make. The thing is whether or not they decide to cooperate with US federal prosecutors. If they decide not to cooperate, then there will be nothing more to discuss, but to serve their sentence in silence if they are found guilty at trial.
Their father also made a decision: “It fills me with great joy and satisfaction that this is over soon, because one has to show one's face. When you don't owe it, you don't fear it,” he said. He added that his children "are going to have to go to the US to prove [their innocence] there." In other words, let them go and show their faces. I stay ... The brave father is right: "he who does not owe it, does not fear it."
There are signs that lead us to think - but not to conclude - that they may decide to cooperate. Before leaving the United States last year, the brothers met several times with an FBI agent, according to the affidavit (affidavit) that FBI Special Agent Michael Lewandowski delivered to the Eastern District Court of New York.
But this is a new scenario. The brothers must decide whether to expose that "high position in the government of Panama between 2009 and 2014" or if they serve their sentence. Their father has bet everything on nothing on their silence. But what if they decide to debut as singers? - Rolando Rodriguez B. La Prensa,
Associate Director and Editor of the Research Unit.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinellis-offspring-to-debut-as-singers
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Four fairs reactivated for the fully vaccinated
Posted 23/10/2021
The re-activation of four major fairs Boquete, La Chorrera, David, and Azuero was confirmed at the plenary session of the National Fairs Commission (Conafer), of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA). Only the fully vaccinated will be allowed in.
At the same meeting the trustees of the Boquete Flower and Coffee Fair confirmed that the event will take place from January 13 to 23, 2022.
Roberto Guerra, president of Conafer, expressed that with effort and sacrifice the fair activities are resumed, but that it will begin with the largest activities, which will be a catalyst for other festivities.
Samir Gozaine, secretary of the Tourism Cabinet, explained that other verification systems will have to be integrated before the fair activities, such as the QR system, having AIG staff available at the ticket offices of the fair events.
Meanwhile, he said that children under 12 may enter, but with their parents who must have the complete vaccination scheme. They will have to use masks when they move around the facilities, they can only be removed to eat or drink some type of drink.
Luis Oliva, director of the AIG, indicated that it is important to control access to fairs with the QR code.
"We are going to put a stand at each fair authorized by the Ministry of Health, to help people who attend with the QR code and we can train the staff of each fair with this entry system," he said.
The Ministries of Health and Agricultural Development will coordinate the biosecurity measures to be adopted for the development of these events with the fair boards.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/four-fairs-reactivated-for-the-fully-vaccinated
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OPINION: Flip flopping in the Supreme Court
Posted 21/10/2021
OMagistrate Cecilio Cedalise sent a letter to the president of the Supreme Court in which he demands an investigation into the leakage of his draft ruling in favor of former President Ricardo Martinelli in the case of espionage on the private communications of some 150 people, and punish to those responsible for the leak. It is an irony that this magistrate demands the same investigation and punishment for those who are responsible for the leak, at the same time that his draft ruling would invalidate the entire investigation and the trial of the punctures, despite the fact that he signed the sentence that he ratified all the actions in this process of the then magistrate judge of guarantees Jerónimo Mejía, except for the competence of the Supreme Court to continue with this case, since the accused resigned his status as a parliamentarian. This was even recognized by the defendant's own defense, when one of his lawyers said that this ruling was “bittersweet”, because, while the case was sent to the ordinary justice, on the other hand, it validated all the previous decisions of the judge of guarantees, including the subject of the imputation, the reason for the draft ruling. However, Cedalise now has a new opinion and that contradicts what he had no qualms about ratifying before. LA PRENSA, Oct. 21.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-flip-flopping-in-the-supreme-court-1
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Lagging Panama has to rush to avoid money laundering black list
The third annual FATF plenary was held in Paris.
Posted 22/10/2021
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has urged Panama to play catch-up, by February 2022, the action plan agreed to address deficiencies in the prevention of money laundering to avoid being added to the organization’s black list.
Marcus Pleyer, president of the FATF, said that they are very concerned about the pace of progress that Panama has had in the action plan.
agreed between the international organization and the Panamanian government in 2019, when the country entered the gray list, and contains 15 items or actions to address the deficiencies detected in the regime for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing.
In the previous plenary, held in June, Panama had amply fulfilled five points of the plan and, in the new evaluation, the number rose to seven. Therefore, there are still eight pending points.
Pleyer recalled that all the originally agreed times had expired in January of this year.
The FATF stressed thsense of urgency to advance the action plan and set February 2022 as the deadline. “If there is not enough progress, the FATF will consider next steps, which could include placing the country on our list of high-risk jurisdictions. , the so-called black list ”, said Pleyer, in the press conference after the plenary session.
Panama remains on the gray list along with 22 other jurisdictions. Jordan, Mali, and Turkey join this relationship, and Botswana and Mauritius leave it. Only Iran and North Korea are on the blacklist.
Carlos Barsallo, president of the Panamanian Chapter of Transparency International, said that the consequences of an eventual entry into the black list would be "very negative." He said that the effects will be directly related to the attitude taken by the Financial Crime Control Network (FinCEN), an office of the United States Department of the Treasury that has the attributions of an intelligence unit.
A FinCEN warning to banks would complicate the correspondent relationships of Panamanian banks, as much stricter due diligence measures would be required, which implies higher expenses. Then, correspondent banks would have to assess the cost-benefit relationship of maintaining that linkage. “It is a scenario that cannot be considered as having to arrive. It is unthinkable to be on a list with those two dance partners, "he said.
Julio Aguirre, financial consultant and expert in the prevention of money laundering, said that in the event of falling on the black list, all types of international transactions will be more difficult to handle, not only for banks but for any type of company. "The country has to unite flatly because we cannot allow that to happen," he warned.
Among the pending tasks identified by FATF is a better understanding of the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing of legal entities; ensuring effective, proportional, and dissuasive sanctions against violations of the money laundering regime; guaranteeing an adequate verification of updated information of the final beneficiaries by the obligated subjects and the timely access of the competent authorities, establishing effective mechanisms to monitor the activities of offshore entities, and demonstrate the capacity to investigate and process money laundering linked to crimes prosecutors abroad and provide constructive and timely international cooperation in relation to such crimes.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/lagging-panama-has-to-rush-to-avoid-money-laundering-black-list
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Diethylene glycol victims block highway demand to see president
Posted 22/10/2021
Patients affected by government distributed syrup poisoned with diethylene glycol, from the provinces of Panama, Colón, Coclé, Herrera, and Los Santos, closed the Inter-American Highway at Divisa on Friday, October 22, to claim the certifications of those who were affected by the substance. Similarly, to demand the presence of President, Laurentino Cortizo.
The protesters blocked the four sections of the road, causing a huge traffic jam.
Briceida de Trejos president of the Committee of Relatives and Victims for the Right to Health and Life (Cofadesavi), chapter of Los Santos, assured that they will wait as long as necessary for President Cortizo, in order to attend to their requests "If we have to stay here until dawn then we are going to dawn," he said.
He said that the government has given them many promises but "they have not been kept." "We are told that in a month or two everything would be ready [the certifications] and it was a lie," he lamented.
De Trejos recalled that these patients have waited 15 long years and to date, they have not been certified. He indicated that at the national level about 1,200 people are waiting for this certification, of which only 215 people are part of Cofadesavi.
The patients recalled that until they are certified, they will not receive the life pension to which they are entitled. "Medicines are very expensive, we do not have the money to buy them," they added.https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/diethylene-glycol-victims-block-highway-demand-to-see-president
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Across the board surge in fuel prices
Posted 21/10/2021
From Friday, October 22 until November 5, fuel prices will register a new increase. The Ministry of Energy reported that 95 octane gasoline will increase its cost by five cents to 0.98 cents per liter. 91 octane gasoline will rise five cents to 0.95 cents per liter. Meanwhile, low-sulfur diesel will increase its value by five cents to 0.87 cents a liter. These prices will apply until 5:59 a.m. on November 5.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/across-the-board-surge-in-fuel-prices
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Highway death toll reaches 184
Posted 21/10/2021
The death toll on Panama highways this year climbed to184 on Tuesday, October 19 when the driver of a truck on Via Forestal veered into the path of an oncoming taxi. the taxi was destroyed and its driver died at the scene.
The province of Panama is the one with the most fatalities with a total of 55 this year.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/highway-death-toll-reaches-184
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Judge keeps mum on draft ruling that would let Martinelli off the hook
Posted 21/10/2021
"I have nothing to say to the media,” said Supreme Court judge Cecilio Cedalise, days after the dissemination in the media of a draft ruling that he prepared and that grants a claim of unconstitutionality to former Panama president Ricardo Martinelli in the wiretapping case which has created a legal whirlwind.
Cedalise refused to give more details to the media covering the inauguration of the XX Ibero-American Judicial Summit, taking place in Panama October 21 - 22.
Supreme Court President Luis Ramón Fábrega, said: "To draw conclusions from a project that is simply what its word indicates, a project, is to look for a problem where it does not exist.
"You have seen what has come out in the media, I am not going to deny or confirm it," Fabrega told reporters about the draft ruling by his colleague "The eyes of the country are always on the Court, that is nothing strange," he added.
Fábrega remarked that the document prepared by Cedalise has not been put to a vote in the plenary session of the court and he does not believe that it will be discussed this week, as the magistrates participate in the judicial summit.
After the dissemination of the draft ruling, Cedalise sent a letter to the president of that justice corporation in which he demands criminal actions for whoever leaked the documents to the media.
The draft ruling would declare unconstitutional an oral decision, of July 4, 2018, issued by the then magistrate judge of guarantees Jerónimo Mejía. In that decision, Mejía rejected a challenge from Martinelli's defense, which questioned the holding of an accusation hearing in the wiretapping case.
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Panama gets second fine for soccer fans behavior
Posted 21/10/2021
The Panamanian Football Federation (Fepafut), has received a second financial sanction from FIFA, for the behavior of local soccer fans.
The latest is for the invasion of fans onto the field in the match against the United States.
Fepafut reported that it was notified of the decision made by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, of a sanction of about $21,OOO (20 thousand Swiss francs) for the inappropriate behavior of the fans in a match against the US national team at Rommel Fernández stadium for the Qatar 2022 World Cup was played on October 10 when Panama beat the United States 1-0.
On October 15, Fepafut reported that it was sanctioned by FIFA following homophobic chants of the fans in the match that was played at Rommel Fernández against Mexico (1-1) last September.
In the first sanction, FIFA determined that Panama will play its next home game without an audience and set a fine close to $54,000.
The penalty of playing behind closed doors will be fulfilled on November 16 against El Salvador.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-gets-second-fine-for-soccer-fans-behavior
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As protesters plan march on Assembly Cortizo partially vetoes electoral bill
Posted 20/10/2021
Faced with yet another protest march on the National Assembly over electoral reforms perpetuating impunity and privileges for lawmakers, President Laurentino Cortizo, bit the bullet and announced that he will partially veto bill 544, which reforms the Electoral Code.
A tweet published on the account of the Presidency, says that "after the corresponding evaluations" the document will be returned to the AN.
It has not been specified which articles will be banned. The Electoral Tribunal had already communicated the rejection of at least four articles of the project.
Only six deputies voted against the electoral reforms endorsed on Friday, October 15, while public rejection intensified.
According to the website of that state body, 52 deputies voted in favor of the project, six voted against, and 13 deputies were absent when voting took place.
Of the 52 votes in favor, 28 were from deputies of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). The remaining 24 are from Cambio Democrático, the Liberal Republican Nationalist Movement, and the Panameñista Party. In the group of 13 who were absent, there are deputies from all the benches.
Meanwhile, civil society, including trade unions, workers' groups, and women’s organizations, and others, were preparing for the October 20, march to the Legislature.
One of them is the “Mesa Ciudadana”, a movement in defense of democracy created in the context of the debate on electoral reforms, which called on citizens to join the march. Meanwhile, the National Forum of Women of Political Parties issued a statement in which they detailed their rejection of the project, particularly for the articles that contemplate parity.
The Electoral Tribunal, for its part, announced that it will request President Laurentino Cortizo to veto the project. In addition, they said that they will demand some articles before the Supreme Court.
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Two more witnesses intimidated by Martinelli threats
Posted 20/10/2021
Two Spaniards join the list of witnesses who have suffered intimidation after testifying in processes linked to former President Ricardo Martinelli. They are two former executives of the company Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas (FCC), who testified about the payment of millionaire bribes in the government of the aforementioned former president.
The former senior executives of FCC, when giving an investigation for their participation in the payment of bribes in Panama, described the corruption scheme imposed on contractors by government officials: they inflated the prices of public works, including the Hospital City and it was agreed with the distribution of tenders and the channeling of payments through a financial framework to launder ill-gotten funds.
Martinelli is on trial for the wiretapping that took place during his tenure. In the process, multiple private conversations of political opponents, journalists, union and civil society leaders, and even commercial competitors have come to light, which was later used as instruments of blackmail, or reproduced on social networks or media related to the president, in order to discredit and intimidate them.
Last Monday, the threats targeted a witness who had just finished testifying at the hearing. The pattern is not new: there are dozens of lawsuits against journalists, intimidating messages, defamatory videos circulating on networks and, with this, physical aggression, which Martinelli himself - that is, its author - confirmed out loud reports La Prensa.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/two-more-witnesses-intimidated-by-martinelli-threats
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Growth in regional air travel continues
Posted 19/10/2021
Air borders are opening in Latin America and the Caribbean to the free flow of national and international passengers with measures such as the presentation of negative tests of Covid-19 or, as in Panama, if passengers are vaccinated they can enter without additional health requirements.
On average, air traffic is 65% compared to 2019 levels, according to the calculations of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), while flight occupancy reached 72.6% in August, says the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
"The region is back to travel again because many countries removed unnecessary regulations and others kept the skies open. Now more than ever people want to travel in our region. If we have the protocols and you can travel safely, it is time to take advantage, ”said José Ricardo Botelho, ALTA's executive director.
He specifies that connectivity has been restored almost entirely in markets such as Mexico and Brazil, which did not close their operations in the harshest months of the pandemic. In others, although they did paralyze commercial aviation, there are growth figures, as is the case of Colombia, Panama, Peru, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean.
Harmonization
"It is essential that all countries harmonize the measures and requirements for passengers, with health protocols that allow the continuous flow of passengers," says Botelho.
Both ALTA, IATA, and the International Airports Council, agree that the recovery of domestic travel in its entirety will take place between 2022 and 2023; while the restitution of international travel to 2019 levels is projected for 2024.
“There are markets such as Panama, Brazil, and Mexico where the demand for air traffic has already returned, but in countries like Chile and Argentina the recovery is slower due to the restrictions.
At the IATA Annual Assembly in Boston, it was stated that the return of airlines to each country will depend on the relaxation of sanitary measures to revive passenger demand. "The recommendation is that technical decisions be made so that people have the safety to fly," adds Botelho.
Given the lack of coordination between one country and another in terms of travel measures, the solution is to reconcile and harmonize the requirements with the approved protocols to regain people's trust.
IATA Vice President Peter Cerdá recalled that the aviation industry contributed $187 billion to the economy and gross domestic product of Latin America and generated 7.6 million jobs.
"To achieve this again, we cannot go back to a pre-2019 environment when the industry faced high operating costs, infrastructure restrictions, and a regulatory framework that often did not conform to international best practices," said Cerdá.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/growth-in-regional-air-travel-continues
Organized Crime and Gangs in Panama
in Safety and Security; Police, Bomberos, SINAPROC Notices and Actions, etc.
Posted
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/three-gangland-execution-bodies-found-roadside