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Suggest you contact boqueteveteraninfo@gmail.com initially.
You can also meet members of Boquete veterans Outreach at the BCP Tuesday Market -
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Provinces join national outcry
Posted 14/09/2021
With flags, pails, and banners, the Coclesanos joined the national demonstration that took place on the on Tuesday,, to demand an end to corruption and greater transparency in the discussion of electoral reforms.
Jeremías Guillén, a young Coclesian, said that what is wanted is a transparent process where everyone has equal opportunities, because "young people want to participate but with justice and respect, which is how the country can move forward."
Aristides Hazan said that Panama “does not deserve the treatment that politicians give us and that is why it is necessary to demonstrate and denounce corruption and that there are conditions of social, political and economic equality, that is why it is time to go out and fight for the democracy".
Flying the Panamanian flag, members of the civil society of the Herrera province also peacefully protested in the Parque La Bandera de Chitré to reject, among other things, the changes made by the deputies to the electoral reform project.
“A united people will never be defeated! Benicio, corrupt, this country is not yours; Crispiano, residue, you are a bandit! What are you looking at? They are also robbing you, ”the protesters chanted.
Beating pots and carrying banners, the complainants received the support of the drivers who passed through the area.
Eulalia Villalaz Cedeño said that the peaceful protest sought to show the government that "it has to completely and radically stop because they are leading the country to collapse."
Villalaz questioned the actions of the National Assembly in the discussion of the Electoral Code.
"This is a disaster. Imagine that prison inmates are allowed to contribute to politics. If this is the case, we would be handing the country over to drug traffickers, ”he said.
Chitrean businessman Roberto Alfedro Solis said that the Panamanian people have to react because the "country is close to falling into the abyss in health, education and other sectors of the economy."
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/provinces-join-national-outcry
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Thousands gather across country to protest electoral reforms
Posted 14/09/2021
Thousands of members of multiple civil society organizations marched to the National Assembly on Tuesday, September 14 to express their rejection of the changes made to the electoral reforms by a group of deputies.
Promoted as “Civic Day” the event was replicated simultaneously in eight different parts of the country.
Many were dressed in white, others with the Panamanian flag in hand or other banners joined the concentration to chant slogans and bang pots in rejection of corruption and the way in which two blocks of the electoral reforms were approved in the Government Commission of the Assembly.
Police were deployed in the grounds of the legislature and metal fences were placed that prevented access to the street that connects the Plaza 5 de Mayo with the Assembly.
Jose Ramón Icaza, president of the Chamber of Commerce, participated in the mobilization and stressed that as a union what is sought is the continuous improvement of the electoral process as part of the strengthening of democracy.
"Justice,” … “enough is enough,” … “down with the Assembly,“ … “do not play with the patience of the citizens “ and … “ out with corruption," were chanted at the demonstration.
In addition to the protest at the Assembly, in Panama City, the voices were also heard in Cervantes Park, David, Chiriquí; Government of Veraguas in Santiago, Veraguas; Libertador Park in La Chorrera (West Panama); Porras Park in Las Tablas, Los Santos; Via Interamericana, in Penonomé; Changuinola, Bocas del Toro; and Unión Park, in Chitré, Herrera.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/thousands-gather-across-country-to-protest-electoral-reforms
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Panama hurdler closes season with victory
Posted 14/09/2021
The Panamanian athlete Gianna Woodruff closed her season with a victory in the 400 meters hurdles, women's division, on the Continental
Tour 2021 held at the Sports Park Mladost in Zagreb, Croatia.
Woodruff completed the test in 54.67 seconds. She was followed by the Ukrainian Anna Ryzhykova (54.87 seconds) and the Jamaican Janieve Russell (55.85 seconds)
This was the last competition of the Panamanian this year, in which she participated in the Tokyo Olympics where she reached the final of her modality.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-hurdler-closes-season-with-victory
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Former finance minister heading to jail
Posted 14/09/2021
Former Finance Minister Frank De Lima has been convicted of falsifying documents in the case known as "Buko Millonario the Public Ministry reported on Tuesday, September 14. He and fellow conspirators Giselle Brea and Luis Felipe Icaza will spend five years in prison and on completion of the sentence, barred from public office for three years.
The investigation was started by the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office for a complaint filed by Saverio Grandi Aguicioti in 2015.
During the period of the events denounced, De Lima, Icaza, and Brea were members of the Gaming Control Board (JCJ). Brea was the executive secretary of the JCJ. while Icaza was the sub-comptroller general of the Republic.
Judge Lorena Hernández of the Second Court for Criminal Proceedings sentenced De Lima, Brea and Icaza to 60 months in prison for the crime of forgery of a general document and ideological falsehood, and is additionally disqualified from the exercise of public functions for a term of three years, once the main sentence has been served.
De Lima, Brea and Icaza must serve the prison sentence in a prison to be designated.
According to the ruling, it was proven that the members of the plenary session of the Gaming Control Board (De Lima, Brea, and Icaza) inserted false statements in Resolution No. 32 dated June 22, 2011, through which the then Minister of Economy and Finance was empowered to sign an administration and operation contract for Bingo Televisado with the company Grupo de Inversión Mundial, SA
The ruling also reads that Icaza, Brea and De Lima, although they knew that the company Grupo de Inversión Mundial, SA did not comply with the requirements to win the concession, they allowed the State to enter into a million-dollar operating contract for the bingo to take place, with the potential to cause damage, due to the nature of this type of contracting.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/former-finance-minister-heading-to-jail
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Business leaders ask Assembly to “put country first”
Posted 12/09/2021
The National Assembly has the duty and the power to debate the laws it issues, with citizen participation and stakeholders, "always putting the best interests of the country first." Meanwhile, it is up to the deputies to "lay down their political-partisan interests and legislate in favor of the common good” said Panama’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (Cciap) on Sunday.
The Chamber that called for reflection on the course of the discussion, in the first debate, of bill 544 that reforms the Electoral Code, for the 2024 general elections.
After the citizen, business, and political rejection generated by the changes made by the Government Commission to the bill, the National Assembly decided to suspend the debate and sit down to talk with the magistrates of the Electoral Tribunal (TE).
This, after President Cortizo, came forward as a mediator of the differences that arose between the National Assembly and the Electoral Tribunal (TE), and summoned them to a meeting, to be held Tuesday, September 14.
The Cciap calls for that meeting to "lead to a return to participatory debate that allows a thorough review of such an important document, which will apply to the participation of just over 4,000 candidates to more of 800 positions of popular election in the year 2024 ″.
The union also pointed out that all citizens have the duty to get involved, inform themselves and monitor what is happening in the country, be part of the debate and participate in order to strengthen the democratic system and "guide Panama towards a better future."
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/business-leaders-ask-assembly-to-put-country-first
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Over 921,000 head back to classrooms
Posted 12/09/2021
School break ends on Monday, September 13, when some 921,314 students from the official and private sector throughout the country begin the third term in different educational modalities.
Of that figure, a global enrollment of 300,511 students studying in 1,398 schools located in the 16 educational regions of the national territory, must be incorporated into blended learning, the Ministry of Education (Meduca) reported on Sunday. 14,110 teachers must be added to these students, according to statistics from the National Directorate of Environmental Education.
This list does not include 800 schools that serve students through tutoring, Meduca said.
The institution reported that, among educators and administrative officials of each educational campus, there are 51,933 vaccinated. Of these, 42,532 have already received the two doses against Covid-19 . Meanwhile, at least 8,346 have not been given the anticovid vacine.
Meduca emphasized that the epidemiological conditions of each region in which these schools operate are evaluated by the Ministry of Health, to define the transition to other modalities.
The third and last quarter of the 2021 school year ends on December 17. The balance of activities and graduation of the students will be from December 20 to 30.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/over-921000-head-back-to-classrooms
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Tocumen Airport will pay no dividends for 2 years
Posted 12/09/2021
The Panama State will not receive income from part of the operation of the Tocumen International Airport during 2021 and 2022.
The drop in passenger movement and the number of flights due to the measures by the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect the income of the state-owned airport corporation.
Raffoul Arab, manager of Tocumen, said that the airport does not have the financial index established in the bond issues to transfer dividends to the State.
Between 2015 and 2019, Tocumen paid $118.4 million in dividends.
As of last June, the airport's revenue had decreased 15% compared to the first six months of 2020.
In early August, Tocumen closed a debt issue for $1.855 billion. Of this total, just over 1.4 billion were used to refinance the debt held by the airport and the rest will be used to increase the liquidity of the air terminal.
Given the drop in revenue projected for 2022, Tocumen plans to renegotiate the transfer of funds that it must make to other entities, such as the Civil Aviation Authority.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/tocumen-airport-will-pay-no-dividends-for-2-years-1
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Panama praised for exemplary work on migration
Posted 12/09/2021
In the closing event of a 23-nation conference on international migration, Panama was singled out by regional authorities for what was described as exemplary the work that the country has been executing in the matter of migratory security in relation to the biometric registry.
Among the objectives of the meeting was the promotion of greater collaboration between the countries of both mechanisms to address collective challenges related to migration governance, to address irregular flows and extra-regional migration and share good practices in the management and identify the next concrete steps to jointly address these problems with respect for the human rights of migrants, in the spirit of cooperation.
In addition, they highlighted the collaboration between the actors related to migration, taking into account the current challenge that the pandemic implies for the countries.
Recommendations were also made, such as a dialogue to implement joint actions to address irregular migration, promote the implementation of additional avenues
for regular migration, and strengthen the exchange of information in order to combat illicit trafficking and human trafficking and facilitate access to asylum and international protection systems for migrants who require it, and identify mechanisms for integration and combat xenophobia.
Panama will continue to articulate efforts to favor a solution that favors, above all, the safety of people and with it, the security of the countries and their borders, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/world/panama-praised-for-exemplary-work-on-migration
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Organized crime infiltrates Panama security services
Posted 11/09/2021
NEARLY 200 officials working inside Panama’s front-line security systems have been arrested so far this year in operations against drug trafficking networks and money laundering, according to sources from the Security Ministry.
They worked in institutions such as the National Police, the National Border Service (Senafront), the National Aeronoval Service (Senan), the Institutional Protection Service (SPI), the Tocumen Airport, the National Assembly, and the Public Ministry (MP).
The detainees took advantage of their knowledge of the state apparatus and their contacts to evade controls in ports, customs and highways. They also had access to sensitive information.
In June, in Operation Oasis, 25 people linked to a network to smuggle drugs along the coasts of Chepo and Darien were arrested. Those in charge of facilitating the movement of the cargo were policemen and members of the Public Ministry.
According to investigators a captain leaked information and facilitated the passage of vehicles through police checkpoints
A second lieutenant of the National Police arrested last April, in the Neptune operation allegedly opened checkpoints, passed information and provided escort and security services to gang members of the Bagdag gang. A total of 20 people were arrested, some linked to the “Joyita massacre”, which left 13 dead on December 17, 2019.
In July, in the Master operation, another network dedicated to placing drugs in containers in Pacific ports and destined for Europe was dismantled. Among those detained were 16 dock workers and an official from the National Assembly.
Once the information was revealed the president of the Assembly, Crispiano Adames, announced his removal from office.
More recently, in the Fusion operation , a gang made of 27 people that operated at t Tocumen International Airport that sent drugs to the United States and Mexico was dismantled. Officials from the Police, the SPI, the Senan, the MP itself, and the Assembly were involved.
According to documents read at an impeachment hearing before a guarantee judge, the SPI and Senan agents were in charge of alerting about operations and the location of the anti-drug teams, while an MP official followed up on the criminal proceedings that were being opened.
The phenomenon of public servants implicated or accused in drug cases is not new, reports In fact, in September of last year, the governor of the Guna Yala region, Erick Iván Martelo, was arrested with 79 kilos of drugs in the vehicle in which he was traveling.
Giovanni Olmos, former assistant prosecutor of the MP, said that although this phenomenon is not new it seems to have been accentuated after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Recently, the Minister of Public Security, Juan Pino, referred to the issue of drug penetration in the ranks of the security forces. “You know that there are officials who get involved in organized crime and they have a very strict policy, you cannot leave, if you leave you are going to return in a coffin”, he said.
Recently fingers have been pointed at members of the ruling PRD with close connections to people murdered by gangs.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/organized-crime-infiltrates-panama-security-services
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TV chain exposes multi-million dollar Panama energy scam
Posted 11/09/2021
The North American chain Univisión published, Friday, September 10, 2021, an investigation into the operation carried out by the companies InterEnergy Group and AES Panamá , a subsidiary of AES Corp. for the purchase of the concession of a power generation project - in the hands of the company Panama NG Power–, paralyzed for eight years, after being approved by the Panamanian government, despite multiple complaints of fraud in the adjudication process.
The note focuses its attention on the investigation process ( due diligence ) carried out by the purchasing companies of the owners of Panama NG Power - the Panamanian Mayor Alfredo Alemán and the Ecuadorian José Dapelo -, which left important gaps in the reputation of both characters. : the first, mentioned in criminal investigations in the 90s in the United States, for drug trafficking, although he was not charged. While the second is involved in recent scandals that are still being investigated.
The journalistic investigation shows that Mayor Alfredo Alemán - linked to the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) - would not have a visa to enter the United States, a fact that the businessman neither denied nor accepted. The same did the companies that bought the energy concession, despite the fact that, in the case of Dapelo, one of its companies is mentioned in investigations carried out in European countries, for payments without apparent justification - which total hundreds of thousands of dollars– to the parents of former Minister of the Presidency Demetrio Jimmy Papadimitriu (2009-2012).
The report indicates that the companies InterEnergy Group and AES Panama would have paid for the purchase of the concession, according to two sources familiar with the business cited by Univisión, about $300 million, although the project never started and the tender in which it obtained the concession, carried out in 2013, it was harshly questioned, as the requirements were changed at the last minute, a fact that would have caused all the other companies interested in the public act to withdraw.
Full details of this investigation can be read at the following link: https://www.univision.com/noticias/america-latina/energia-corrupcion-mello-aleman-varela-1
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/tv-chain-exposes-multi-million-dollar-panama-energy-scam
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Masters of theft and cynicism
Posted 10/09/2021
The Government of Laurentino Cortizo has paid and will continue to pay companies of dubious reputation, in light of the mediocre quality of the works they deliver to the State. Nobody in this government seems worried about the high and crazy costs of these projects, much less that a work is received complying with first-class technical and material standards, which is what it is paid for. The director of Pandeportes should have been fired for the terrible management in the change of the grass of Rommel Fernández. There is no doubt that this project is a complete scam of the State. A disgusting fortune was paid and we received a work that is not cheap. But the question we must ask ourselves is not whether the state pays for quality. What we must ask ourselves is who is behind –which scavenger– of these entrepreneurs, hired not because they are luminaries in what they supposedly do, but because their dazzling brilliance comes from their shamelessness to be the facade that serves to plunder the National Treasury and deliver the proceeds of the scam to their hidden partners. It is a pity that there is no authority that can against the new masters of theft and cynicism. – LA PRENSA, Sep.10.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/masters-of-theft-and-cynicism
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Minera negotiators reach environment agreements
Posted 10/09/2021
Both parties involved in the renegotiation of the Minera Pamama mining contract have reached a series of agreements on environmental matters, which terminate the discussion of the topic within the discussion table said The Minister of the Environment, Milcíades Concepción.
The agreements are:
*The creation of an office within the concession area of the mine, for the supervision, control and inspection of environmental, labor and other pertinent activities.
*The obligation to have a permanent maintenance program for all mining, infrastructure and service works for the project.
*The development of a Contingency Plan and the installation of a system with real-time monitoring stations for the immediate attention of incidents and / or environmental emergencies.
*The elaboration of a database of the state of the soil.
*The presentation of a Mine Closure and Post-closure Plan.
Ramón Martínez, Minister of Commerce and Industry, said that the points raised on the table were proposed by the Government and that the mining company accepted all of them.
"I want to reiterate to the country that the designated team acts guided by national interests. This is also to achieve the highest possible benefits from the exploitation of copper in the mine. The copper is Panamanian, as is our full territorial sovereignty", said the Minister. He added that the Panamanian State has among its objectives to align mining contracts with international standards and thus guarantee the best practices in the development of mineral exploitation activities.Labor issue
Martínez announced that the next thing they will discuss with Minera Panama will be the negotiations on labor matters.“Our proposal today was by virtue of a proposal presented by the Minister of Labor, Doris Zapata, in the labor aspects that are linked to the percentage of foreigners who can participate in the activity. These are the issues we are discussing so I could not give you a conclusion, "said the Minister. For the renegotiation, the Government of Panama convened an elite commission, which includes representatives of the Government, as well as expert negotiators from the country and a battery of international experts.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/environment/minera-negotiators-reach-environment-agreements
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Chorillo shootout leaves one dead
Posted 10/09/2021
A shootout on the streets of El Chorrillo on Friday afternoon left one person dead reports El Siglo. The dead person is the son-in-law of Héctor Ávila, leader of the retirees.
The killing of Manuel Augusto Mayta Arrocha, aka "Manuelito" who belonged to the gang called "Puros Pa Los Puros." took place on 25th Street.
Agents of the National Police maintain the cordoned-off area.
Several bullet holes are observed in the car.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/chorillo-shootout-leaves-one-dead
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Prosecutors open capo’s early release probe
Posted 08/09/2021
The Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office has taken the first steps in the investigation of irregularities in the premature release, on September 14, 2020, of José Cossio, designated by authorities as the capo of the Calor Calor gang.
Among the proceedings is an inspection by the First Criminal Court for Liquidation, in which information was sought on the procedure carried out to release him.
Sources linked to the investigation said that the prosecution asked the First Liquidating Court for details of the resolutions by which the alternate judge Gerardo Ríos ordered the release of Cossio, as well as copies of the sentence in which he was convicted of crimes related to drugs and the requests for release presented by the detainee's lawyers.
The prosecution also asked the Penitentiary System Directorate for a report on Cossio's permanence in the Punta Coco Penitentiary Center and the offices by which his release from that island prison was authorized.
Cossio was sentenced to 74 months in jail for drug-related offenses on January 10, 2019; the judgment was confirmed by the Second Court of Justice, on January 31, 2020.
On September 3, the presiding magistrate of the Court, Luis Ramón Fábrega, and the president of the Criminal Chamber of the Court, María Eugenia López Arias, filed a complaint as a result of the irregularities in the release of Cossio.
Cossio was arrested on the night of August 28 at a police checkpoint in Costa del Este, after the release order issued by Judge Ríos was revoked.
The detainee was sent back to the Punta Coco prison, where there are 11 other inmates considered of maximum danger.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/prosecutors-open-capos-early-release-probe
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Gas prices on the rise
Posted 08/09/2021
Gasoline prices rise again on Friday, September 10 until 5:59 am on September 24.
The Ministry of Energy reported that 95 octane gasoline will go up by two cents to 92 cents per liter.
Meanwhile, 91 octane gasoline will increase its cost by three cents to 90 cents a liter and low-sulfur diesel will also raise its price by three cents, to 77 cents a liter.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/gas-prices-on-the-rise
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Gang warfare moves into upscale neighborhoods
Posted 08/09/2021
Gang warfare has extended its reach from the red areas to sectors like Costa del Este, Clayton, and San Francisco where no crime boss is safe from summary execution.
Public Ministry (MP) investigators who deal with organized crime issues say "They get economic resources from drugs and try to hide in exclusive areas to simulate a decent life,".
But their rivals, with their information networks, locate them and are capable of executing them anywhere. No one is safe, not even the neighbors.
The authorities believe that the shooting of Juan David Peláez Guzmán in the PH Diamond Tower, in San Francisco, in September fits this profile. Police found11 packages of drugs in his apartment
A little earlier, on August 28, Ovidio Omar Castro, alias Tulip, known by the police as the "capo de Nuevo Veranillo" was assassinated in Multiplaza parking lots. He appeared on the payroll of the Mayor's Office of San Miguelito.
The day before, the shooting murder of Alexander Ricardo García Vergara was reported on Calle 70 in San Francisco. His executioners surprised them while having a beer in a Lebanese restaurant.
The modality is not new. In March 2015, Eduardo Macea, alias Marshall, who was staying in an apartment on Naos Island, valued at about $500,000, was captured. A month later, the authorities apprehended Juan Vicente Blandford White, alias El Patron Juancito, in a residential area in Clayton. Both were wanted crimes of gang activity and drug trafficking.
On Saturday, September 4, while the Minister of Security Juan Pino, accompanied by the director of the National Police, John Dornheim, the deputy director Simón Henríquez and the director of the National Aeronaval Service, Jeremías Urieta, participated in an operation against crime organized in Patio Pinel in El Chorrillo and San Miguel in Calidonia, another case shook the capital.
In broad daylight on the Fernández de Córdoba road, near Vía España, unknown persons unloaded a burst of bullets at a truck in which two men were traveling killing one leaving the other critically injured.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/gang-warfare-moves-into-upscale-neighborhoods
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August reached three-year homicide peak as drug wars rage
Posted 07/09/2021
August 2021 ended with the highest homicide rate in the last three years, according to the National Police Director, Jhon Dorheim, during an accounting of crime statistics.
Dorheim detailed that August closed with a total of 48 homicides, 19 more than those registered for the year 2020 when a total of 29 murders were perpetrated and 3 more than in 2019, when 45 murders were registered.
He said that 83% of these crimes were committed with firearms and that most of them were related to drug trafficking.
He said that crimes related to domestic violence registered a decrease, detailing that in 2020 a total of 1,018 cases were reported and that until August 2021 there were 786.
He also stated that the crime of theft marked a decrease with 281 in 2020 and only 231 until August of the current year.
He reported that during August the Police managed to capture 43 people linked to homicides and that 60% of crimes are solved within three months.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/august-reached-three-year-homicide-peak-as-drug-wars-rage
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Colon Free Zone springs back to life
Posted 07/09/2021
The Colon Free Zone (ZLC) ended the first half of the year with sales of $8,226 billion.
The figure represents an increase of 26.8% compared to the first half of 2020, but is still below the results of the first half of 2019, when sales amounted to $9.185 billion.
Last year, commercial activity in the free zone remained at minimum levels due to the mobility restrictions implemented by the Government to combat the spread of the Covid-19 disease.
Giovanni Ferrari , manager of the ZLC, acknowledged that the free zone is immersed in a process of recovery, but the activity is still somewhat distant from the data prior to the pandemic.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/colon-free-zone-springs-back-to-life
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Police arrest suspected hitman
A 21-year-old man with the alias Rober allegedly involved in the shooting in Vista Hermosa on Saturday which left one person dead and another severely injured, will appear before a Judge of Guarantees on Monday. He was arrested on Sunday.
Posted 05/09/2021
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/police-arrest-suspected-hitman
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New car sales rising but far from pre-pandemic
Posted 05/09/2021
New car sales are recovering faster than the industry expected, but are a long way from pre-pandemic levels.
In the month of August 24,731 units have been sold, which represents a growth of 98% compared to the the12,467 units sold in 2020, according to the figures from Panama the Association of Automobile Dealers (Adap).
The strong growth is due to the fact that sales in April, May, and part of June 2020 were almost nil because dealers were not operating due to mandatory closures said Anthony Salerno, president of Adap.
When the accumulated figures up to August 2021 are compared with the same period in 2019, sales reflect a decrease of 21%. The monthly average for this year is about 3,100 vehicles, down from the nearly 4,000 registered two years ago.
"We are still far from pre-pandemic figures, which is understandable, but if we bet on the economic reactivation and, to a large extent, the reactivation of jobs, we can see the recovery of the sector with more optimistic lights," he said.
Salerno said that the goal at the beginning of 2021 was to exceed 30,000 units, but "due to the demand perceived in recent months, we are confident of reaching a market of more than 36,000 units of new cars sold."
Everything will depend, however, on the challenge facing the sector, with reduced inventory levels due to global limitations to the supply chain and logistical complications, factors that put pressure on prices, he explained.
From a marketing point of view, the sector has adapted to the new requirements imposed by the pandemic and has been holding virtual fairs, in which users can find products, financing offers, and car insurance in a digital market.
Salerno also referred to the role that banks play in this sector, both to finance dealer operations and to purchase vehicles from customers. "The activation of consumption and its financing will be important players in the speed of recovery of our economy," he said
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/new-car-sales-rising-but-far-from-pre-pandemic
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Business Chamber demands transparency in Minera talks
Posted 05/09/2021
While Panama’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (CCIAP), considers that the negotiations between Minera Panama and the Panamanian State represent a positive step, they want them to take place within a framework of transparency and access to information.
The Chamber recognizes that the negotiation is important for the history and future of the country and insists that the State must carry out a review of the mining policy framed in an economic policy, which considers in which areas the country wants to focus the engines of economic growth. They affirm that it is extremely critical to strengthening the supervisory institutions, as well as the updating of the legal framework that must monitor and regulate the fulfillment of the commitments reached at the negotiating table.
Because it is a subject that includes multiple aspects, the union has established an internal commission, made up of members unrelated to the parties, which will allow the CCIAP to analyze the information emanating from the negotiations in a professional manner and adopt impartial positions.
What is decided at the table between the Panamanian State and the company will set a precedent, so this negotiation must be 'win-win ', a fair balance must be achieved that recognizes remuneration for the mineral resource that is extracted and reasonable profitability that takes into account the risks associated with the activity.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/business-chamber-demands-transparency-in-minera-talks
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Two gangland “heavies” shot in Vista Hermosa
Posted 05/09/2021
Two gangland leaders were injured on Saturday in a hail of bullets from hitmen in another moving car, on Vista Hermosa on the section between the Metro station and the shopping center that houses Super 99.
In broad daylight, the white car in which the wounded were traveling was shot at least 20 times, causing hysteria among people who were shopping in the mall.
One of the injured was Luis Andrés González Moreno, alias "Andresito", 32 years old and residing in Panama Viejo.
The subject has been investigated -according to the authorities- in cases of homicide and maintains a rivalry with a criminal group from Villa del Rey.
After the murder of Ricauerte Villasanta, alias "Tercero" in the Mega Joya, Jail he is considered one of the leaders of the groups from Panama Viejo.
The other injured is Alexis Javier Hudson Varela, 27, who lives in Los Nogales. In 2015 he was investigated and detained for a murder case, but he was released. In 2020, he was arrested aboard a car that, when verified, was found to belong to a subject murdered in September 2019.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/two-gangland-heavies-shot-in-vista-hermosa
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H & M - New kid on the block
Posted 04/09/2021
The Swedish fast fast-fashion chain Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M), has defied conventional thinking and opened a new store in Panama in the midst of an economic downturn brought on by the global pandemic.
The 2,200 square-meter store opened its doors Saturday, September 4 at the Multiplaza shopping center and it has a logistics center in Panama Pacifico
Jaime Sampol, general manager of Hola Moda, the franchise that exclusively manages the H&M brand for Central America, said that after evaluating several markets in the expansion plan, they decided to bet on Panama as a leading country for its privileged geographical location, potential for economic growth and great commercial boost in the region.
Through the regional logistics center, H&M will handle all the procurement of orders and supply of clothing, footwear, and accessories that will arrive directly from its factories in China and Germany other centers.
So far the opening has created up to 90 jobs Sampol said, indicating that the expectations are to continue growing with the hiring of more personnel.
H&M is present in Panama through Hola Moda, a Panamanian company, created for the exclusive purpose of managing the H&M store franchise in Central America, constituted and operated by a group of local investors, with experience in retail sales and management of international marks
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/h-m-new-kid-on-the-block
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