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Lawsuit  advances against ruling that helps Martinelli dodge court date

Posted 10/06/2022

The plenary session of the Supreme Court has assigned a period of ten business days for interested persons to give their opinion about a claim of unconstitutionality filed against the decision of the Electoral Court (TE) that maintained Ricardo Martinelli's immunity.

The lawsuit was filed by Héctor Herrera and sought to declare unconstitutional the resolution of March 22 of the TE that granted electoral jurisdiction to former President Ricardo Martinelli due to the electoral process of his party Realizing Goals (RM).

 This allowed the former president to absent himself from the process in the New Business case, which should be resumed in July.

  Panama is the only country in the Americas that has electoral criminal jurisdiction.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/lawsuit-advances-against-ruling-that-helps-martinelli-dodge-court-date

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Gorgas Institute finds no monkeypox in Panama

Posted 09/06/2022

Epidemiological surveillance of monkeypox is maintained in Panama through the Gorgas Commemorative Institute for Health Studies, and there are no suspected cases of the disease in the country said the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, on Thursday.

"We are also working with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in conjunction with other countries to have the specific test" to detect those infected, Sucre said.

He added that at this time the Gorgas Institute for Health Studies "is trained to be able to diagnose" the presence of the virus.

Sucre's statements came after the Costa Rican Ministry of Health reported that the suspected case of monkeypox in the Central American country had been ruled out.

Regarding covid-19, he explained that recombined cases are occurring in the country, that is, patients have been infected with two different variants of Omicron, for example, with BA.1 and BA.2.

 Advisor to the Ministry of Health, Eyra Ruiz, announced that a new batch of pediatric vaccines will be arriving in Panama in the coming days to continue with the application to minors.

Ruiz mentioned that in the next few days the drugs Molnupiravir and Paxlovid will arrive in the country, which seeks to reduce the impact of covid-19 on patients with chronic diseases.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/gorgas-institute-finds-no-monkeypox-in-panama

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Emergency plan for garbage collection

Posted 09/06/2022

An emergency plan for garbage collection in Panama City will be implemented to solve the problem seen in the streets of the capital said The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre on Wednesday.

He said that he has already been talking with the Vice Minister of the Presidency, Carlos García, who in turn has been in contact with the representatives of the most affected districts.

The Urban and Home Cleaning Authority has been addressing the matter, however, it has had some problems with the collection.

"What we have done, including me as Minister of Health, is to coordinate with the Presidency so that this emergency plan evolves as a team," he advanced.

The minister indicated that the plan would consist of providing the necessary equipment for the collection of waste as far as possible, therefore, "there must be hiring of compactor trucks and backhoes, at least for the districts that have the most difficulties. ”.

In recent weeks, different sectors of Panama city have complained about the problem with garbage, both in the collection and poor disposal, aggravated by the situation on Patacón Hill.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/emergency-plan-for-garbage-collection

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High ranking lottery official arrested in embezzlement probe

Posted 09/06/2022

A man and a woman were arrested on Thursday, June 9, by personnel from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office as part of the investigations of alleged aggravated embezzlement, of the National Charity Lottery. (LNB).

The apprehended official worked during the period under investigation at the Chepo Agency.

One of the arrests took place at the offices of the LNB agency, in Río Abajo.

The woman was apprehended through a search proceeding at a residence located in Mano de Piedra, district of Arnulfo Arias, in San Miguelito.

The anti-corruption prosecutor Carlos Cuadra said that it is a "high-ranking" official of the LNB and a private individual, who are allegedly linked to the events that have been investigated since March 17, 2021, for the alleged theft of notebooks from the entity assigned to different agencies.

Six people have already been charged in this process, including former officials and individuals.

According to the Public Ministry, the notebooks that were stolen from the entity then left in the hands of officials who proceeded, through third parties, to collect the winning tickets.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/high-ranking-lottery-official-arrested-in-embezzlement-probe

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WHO reports 1000+ monkeypox cases in non-endemic countries

Posted 08/06/2022

WHO reports 1000+ monkeypox cases in non-endemic countries

The WHO reported  at a Wednesday press conference that more than a thousand cases of monkeypox have already been confirmed in 29 non-endemic countries and has warned that in some areas there is already community transmission.

"No deaths have been reported in those countries but there are many cases,  which not only occur among men who have sex with men but there are already cases of community transmission and infected women," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. , who has shown his "concern" about the virus spreading to vulnerable groups, such as children or pregnant women.

For this reason, the director-general of the United Nations agency asked the countries to make all the necessary efforts to identify the cases and their contacts, in order to control the outbreak and prevent further spread of the virus.

Tedros recalled that throughout this year there have been 1,400 suspected cases of monkeypox in Africa and 66 deaths, and regretted that the international community has paid attention to the virus when it has affected high-income countries.

"This virus has been circulating and killing people in Africa for decades without the international community paying attention to it, so it is necessary to provide health care and access to tools in these areas to protect themselves," added the director of the WHO, to insist that the body is not in favor of carrying out mass vaccination, although it is in favor of facilitating access to vaccines for those who need it.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/who-reports-1000-monkeypox-cases-in-non-endemic-countries

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Two independent lawmakers will not seek reelection

Silva and Vasquez

Posted 08/06/2022

The independent deputies Juan Diego Vásquez and Gabriel Silva announced on Tuesday, June 7, that they will live up to their campaign promise and not seek reelection.

In a joint statement, they stressed that in the 2019 campaign one of their promises was precisely not to seek re-election.

Although they were clear that they will not return to the Assembly, neither of them ruled out the possibility of continuing their political careers outside of it, in local or municipal government positions reports La Prensa.

"The decision was not easy," Silva said. "We know the particular moment that the country is going through and we know that in 2024 they are going to be essential elections," he added.

"We want to show that the word continues to carry weight, especially when it has to do with public affairs, with politics," Silva said.

Vásquez stated that they will continue to work in the Assembly until June 30, 2024, when the period for which they were elected ends.

New coalition
On April 5, Vásquez and Silva starred in an event in which they announced the launch and creation of the Vamos coalition, which aims to train, support and promote pre-candidates and eventually candidates who aspire to deputy and local government positions for free application.

Currently, they are in the stage of choosing those who showed interest in being part of the coalition. Vásquez reported that by mid-July he expects to have a preliminary list of people who will be trained for the beginning of the collection of supporting signatures.

“We are going to show that people can enter the Assembly independently, do a good job and leave after five years,” said Vásquez.

They added that they will work and strive to support coalition candidates. "We are not going to lose that independent seat," Silva said in reference to the seat he occupies in his circuit. "We even believe that we can have more independents," he said.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/two-independent-lawmakers-will-not-seek-reelection

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COVID-19: Three deaths and hospitalizations rise

Posted 07/06/2022

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported  3,523 new cases of covid-19  and three deaths on Tuesday, June 7. The 3,523 were detected after the application of 16,091 tests, for positivity of 21.9%. There are 26,583 active cases. Of this number, 26,287 are in home isolation and 296 are hospitalized, (263 in the ward and 33 in ICU).

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/covid-19-three-deaths-and-hospitalizations-rise

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New questions for company facing laundering probe

Posted 07/06/2022

Remittance companies must monitor all transactions carried out by their clients in order to identify unusual movements and take the necessary measures to prevent their operations from being carried out with funds or on funds from activities related to money laundering crimes. of capital or the financing of terrorism reports La Prensa.

This is specified in the agreements issued by the Superintendence of Banks of Panama (SBP), one of the regulatory entities of the activity.

Thus, with all the provisions that exist in this matter, no one would expect a remittance company to handle their funds as if they were the product of an unregulated activity, with which their transactions would remain outside the sieve of the inspection and the report of possible suspicious activities.

Since 2019, Inversiones Rapid Money, SA deposits its funds in the bank account of Importadora Ricamar, SA, charged in the Odebrecht money laundering case.

This triangulation would be carried out after Inversiones Rapid Money, SA had its account closed in Capital Bank, at the end of September 2019.

Since then, company deposits have been made in Ricamar's account at Bac Credomatic, without the latter having a license from the SBP for the remittance business.

Rapid Money, SA –which is registered with the SBP to carry out this business– has had to be under the inspection of the SBP. But it is unknown if the regulator has found irregularities that have been reported, for example, to the Financial Analysis Unit (UAF).

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/new-questions-for-company-facing-laundering-probe

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Green canopy  plan takes root in Panama

Posted 07/06/2022

The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Panama, together with King's College and the Ministry of the Environment, planted seven trees yesterday, as part of the Queen's Green Canopy initiative, in which trees were planted in commemoration of the seven decades reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/green-canopy-plan-takes-root-in-panama

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Criminal complaint filed in mayor’s recall process

Posted 07/06/2022

Lawyer Roberto Ruiz Díaz filed a criminal complaint with the Public Ministry against several officials of the Electoral Court (TE) for alleged irregularities in the process of collecting signatures to revoke the mandate of the capital's mayor, José Luis Fábrega.

In the complaint they speak of "manipulation" of the entity's database.The complaint is against Osman Valdés, director of the Electoral Organization and Victos A. Rodríguez as national director of Information and Communication Technology and all officials who are responsible, for the possible commission of crimes against the public administration, in the form of authority abuse; against the legal certainty of electronic means in the form against computer security. r Ruiz Díaz requested that an investigation be initiated into both officials of the TE, for their "actions" within this process in which they assure that the figures that they officially reveal "do not coincide" with the figures that appear in the certifications of the citizens who have supported the proposal, as well as the "illegal elimination" of the record that is sent to the person who supports the proposal that the number corresponding to their signature. For the plaintiff, this "demonstrates the manipulation of the database and computer system within the process."

It also requests that the TE evidence evidence such as the authenticated copy of the Administrative File that contains the mandate revocation process. Likewise, it requests that the TE database be inspected and each of the certifications in support of the revocation of mandate be counted.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/criminal-complaint-filed-in-mayors-recall-process

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Prosecutor asks 15-year sentence for shelter rip-off

Posted 07/06/2022

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office filed an accusation against five people for the alleged embezzlement of the Ministry of Social Development (Mides) for mismanagement of funds detected in the Fundación Chilibre Panama shelter (Funchipa).

During a hearing on Monday, June 7, the guarantee judge Hiroko Tinoco admitted the presentation of 20 testimonial evidence, 13 expert witnesses and 54 documentaries provided by the Prosecutor's Office.

During the intermediate phase hearing, prosecutor Yasmina Montoya requested the application of a sentence of 15 years in prison for the accused, due to the seriousness of their conduct.

The complaint filed in 2020 and that gave rise to the process was made after Mides found that in the reports for April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November 2019 there were expenses not budgeted and not authorized by that ministerial office.

An audit carried out from April 1 to December 31, 2019, showed a loss of $111 310 in the administration of Funchipa, since there were expenses not contemplated in the budget.

In addition, professional services not contemplated were invoiced to a company for an amount of $18,000.

In turn, payment to a law firm was recorded for the sum of $8,000 and billing for the sum of $26,750 for a pool for therapeutic use, an expense that was not contemplated.

The defendants in this case are the former director of Funchipa, Xenia Medina; the former legal advisor, Xenia Moreno; Itzel De La Cruz, Allan Moreno, Oscar Sánchez and Ilka Moreno.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/prosecutor-asks-15-year-sentence-for-shelter-rip-off

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9-year stopover for Colombian drug smuggler

Posted 06/06/2022

A Colombian citizen who tried to smuggle cocaine hidden under her wig during a stopover at Tocumen International Airport on Friday, May 3, got her stay in Panama extended when a guarantee judge sentenced her to 9 years in prison in a plea deal between the Public Ministry, represented by the prosecutor Leonel Urriola and the public defender Yeny Saldaña June 5. In addition, the confiscation of 1,400 euros which she carried was at the time of her arrest when she was preparing to travel to Spain was imposed as an accessory penalty.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/9-year-stopover-for-colombian-drug-smuggler

From Bud yesterday (June 7th)

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Reactivated tourism gives fillip to Panama economy

Posted 05/06/2022

The reactivation of tourism in Panama has provided a total economic impact for the country's economy of  $500,492,130  from January 2021 to April 2022. reports the Tourism Promotion Fund, (Promtur).

"Agreements with organizations such as Expedia, Hotelbeds, Copa Airlines, Air Europa, Edreams, Maxitravel, Dream and Travel, among others are a fundamental tool of our strategy to ensure the generation of demand, through the sale of the destination in the priority markets that are defined in the Master Plan for Sustainable Tourism of the ATP," said Fernando Fondevila, general director of PROMTUR Panama.

Through these agreements, which include sales and marketing actions aimed at both the final consumer and the retailer, Panama's exposure in target markets was maximized.

The manager also highlighted the importance of alliances such as that of Hotelbeds, the world's largest bed bank, which is one of the most important agreements, in terms of its scope and the economic impact on the country.

"For 16 months Hotelbeds has continuously promoted Panama's hotels, tourism products, and services to travel agents, tour operators and suppliers that are part of the network," he said.

The agreement also contributed to positioning Panama as a tourist destination of interest to more than 60,000 buyers in the travel sector; and the progressive reactivation of demand from the US, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Argentina.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/reactivated-tourism-gives-fillip-to-panama-economy

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Electoral Tribunal enables Martinelli to dodge trial date

Posted 05/06/2022

The National Directorate of Electoral Organization (DNOE) of the Electoral Tribunal (TE) approved the holding of an extraordinary national congress of the Realizing Goals (RM) party, at the request of its president, Ricardo Martinelli.

The endorsed calendar is interposed with the hearing that the Third Criminal Court will hold from July 18 to August 5, for the Odebrecht case, a process in which Martinelli and two of his sons are imprisoned and recently sentenced in New York for bribes from thE same company. The date of this emblematic case, with more than 60 defendants, was set seven months ago, on November 1, 2021.

In this way, Martinelli, who is currently protected from the action of justice because he enjoys criminal electoral jurisdiction as a result of the prolongation of an internal electoral process that was held on April 24 would further extend his legal armor reports La Prensa.

The TE published on Friday, June 3, the calendar and regulations for the political event. The date of the congress will be July 24, but the electoral process has already begun with its publication in the Electoral Bulletin 5067. The resolution bears the signature of the person in charge of the DNOE, Ósman Valdés.

Once again, the former president would avoid a court date due to his status as a political leader. The Electoral Court (TE) approved an electoral calendar for his party, Realizing Goals (RM), founded in March 2021, for a new internal process that collides with the dates of one of the most important trials on corruption in the country: the case for the payment of bribes from Odebrecht, in which the former president is one of the defendants.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/electoral-tribunal-enables-martinelli-to-dodge-trial-date

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Two cocaine-wigged women arrested at Panama airport

Posted 05/06/2022

Two Colombian women were arrested Friday at Tocumen international airport when they tried to travel to Spain with cocaine hidden under their wigs

Panama drug prosecutor, Xiomara Rodríguez, reported the arrest, at the air terminal, of a Colombian woman from a flight from her country to Madrid.

According to the official version, the police approached this person after suspecting his hairstyle. After doing a scanner test, the agents found that between the braids of her natural hair and a wig that she was wearing, she hid drug tablets attached to her head.

Rodríguez said that the woman was wearing "68 cylindrical black wrappers with white powder (inside)" under her wig.

This form of drug trafficking is "unprecedented" in Panama, Rodríguez added, in a video posted on the Twitter account of the Panama Attorney General's Office.

Hours later, the prosecutor's office announced the arrest of "a second woman" with "67 packages containing suspected drugs" hidden under another wig. She also came from Colombia and was destined for Spain.

The two women will be brought before a court of guarantees for alleged international drug trafficking

Within the curious modalities of drug trafficking, in 2021 the Panamanian police caught, on the perimeter of a prison, the "narcogato", a feline that carried cocaine, crack and marijuana tied to its neck, presumably to introduce it to the prison.

Panama is the gateway to Central America for the drug that goes from South America, mainly Colombia, the world's largest producer of cocaine, to the United States, the world's largest consumer of the drug.

Central American authorities have warned of a significant increase in drug trafficking to Europe mainly through the Caribbean ports of the region.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/two-cocaine-wigged-women-arrested-at-panama-airport

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Chiriqui heightens  Monkeypox alert

Posted 04/06/2022

The province of Chiriquí remains on epidemiological alert to the possibility of the entry of people infected with monkeypox.

The medical director of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) in Chiriquí, Gladys Novoa, confirmed the strengthening of health surveillance on the Panama-Costa Rica border, in seaports and at the Enrique Malek international airport in the city of David reports La Estrella.

“We hope that no cases of monkeypox are registered in Panama; however, our technical teams are prepared for the eventual management of patients with the disease and establish the corresponding biosafety protocols,” Novoa said.

Monkeypox was discovered in primates in 1958 and the first human infection occurred in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Since then, cases have been reported in other countries in West Africa and Central Africa, where one in 10 infected people dies, the Minsa explained in a press release. The virus can enter the body “through broken skin, the respiratory tract, or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth); There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease.

Symptoms are fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache and muscle pain, severe weakness, rash (3 days after fever); Unlike covid-19, a person can infect others only when they have symptoms.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/chiriqui-heightens-monkeypox-alert

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Date set for Odebrecht multi-million delinquency hearing

Posted 04/06/2022

A compliance court of the First Judicial District of Panama will hold a hearing on June 15 to address the delinquency of the $220  million fine imposed on the Odebrecht company, as a result of the collaboration agreement agreed with the Public Ministry in 2017.

The legal advisor of the Panama Metro, Juan Cedeño, will participate in that hearing and will be questioned about the contractual relationship between the entity and Odebrecht.

The judge requires information on the payments that the State has pending to the construction company for the Panama Metro project.

This was raised at the hearing on May 17 by Oswaldo Fernández, the construction company's lawyer. That day, Fernández argued that Odebrecht needs to pay subcontractors and provide maintenance to lines 1 and 2 of the subway.

The anti-corruption prosecutor Anilú Batista said in the last hearing that she had had a meeting with Cedeño and that he informed her that, since last April 26, the Metro has been in charge of maintenance, with other companies that offer the service, since the contract with Odebrecht expired that same month.

The companies Constructora Norberto Odebrecht, SA and Constructora Norberto Odebrecht Panamá, SA, subsidiaries in Panama of the Brazilian Odebrecht (today Novonor), have only paid $52 million, between voluntary payments and withholding orders.

A fine of $220 million was imposed for the bribes paid to officials and politicians in exchange for contracts with the State and for the use of the country's financial system to launder those bribes.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/date-set-for-odebrecht-multi-million-delinquency-hearing

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71% of Panamanians have complete covid vax schedule

Posted 03/06/2022

At least 71 out of 100 Panamanians have the complete vaccination schedule against covid-19, says a report by Our World in Data published by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). ).

In Panama, the complete vaccination schedule is three doses for those over 16 years of age, while for those between 5 and 15 years of age it is two doses. In addition, a second booster dose is applied to those over 50 years of age.

Another point highlighted by Our World in Data is that 79% of Panamanians have received at least one dose of biologicals against the new coronavirus.

Panama, according to the report, is one of the countries with the highest proportion of the “completely immunized population”, above the world average of 60%.

PAHOmentiond that according to the accumulated tests in Panama, a total of one million 413,853 tests are carried out per million inhabitants, maintaining the application of taking samples from covid-19 to the population above the average for the region of one million, 325,421.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/71-of-panamanians-have-complete-covid-vax-schedule

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Panama Ports faces sanctions in dispute with shipping giant

Posted 03/06/2022

A few months after receiving the approval of the board of directors of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) to renew the concession contract for another 25 years, Panama Ports Company (PPC) is denounced by the Swiss shipping company Mediterranean Shipping Company ( MSC) of wanting to impose two companies to receive the maintenance and inspection service in refrigerated containers.

This confronts two large companies in the maritime sector reports La Prensa. PPC is the operator of the port of Balboa and in the past it showed its power in Panama, by stopping the bidding process for the port of Corozal, which left the Canal, with several lawsuits. Meanwhile, MSC is the largest shipping company in the world in cargo capacity and a client of the Panama Canal, which in the future will operate a port in Colón, with an investment of $1.2 billion, according to the government of Laurentino Cortizo.

In a note sent orch 9, 2022 to the administrator of the AMP, Noriel Araúz, the vice president of operations of the MSC, Raffaele Porzio, recounted what was happening.

Unprofessional attitudes
"Since January 22 of this year we have been experiencing unprofessional attitudes and coercive actions by the concessionaire Panama Ports Company...", he said.

It describes that PPC began to deny entry to companies that have been providing auxiliary maritime services to MSC reefer containers in Panama, for more than 9 years, with very confusing arguments.

“PPC is telling us that Harbor Shipping Corporation does not have the necessary permits to provide services in Panama, a situation that we do not understand because we have seen all the permits and also a letter instructing PPC to give Harbor immediate access to our containers. However, it still refuses to do so.”

Refrigerated containers transport very sensitive perishable products such as fruits, vegetables, and others, but they can also be violated for the transport of illegal substances or even human organs, for which the shipping company affirms that it is careful to have a certified company to give it the maintenance when they are in port.

“PPC is forcing us to perform the aforementioned services with two companies (Serviestiba and Chaplaire) that we do not know, have not certified, and do not trust in the safety of our equipment and goods. As a user of the Panama hub, we feel that we have been extorted...”, he warns, by imposing a local company with which MSC has no contractual relationship.

He adds that all this has brought him many problems with containers, such as reporting and lack of information, “dramatically affecting our operation and, more importantly, breaking our security chain. Therefore, this matter is crucial for us.”

The issue had already been raised with the AMP last January by the auxiliary maritime service companies, which are the ones that provide the service to MSC.

AMP sent a note to Jared Zerbe, general manager of PPC, in which it indicates that as a concessionaire, one of its obligations is to allow third parties to use the existing port, in accordance with the rules and regulations that govern the country.

The AMP reminded PPC that Law 56, of 2008, establishes that the concessionaires will facilitate access to the port area they operate to those maritime service providers that are authorized.

“In this sense, we make a strong call to attention to the company that you represent, since the restriction of access to which we have referred can configure a behavior that violates our regulations, which can lead to sanctions by this entity”, says the AMP.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/panama-ports-faces-sanctions-in-dispute-with-shipping-giant

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Alleged embezzler De Obarrio  declared “in absentia”

Posted 03/06/2022

The First Liquidator Court for Criminal Cases declared Adolfo Chichi De Obarrio, former private secretary of Ex-president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), in absentia in the proceeding for alleged embezzlement of the defunct National Aid Program (PAN).

The court ordered the statute of limitations of the criminal action to be suspended until the court manages to get De Obarrio to appear.

In August 2021, this court rejected De Obarrio's request for bail so as not to be detained. Judge Agueda Rentería argued that De Obarrio had shown no interest in appearing.

The former official is being investigated for alleged embezzlement for the purchase of backpacks and is also being prosecuted for alleged unjustified enrichment reports La Prensa.

On that occasion, the judge took into consideration statements by the former director of the PAN, Rafael Guardia Jaén, who confessed to the Public Ministry that De Obarrio was the one who ordered which companies had to be awarded the contracts.

Failed arrest
In 2021, De Obarrio was arrested in Italy as a result of an order issued by the liquidated Fifteenth Court through Interpol, for a case related to the PAN, but was later released when it was established that the National Assembly had not ratified the treaty. of extradition signed between Panama and Italy, a procedure that the Italian authorities had complied with.

On April 18, 2016, the then Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, María Luisa Navarro, took said treaty to the Legislature, chaired by Rubén De León, of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), in a weak “governability” alliance with the then ruling party Panameñista Party.

The Foreign Relations Commission was in the hands of Noriel Salerno, from Cambio Democrático (CD). He was accompanied by Dana Castañeda and Raúl Hernández, from CD; Elías Castillo and Javier Ortega, from the PRD, and Luis Eduardo Quirós, Jorge Rosas, and Antonio Domínguez, from the Panameñista. Salerno led the opposition to the treaty, which was never ratified.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/alleged-embezzler-de-obarrio-declared-in-absentia

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OPINION: No More Electoral Crime!

Posted 02/06/2022

In a solemn act held yesterday, the Electoral Tribunal (TE) officially convened the 2024 elections to elect the President of the Republic, deputies, mayors, and corregimiento representatives. This is a fairly wide door, because, in some cases, there will be no shortage of opportunists who, under the protection of electoral privileges, will try to evade justice, a situation that the TE magistrates can put a definitive stop to if they are respectful of judicial processes against people who will seek that refuge through candidacies and internal and external electoral processes. We hope that the TE corrects the course and, at the same time, pays more attention to the issue of electoral patronage, both with private funds and especially with State funds. If the role of the TE is to guarantee the purity of the vote, their duty is to teach a lesson to those who, through vote trading, want to reach positions of popular election through this route. The TE and its dependencies cannot look the other way when the use of official resources to achieve these positions is evident. This is an attack against democracy, it is a fraud, the equivalent of a vulgar assault on power. No more buying of consciences; no more electoral crime. – LA PRENSA, Jun.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-no-more-electoral-crime

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Justice delayed 15 years is not justice

Posted 29/05/202

A saying that is repeated very frequently in Panama is that delayed justice is not justice. And that is what the patients of the Social Security Fund (CSS) poisoned with diethylene glycol receive from our Judicial Branch. For more than fifteen years, patients have been waiting for them to pay the corresponding compensation for the negligence incurred by officials of this entity in the manufacture of medicines for use by the insured. The worst thing is that not everyone will enjoy the desired justice they demand, because in these fifteen years, after serious poisoning, dozens of patients lost their lives without having seen an ounce of solidarity or a penny of compensation. It is the hypocrisy of our authorities, who claim that they do care about the fate of poisoned people when their actions say the opposite. It causes pain and shame that justice is not diligent and the CSS does not assume once and for all its responsibility for the damage caused by its medicines to hundreds of people who trusted in the quality of their medicines, when what they received was a withering poison that ruined their lives. Enough of excuses and face your responsibility! – LA PRENSA May 29.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/justice-delayed-15-years-is-not-justice

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COVID-19 active cases top 30,000

Posted 02/06/2022

The Ministry of Health (Minsa) confirmed on Thursday, June 2, that four deaths were reported due to covid-19 in the last 24 hours, for a cumulative total of 8,262 deaths . 3,789  new infections were recorded bringing the number  of active cases to over 30,000.

According to the entity, this June 2, 16,707 tests were applied, for positivity of 22.7%.

There are 280 hospitalized patients 245 in a room and 35 in ICU.

https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/covid-19-active-cases-top-30000