Moderator_03
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An Assembly brawl between thugs
Posted 26/05/2022
When you take sides in politics, you have to accept that the price must be paid. And that is what is happening between the Executive and the National Assembly, where the winners of the last internal electoral contest of the PRD are taking a toll on those who did not support them.
Those who lost are not saints, on the contrary, they shamelessly made use of their position in the Government to divert State resources in order to recruit supporters, for their customary clientelism. So what we will see in the National Assembly – where the winning side is – is not an act of accountability, although the deputies want to pass it off as such. It is, in fact, an act of revenge between factions, whose members disputed state funds for their partisan purposes.
Patronage took over the Ifarhu, the Seed Capital program, Decentralization, and the State payroll to get the votes. Now, the losers are summoned to make them go through public scorn, ridicule them, and, above all, send them a clear message about who is really in charge in the government. In other words, summoning officials to the National Assembly is nothing more than a brawl between thugs. – LA PRENSA May, 26.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/an-assembly-brawl-between-thugs
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Martinelli reaction to sons’ sentence “cynical and shameless”
Posted 28/05/2022
The singer-songwriter Rubén Blades has described former president Ricardo Martinelli’s reaction to the 36-month prison sentence handed down last week in New York to Luis Enrique and Ricardo Martinelli Linares as “cynical and shameless”
The two convicted confessed to having received and laundered $28 million in bribes from Odebrecht, for the benefit of a "close relative" who turned out to be their father
"Ricardo Martinelli’s office released a statement stating that the father's concern was always to get the defense attorneys to do the best possible job 'under the circumstances and that is why he was satisfied with their work, which seems cynical to me and shameless attempt to put a positive spin on what is clearly a disaster: two sons imprisoned for serving as intermediaries for the father's corruption," Blades wrote in a brief titled " About the ruling of May 20, 2022, and Martinelli ”, posted on rubenblades.com.
He added that it is likely that there is already a "sealed indictment" against the former president, his accomplices, former ministers "and his entire financial structure", awaiting the "right moment" to be publicly announced by the US authorities.
Seeking armor
Martinelli did not attend the children's trial and remained in Panama at all times, a country that, by constitutional mandate, does not extradite its nationals. For all this, Blades anticipates that the former president would be looking for "some type of armor", even through an eventual alliance with the PRD.Blades is surprised that Martinelli has not explained to the country how his sons got help from his cabinet ministers to commit the crimes or why he has been publicly identified as the corrupt recipient of Odebrecht bribes.
He also anticipated that Martinelli and his companies, partnerships, and associates would be included in the US Treasury Department's Clinton List.
The United States prohibits its citizens and companies from carrying out financial or commercial transactions with anyone who is listed on Clinton.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinelli-reaction-to-sons-sentence-cynical-and-shameless
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Operation Twilight dims lights of 35 traffickers
Posted 28/05/2022
The Attorney General's Office reported on the afternoon of this Saturday, May 28, that 11 people were charged with the crime of illicit human trafficking. Ten 10 of the 11 people remain provisionally detained.
The request for the arrest was made to the judge of guarantees by the First Prosecutor's Office against Organized Crime, which carries out the investigation linked to the "Twilight" operations.
The operation was carried out on May 25, in which several properties were raided in the provinces of Panama, Veraguas, West Panama, and Darién.
The superior prosecutor Emeldo Márquez, of the First Prosecutor's Office against Organized Crime, explained on May 25 that the operation is a follow-up to the first phase of "Twilight", carried out in September 2021, in which 24 people were charged. for the crime of migrant smuggling.
Moisés Correa, inspector general of the National Border Service, indicated that in “Twilight Phase 2″ 20 raids were carried out on residences in the four provinces mentioned.
Correa said that 26 cell phones, three computers, and two storage units (USB) were located, which are under analysis as part of the evidence seized.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/operation-twilight-dims-lights-of-35-traffickers
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3,678 new covid-19 cases - five deaths
Posted 27/05/2022
The Ministry of Health reported Saturday 3,678 new infections of covid-19 and 5 deaths. 15,267 tests were applied and the 3,678 cases detected reflect a positivity of 24.1%. Active cases reached 30,613, with 265 hospitalized including 36 in ICU.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/3678-new-covid-19-cases-five-deaths
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Inter-America highway blocked to protest road conditions
Posted 27/05/2022
Residents of Lídice de Capira closed the Inter-American highway from 6 a.m. on Friday, May,27 to protest the poor state of the roads in the sector of the country.
The protesters, mostly dressed in white, demanded the presence of the Minister of Public Works, Rafael Sabonge.
The blockage caused major traffic congestion and crowd control agents arrived at the scene to mediate with the protesters.
At 6:20 a.m., two lanes of the Inter-American highway were reopened. However, later the capireños once again blocked the road in its entirety until 8:00 a.m. reports TVNhttps://www.newsroompanama.com/news/inter-america-highway-blocked-to-protest-road-conditions
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Panama American Center opens in City of Knowledge
Posted 27/05/2022
The Deputy Undersecretary for Academic Programs of the Directorate of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States, Ethan Rosenzweig, participated on Friday in the inauguration of the Panama American Center, a new educational and cultural space in the City of Knowledge Plaza .
The installation of the center was achieved through an agreement of understanding between the US Embassy in Panama and the City of Knowledge Foundation, in order to provide a space for training and cultural exchange for emerging voices and professionals.
In addition to being a center to connect with the Panamanian population through cultural and educational programs, the Panama American Center will be the Education USA office for all those interested in studying in the United States through programs and scholarships.
"The Center will be the ideal space to empower young people who may be future scholarship holders of the various academic and cultural training programs of the State Department," Rosenzweig stressed.
The center will be open to the public from Tuesday to Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:0.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama-american-center-opens-in-city-of-knowledge
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$ 100 million fuel subsidy for public transport
Posted 27/05/2022
A measure to temporarily stabilize the price of fuel in public transport will come into force on June 3.
An Executive decree was s on Friday, May 27 by the president, Laurentino Cortizo, which will last three months and $100 million will be allocated for this purpose.
The measure establishes a fixed price per gallon of $3.95 ($1.04 per liter) for 91 and 95 octane gasoline and low sulfur diesel, for public transportation (collective and selective) as of June 3, The benefit does not include the Metro Bus transportation system.
The State will assume the difference in the cost of fuel with the subsidy.
The relief measure includes the authorization of a fuel voucher for the commercial land fleet and registered rolling agricultural machinery, which will come into force as of June 10.
Vehicles with commercial registration and rolling agricultural machinery registered in the Single Vehicle Registry will receive the accreditation of a monthly digital voucher that can be consumed in fuel.
The Transportation Authority (ATTT) will establish the amount of the fuel voucher for these categories of beneficiaries.
The Executive's statement does not explain how much fuel each driver can buy or the procedure to obtain the benefit of the voucher.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/100-million-fuel-subsidy-for-public-transport
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COVID-19 – Three deaths and positivity above 20%
Posted 26/05/2022
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported Wednesday, May 25 three deaths from covid-19 bringing the cumulative total to 8,236.
There were 3,825 new infections with districts that reported the highest number of positive cases is Rufina Alfaro, in San Miguelito with 114; Penonomé, in Coclé with 112; Juan Diaz 112 and Bethania with 94 cases, in the district of Panama.
The Minsa said that 16,879 tests were applied for positivity of 22.7%.
There are 29,029 active cases, of which 28,779 are in isolation and 250 are hospitalized, 211 in the ward, and 39 in intensive care units.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/covid-19-three-deaths-and-positivity-above-20
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Colón strike continues following meeting with Cortizo
Posted 26/05/2022
After a two-hour meeting with President Cortizo on Thursday, the leadership of the Coalition for the Unity of Colón (CUCO) did not sign a document to end the general strike in the province.
The group demands that projects be carried out to prioritize jobs. Edgardo Voitier, leader of Cuco, explained that the end of the strike could not be signed because they must take the proposals to a general assembly. "We don't see a commitment on the part of the government," said Voitier, who says that the problem in Colón is "suffocating, we have never had this kind of unemployment" which in the province of Colón there is 30%, according to official data
Among the guidelines mentioned by the government, it was established to freeze the price of fuel at the national level at $3.95, and to allocate an item of $100 million to offset the effect of the lack of income, but Cuco is not convinced because the price will be frozen only for the transportation system and not for the rest of Panamanians.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/colon-strike-continues-following-meeting-with-cortizo
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Martinelli brothers request move to low-security jail
Posted 26/05/2022
The defense attorneys of the brothers Luis Enrique and Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares requested through a letter to Judge Raymond Dearie to be transferred to a lower-security prison, after being sentenced on Friday, May 20, to 36 months in prison for money laundering of bribes paid by the Odebrecht company.
The brothers are currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, and are asking to be transferred to a low-security facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania.
According to the lawyers, the prison in which the Martinelli Linares are held has poor conditions and they spend around 22 hours locked up.
Confiscation of assets
It was also known this Thursday, May 26, that Judge Dearie ordered the confiscation of the assets of the brothers.The United States Department of Justice requested to confiscate $18.8 million and all the resources linked to two bank accounts in their names in Switzerland.
In addition to the $18.8 million, the brothers will also lose the immigration bond they had posted for just over a million dollars, another $697,000 that was withheld from the account of a Martinelli Linares attorney, as well as $1.4 million from a trust fund. collateral created after the sale of a property in Miami linked to them. Another $679,000 deposited in banks is added to the list.
During the reading of the sentence, both brothers pointed to their father, former president Ricardo Martinelli, as the person who ordered them to receive the bribes.
In addition to the 36-month sentence, the Martinelli Linares must pay a fine of $250,000 and spend two years on supervised release.
Judge Dearie announced the sentence, much less than the 9 to 11 years requested by the prosecution, which accused them of receiving $28 million in bribes from the Brazilian multinational, of which $19 million had passed through US accounts.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/martinelli-brothers-request-move-to-low-security-jail
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Metro bus service driving down the wrong path
Posted 25/05/2022
On October 22, 2006, Panamanians overwhelmingly approved in a referendum the modernization of the Panama Canal, to improve its service to world cargo transport.
The next day, on October 23, a bus caught fire in La Cresta killing 18 passengers, who were killed by a corrupt and inefficient mass transit system that was tied to political allegiances of all kinds.
Their deaths were not in vain, since they inspired the citizen struggle and the change of public opinion in favor of a new collective transport system writes Rodrigo Noriega in La Prensa
The government of President Martín Torrijos (2004-2009) was not able to take advantage of the crisis to transform the transport sector, since many of its most prominent figures were members of the ruling party.
It was up to President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) to initiate the reform, first with the indemnification of the carriers, today subjected to a complex judicial process for embezzlement and the creation of a joint venture called Mi Bus.
The first error was the design of the urban passenger transport service as a financially profitable company since this service is usually provided by States or municipalities with subsidies, due to the great social benefits that they represent for their population.
In what was perhaps the best public policy initiative of the government of President Juan Carlos Varela (2014-2019) , control of Mi Bus was assumed by the State and an administrator was sought from the best companies in the world in terms of public transport - systems of many cities in the United States, as well as school transport, the famous Greyhound bus chain and the London metropolitan buses, the famous red double-decker buses.
The company professionalized Mi Bus, trained drivers and mechanics, organized workshops and raised the quality of life for all citizens of the capital. The company terminated its contract and Mi Bus remained in the hands of politicians.
Maintenance allergy
The Panamanian State is allergic to maintenance. For this reason, garbage trucks, police patrols, and ambulances are lacking. For the same reason, the metro buses began to run out of parts, and then those that were stopped were cannibalized so that some semblance of the fleet could circulate.The budget structure of the Mi Bus company is poorly organized since, if it were to do the right thing, it would have adequate funds for maintenance and to renew the fleet.
This is done by setting up a small annual reserve that feeds into a trust for these purposes. The truth is that, according to some versions, about 300 metro buses are out of service, other versions speak of 40% of the fleet.
Whatever the real number is, we've got a big problem. Metrobuses are essential for Panama City to function. The Metro needs them to complete the last mile and many humble workers depend on the Metro Bus to get to their jobs on a daily basis.
Without this transport, there would be no nurses available punctually in hospitals, nor would there be cashiers or clerks in supermarkets and pharmacies.
Many would have to depend on pirate buses to keep their jobs or, in the extreme case, stop working because they don't have the money to pay for alternative transportation.
The government of President Laurentino Cortizo does not have funds available to meet these pressing needs. For this reason, you have to look for other sources of funds.
The current government has an 80 million dollar project to widen the España road from the Porras road to the Cinquantenario road. The objective of this project is the establishment of dedicated lanes for the Metro Bus.
New buses
In a circumstance where there are not enough metro buses, this project does not make sense, therefore this money should be used to buy about 350 to 400 metro buses including parts and maintenance.To speed up the operation, the government can ask the National Bank of Panama to finance the purchase of the vehicles that will take 6 to 12 months to arrive. Meanwhile, the 30 trunk routes that were abandoned must be returned to users.
I was told by a lady who normally uses only one bus to go to work, that she had to make two transfers and on the last bus she boarded, she had to enter through the back. This hadn't happened to him since the red devils were eliminated.
The Mi Bus company needs more money to be more viable and it also needs an autonomous structure like the Panama Canal and the Tocumen International Airport.
It should not matter who is in government, just a technically managed organization. The vast majority of the metro bus fleet will need to be replaced in the next four years. This is a very strong investment for an impoverished state. It is also a very smart investment for an economy that needs to be more competitive.
If the replacement of metro buses is well-coordinated, electric buses should be purchased, since this reduces fuel costs, and maintenance costs and greatly improves the quality of life of users and inhabitants of Panama City.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/metro-bus-service-driving-down-the-wrong-path
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Health Minister declares monkeypox alert
Posted 25/05/2022
While no suspicious case of monkeypox has been detected in Panama, the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, has declared a health alert, which establishes a series of health plans and protocols for surveillance The measure comes before the alert recently issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), after cases of monkeypox have been registered in several countries in America, Europe and Asia.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/health-minister-declares-monkeypox-alert
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Nine extortion gang members arrested in Chiriqui raids
Posted 25/05/2022
Nine people belonging to a gang allegedly dedicated to extortion were apprehended on Wednesday, May 25 in a joint operation between the Superior Prosecutor's Office Specialized in Crimes of Illicit Association (gangs) and the National Police.
The group was apprehended after an investigation of almost three years, for the crime of gang activity, said prosecutor Alexis Medina.
Those investigated, one woman and eight men, are allegedly related to the gang known as Bola 8 or Badboy, which operates in the city of David, Chiriqui. and is allegedly dedicated to committing multiple crimes, such as robbery, theft, and drug-related crimes.
The Prosecutor's Office directed the search proceeding and 15 simultaneous points were registered in the city in addition to the seizures, cash, illicit substances, and firearms.
In the next few hours, the Prosecutor's Office will present the nine people before the Court of Guarantees for the legalization of the arrests and imputations of charges.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/nine-extortion-gang-members-arrested-in-chiriqui-raids
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Twilight for 12 migrant-trafficking suspects
Posted 25/05/2022
Authorities of the Public Ministry and the National Border Service (Senafront) arrested 12 people on Wednesday May 25 for their alleged involvement in illegal migrant trafficking, from Panama to Costa Rica.
The First Specialized Prosecutor's Office against Organized Crime, reported that 20 proceedings were carried out in different parts of the country.
Prosecutor Emeldo Márquez highlighted that Operation Twilight 2 is the continuation of the investigation that took place in September 2021, in which some 24 people were apprehended.
He said that the criminal group was engaged in the smuggling of national migrants from Haiti, Ecuador and Bangladesh.
“This criminal behavior carries a sentence of 15 to 20 years in prison. The Public Ministry will request the formulation of the corresponding imputation, ”said Márquez.
He added that this criminal network illegally moved migrants from the Panama border with Colombia to the border with Costa Rica.
The arrested suspects, all Panamanians, will be brought before a guarantee judge. No migrants were located in the raids.
The Senafront commissioner, Moisés Correa, announced that the raids on residences took place in the provinces of Darién, Panama, West Panama, and Veraguas, and cell phones, computers, and USB devices were seized.
Prosecutor Márquez reported that in the investigations they were able to discover that this group charged between 200 and 500 dollars per person, to carry out the transfer from one point to another, evading immigration control posts.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/twilight-for-12-migrant-trafficking-suspects
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Panama leads Latin America with pediatric vaccinations
Posted 23/05/2022
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) announced Monday, May 23, that the hexavalent pediatric vaccine was included in the Expanded Program on Immunization (PAI), which in a single dose protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, and hepatitis B.
The vaccine is also effective in preventing invasive Haemophilus and Influenza type B-2 diseases.
According to Minsa, Panama is the first country in the region to introduce this type of biological in its national vaccination schedule.
Itzel Slocum de Hewitt, the general coordinator of Minsa, said that there are 100,000 doses available.
The official stated that the use of this vaccine "puts the country at the forefront of vaccination programs in Latin America."
She said that having more effective vaccination programs and investing in vaccines not only offers better protection for the population, but also generates "relevant savings for the State since it reduces the burden on the health system", which is currently overwhelmed by the covid-19 pandemic.
In a report by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), it was emphasized that in 2020, due to the pandemic, a total of 2.7 million children in the Latin American region did not receive essential vaccines.
The PAHO report stressed that the "interruption of vaccination campaigns in the last two years has set back almost three decades of processes in vaccination against polio and measles."
https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/panama-leads-latin-america-with-pediatric-vaccinations-1
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Tropical wave # 2 warning
Posted 24/05/2022
A warning of prevention and monitoring is in force before the entry of tropical wave No. 2 of the season over the national territory has been issued by the National Civil Defense Institute (Sinaproc).
The Directorate of Hydrometeorology of the Electricity Transmission Company, SA anticipates that the wave will enter the country on May 25 and 26. This will generate, rains between 35 to 80 millimeters, it warns.
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Sentencing of Martinelli brothers gives new impetus to Odebrecht case
Posted 24/05/2022
The revelations made in the trial of Ricardo Alberto and Luis Enrique Martinelli Linares on Friday, May 20, in a Federal Court in New York (NY) would give new impetus to the case that is being followed in Panama for the bribes paid by Odebrecht.
Former Supreme Court judge Harry Díaz said the Public Ministry should request the ruling of Judge Raymond Dearie, translate it, authenticate it and introduce it as extraordinary evidence in the trial.
After the revelations that emerged in the trial of the sons of former president Ricardo Martinelli in a New York court for having conspired to launder $28 million as a result of bribes paid by Odebrecht, the Public Ministry (MP) traces the route that will continue to introduce this information to the process followed in Panama.
Attorney General , Javier Caraballo , met Monday, May 23, with Agustín Almario Castillo, Senior Prosecutor for International Affairs, and with Mahmad Daud Hasan, Senior Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, to analyze the topic. Both were present at the trial on Friday, May 20.
This new evidence, as explained in the Public Ministry, could be presented as extraordinary evidence in the trial of the case, a procedure that is scheduled to be held from July 18. Mechanisms to recover money from the collection of bribes in exchange for millionaire contracts for state works are also analyzed.
The confession
On Friday, May 20, in the middle of the trial, Sean Hecker, a lawyer for Ricardo Alberto Martinelli, told Judge Raymond Dearie the following: “The two brothers did not seek to belong to a criminal enterprise, nor did they think of them. His father asked for them."He then added that “when they found out, because of the amount of money, they decided to cooperate with the justice system, because they knew that this was not right. It was they themselves who took the case to the [US] government.
You will understand that it is not easy to go talk to the United States government about your own father.” "What they did was because the father asked them to," he said.
While James McGovern, the lawyer for Luis Enrique Martinelli also pointed to the father: “He [Luis Enrique] began to do what his father said and opened the [bank] accounts. But once he understood that the origin of the funds was illegal, he went to the government, spoke, gave information, handed over the money and notified his father”.
Ricardo Martinelli is one of those called to trial in this process. He is accused of allegedly committing the crime of money laundering.
The former Attorney General and former independent deputy Ana Matilde Gómez said that the confessions that emerged in New York "definitely" strengthen the case of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. “Hopefully they will manage to bring to the Panamanian file all that is pertinent from those statements or other evidence to properly incorporate them into the file or at least complement their arguments.”
Harry Díaz, said that, the country must be vigilant so that the Judicial Branch assigns competent and incorruptible judges so that "the mockery carried out by white-collar criminals, manipulating justice, is not repeated."
Alvin Weeden, who in 2015 filed the complaint that motivated the Public Ministry to open the process for the payment of bribes in Panama, said that regardless of the process that is in the Third Liquidator Court of Criminal Cases, the Public Ministry can open a new process.
The president of the Human Rights Commission of the National Bar Association, Carlos Herrera Morán, estimated that what happened in New York "is the best evidence that Panamanian justice can obtain of the existence of illegal acts committed by former President Martinelli" .
Herrera Morán, who sued Martinelli in the puncture case, said that this evidence can be used in all open proceedings against Martinelli and that his defense could do little to refute it.
The lawyer David Montenegro, former director of the Administrative Career, said: "It is the duty of the Public Ministry to request the cooperation of the New York Prosecutor's Office to evacuate all the evidence that is necessary so that the people and companies that participated in the corruption scheme pay the consequences." According to Montenegro, "it was evident in the desperate pleas for mercy of both lawyers, the undoubted involvement of Ricardo Martinelli in the case."
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Security personnel aided dismantled criminal network
The director of Senan, Jeremías Urieta
Posted 24/05/2022
A joint operation between Panama and Colombia managed to dismantle a criminal network linked to the Clan del Golfo, from which more than 800 kilos of cocaine, and 1,500 ammunition were seized and which maintained a presence on the coast of Darién, for the transfer of drugs to Central America. and the United States.
Operation Polux began in 2019 when it was detected that an agent from the National Air and Naval Service (Senan) had contacts with a group of Colombian dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), now associated with the Clan del Golfo, who moved drug shipments to the Darién border and to the coasts of the province of Veraguas.
The director of Senan, Jeremías Urieta, said that seven Panamanians and one Colombian were arrested here.
In Colombia, the arrest of 12 people was achieved, including the alleged leader of the criminal network Humberto Reina Yepes (alias El Profe).
According to the investigations, the Senan official participated in the coordination and logistical support to the boats with drugs, which were delivered from fuel, water, and food. In addition, he contacted the owners of other ships that helped bring the drug to the coast.
Urieta explained that the criminal network also used Coiba Island to hide drug shipments and then send them to the United States.
In Colombia, 11 buildings, five businesses, nine vehicles, a boat, and 10 bank accounts were seized
The joint investigation revealed that the group sometimes used submersibles to transport the drug.
This is the third criminal gang linked to the Clan del Golfo dismantled in Panamanian territory
The first of them, the Damasco operation, started in the year 2019, in which the Humility and Purity (HP) gang was dismantled, which provided support to the Gulf Clan, among whose members there was an official of the Judicial Branch.
Then, in the Fisher operation that began in 2019, the arrest of 57 people linked to a network that operated on the coasts of the province of Colón linked to the Clan del Golfo was achieved. This group seized $10 million in a residence.
In the Fisher operation, the participation of officials from security forces who provided logistical support to circumvent the surveillance of the Senan patrol boats was also detected.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/security-personnel-aided-dismantled-criminal-network
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Fishermen protest rising fuel prices
Posted 23/05/2022
Police used tear gas to disperse fishermen and reopen the Cinta Costera to vehicular traffic near the Seafood Market on Monday, May 23. They were demanding concrete answers from the Government in the face of the increase in fuel prices. They allege that only public transport drivers have received support from the authorities.
Similar actions took place in Coclé, Veraguas and Azuero reports La Prensa.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/fishermen-protest-rising-fuel-prices
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Court rejects ex-president Varela’s protection gambit
Juan Carlos Varela
Posted 23/05/2022
The First Superior Court of Justice did not admit a protection of guarantees presented by former president Juan Carlos Varela against the decision of the third judge liquidator of criminal cases, Baloisa Marquínez, who denied an incident of nullity against the Inquiry order issued by the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office in the investigation for alleged money laundering related to Odebrecht contracts.
In a ruling dated May 18, under the presentation of Judge Juan Carlos Tatis, the judges of the First Court of Justice upheld Judge Marquínez's decision to endorse the investigation order against Varela, issued by the Superior Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office on June 30, 2020.
The ruling says that the protection of guarantees should have been presented at the time the investigation resolution was issued by the prosecution.
It adds that the defense will be able to rehearse this resource during the substantive hearing, as required by article 2277 of the Judicial Code.
Varela was investigated for the payments made to the presidential campaign of his party, the Panameñista, for the period 2009-2014, as Vice President and for the 2014 electoral campaign, in which he was elected president.
July 18 hearing
The preliminary hearing for the Odebrecht case is scheduled for July 18. There are 62 people investigated for alleged money laundering, including former presidents Varela and Martinelli.The statements of his co-partisan and ex-consul of Panama in South Korea, Jaime Lasso, were the ones that served for the prosecution to summon him.
Lasso, questioned on February 13, 2020, admitted having been the person who accepted payments for Varela’s campaign from 2009 to 2012.
According to prosecution investigations, money from Odebrecht reached the Panameñista Party through the Don James Foundation and through two companies: V-Tech and Poseidon Enterprises.
Varela has said that “no payment was received of the Odebrecht company”, nor of any other State contractor.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/court-rejects-ex-president-varelas-protection-gambit
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Masks advised for Sahara dust alert
Posted 23/05/2022
The National Civil Protection Service (Sinaproc) has issued a surveillance notice due to the displacement of particles or dust from the Sahara in various regions of the country.
The phenomenon will occur in Coclé, Guna Yala region, Colón, Panama, and East Panama.
According to Sinaproc, the entry of these particles causes foggy conditions that could affect people with allergies. The use of masks and face shields has been advised.
The notice will be valid until May 24, the entity said.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/masks-advised-for-sahara-dust-alert
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Martinelli statement "the pinnacle of cynicism"
Posted 22/05/2022
The statement released on Friday signed by former President Ricardo Martinelli's spokesman is the pinnacle of cynicism. “Ex-president Martinelli understands that obtaining the most favorable sentence was the north of the defense of his children […]. In his conversations with them, he told them that his lawyers should do whatever is necessary to that end. Every person who has children will understand perfectly that for his children a father is willing to carry the load that is necessary…”. The defense of the Martinelli brothers held the former president responsible for the criminal conduct of his clients. So the suggestion was that the lawyers lie to the judge to get the most favorable sentence, holding him responsible for everything? Lying to a judge is not something that is taken lightly in the United States, so it is unlikely that the lawyers would consider such nonsense. Furthermore, there is nothing noble about suggesting doing what is necessary if it involves lying. But in reality what the statement was looking for was something else: to make us believe that the lawyers lied about the accusations that they poured out on him in court. It takes a crooked mind to take advantage of the worst moment in the lives of his children, to save his skin. – THE PRESS, May 22.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/martinelli-statement-ampquotthe-pinnacle-of-cynicismampquot-1
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US First Lady visits Panama community programs
Posted 22/05/2022
The First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, wrapped up her two days in Panama with a visit to the Casa Hogar El Buen Samaritano, in JuanDíaz, home to people with (HIV).
The United States Embassy in Panama noted that "The United States contributed more than $13 million to improve access to and quality of HIV/AIDS testing and treatment services for vulnerable populations throughout Panama, including measures to reduce stigma and discrimination."
The First Lady of the United States, who arrived in the country this Friday, shared meetings with her counterpart from Panama, Jazmín de Cortizo, and visited the Children's Home School, where she learned details of the “See and Hear to Learn” program. She was in the country as part of a tour of several Latin American nations.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/us-first-lady-visits-panama-community-programs-1
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Residents protest transfer of 35,000 hectares to Guna region
Posted 22/05/2022
Residents of the Chepo district held a protest on the shores of Lake Bayano on Sunday in rejection of Bill 241, which was presented by the Guna deputy of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), Petita Ayarza, and which was approved in the third debate in the National Assembly.
This project establishes that 35,000 hectares of Lake Bayano will form part of the Guna de Madugandí region.
Leaders explained that their disagreement lies in the fact that transferring these 35,000 hectares creates conflicts or problems of coexistence that did not exist in the area.
They announced that the next step to follow is to go to the Presidency, to demand that the president, Laurentino Cortizo, veto the project, which they consider has been without consultation.
“ We believe that the healthiest thing is to reiterate that part of Lake Bayano belongs to people from Chepo who have lived there for years and they warn that the project is "reckless" and creates conflicts or problems that did not exist in the area,
The controversial project was approved on May 5, by the plenary session of the National Assembly.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/residents-protest-transfer-of-35000-hectares-to-guna-region
Panama Mayor and the Fish Market
in Panama’s Culture of Corruption and Non-Transparency, and Efforts to Improve
Posted
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-an-unforgivable-error-of-judgment