Panama election a distorted expression of growing opposition to austerity


News from Panama

Panama’s electoral tribunal declared Laurentino Cortizo Cohen of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) winner of Sunday’s presidential election in Panama, with 33 percent of the votes, two points ahead of the openly right-wing Democratic Change candidate, Rómulo Roux, who acknowledged his defeat Monday afternoon. The election was another sign of growing opposition to inequality, albeit […]

May 14, 2019

Exclusive: U.S. must cultivate Central America or lose out to China: Panama president-elect


News from Panama

Panama’s president-elect, Laurentino “Nito” Cortizo, said the United States should pay more attention to Central America or risk losing ground to China, which has won diplomatic support and increased its investment in the region in recent years. Cortizo, of the center-left Democratic Revolution Party (PRD), won Sunday’s unexpectedly close presidential election with 33 percent of […]

May 6, 2019

Panama election: Cortizo wins unexpectedly close race


News from Panama

Centre-left candidate Laurentino Cortizo has been declared the winner of Panama’s presidential election. In an unexpectedly close race, Mr Cortizo finished two percentage points ahead of his centre-right rival, Rómulo Roux. Mr Roux has yet to concede, citing reports of voting irregularities. The elections have been dominated by pledges to fight corruption and to tackle […]

May 6, 2019

Panama joins crisis meeting on Venezuela


News from Panama

Panama’s Vice President and Foreign Minister, Isabel De Saint Malo de Alvarado is attending an emergency meeting of foreign Ministers of the Lima Group which began on Friday, May 3, in the city of Lima. The meeting was called after the failed military uprising of a group of Venezuelan soldiers in support of the president […]

May 6, 2019

Drought hits Panama Canal shipping, highlights climate fears


News from Panama

An intense drought related to this year’s El Nino phenomenon has precipitously lowered the level of Panama’s Gatun Lake, forcing the country’s Canal Authority to impose draft limits this week on ships moving through the waterway’s recently expanded locks. The restrictions on how deep the vessels can reach below the surface means large ships, primarily […]

May 6, 2019

Cosmetics: High Costs to Enter the Market


News from Panama

Obtaining health records in Panama is a complex task, since it is the only Central American country that requests physical samples of new toiletries and cosmetics. Another factor influencing delays in the issuance of health records is the need for new procedure manuals and more staff, according to local authorities. You may be interested in […]

May 6, 2019