Don Winners Guide to Hookers and Prostitutes in Panama

1. Hookers, Hookers, Everywhere... Sex Tourism in Panama
... website in English promoting Panama as a destination for sex tourism. Finding a hooker in Panama is one of the easiest things to do, but prostitution is illegal in Panama. But if prostitution is illegal then why do they have mandatory clinics for all of the hookers? How can you ...
by Don Winner on Saturday, May 12 2007 @ 06:51 PM COT - Story - 116,903 Hits

2. Hookers, For or Against?
Yesterday Panamanian Immigration authorities raided the Midnight Club on Via Espana and shut the place down. There were twenty three girls working there and all were taken into detention. These were the girls featured in this article, "Order Up a Hooker Online in Panama", after seeing this report in El ...
by Don Winner on Wednesday, May 09 2007 @ 07:47 AM COT - Story - 80,900 Hits

3. Order Up a Hooker Online in Panama
Panama has always skirted a fine line between wanting to have legalized prostitution in the country, but at the same time not really liking it all that much. The fact is that in Panama prostitution is "de facto" legal while simultaneously illegal on the books. Street walkers are illegal, for ...
by Don Winner on Monday, April 16 2007 @ 08:04 AM COT - Story - 58,925 Hits

4. American Convicted in Human Trafficking for Prostitution Case
... and restaurant, but more than anything else it's a strip club. In May of 2005 he was accused of human trafficking for the purpose of prostitution after two girls filed a formal complaint, charging that Politis took their passports and plane tickets and was forcing them to work in the ...
by Don Winner on Wednesday, January 17 2007 @ 07:48 PM COT - Story - 18,816 Hits

5. Release of the Seventh Annual Trafficking in Persons ...
Secretary Condoleezza Rice: SECRETARY RICE: Thank you all for coming. I'd like to thank Ambassador Mark Lagon who just twelve days ago assumed his duties as director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. And it's my pleasure to be here today to release that report. Human ...
by Don Winner on Wednesday, June 13 2007 @ 10:16 AM COT - Story - 14,645 Hits

6. Run - It's The Pussy Patrol! - Bosco ...
... well as businessmen." They also found cocaine and other drugs and loads of other information and paraphernalia indicating the house was being used for (gasp!) prostitution. The political rumor mill had a field day this weekend with "spaculation" over who's names might be on that list. In one comment Bosco ...
by Don Winner on Monday, August 17 2009 @ 09:14 AM COT - Story - 5,423 Hits

7. Hookers, Hookers, by the Church...?
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - No, I'm not obsessed with hookers, strip clubs, or massage parlors. And, I don't want to see these kinds of places shut down. There is a great issue at stake here. The sex industry in Panama is still dominated by back-room deals, big bribes, ...
by Don Winner on Tuesday, May 15 2007 @ 10:10 AM COT - Story - 5,373 Hits

8. New Immigration Law - Translated by Jerin Tate
By DON WINNER for http://www.panama-guide.com - Jerin Tate sent me this copy of the new immigration law with permission to publish it in full on Panama-Guide. In his email to me he wrote "some points of interest include Articles 263 and 264 which say (I believe) that the only people ...
by Don Winner on Wednesday, August 27 2008 @ 12:56 PM COT - Story - 3,337 Hits

9. An Early Draft of the New Immigration Law ...
By Eliana Morales Gil for La Prensa - If the new law (by executive order) establishing the regulations governing immigration policy for the country is approved, those applying for a temporary or permanent immigrant visa will not be required to use the services of a lawyer. According to the proposal, ...
by Don Winner on Thursday, January 10 2008 @ 08:56 PM COT - Story - 3,264 Hits

10. Expat Steven Rich Uses Online Aliases To Slander, ...
.autotagframe2 { float:right; padding:5px; width:194px; border: silver solid; border-width: 1px; text-align:center; } Steven Rich By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Canadian citizen Steven Rich, well known among the community of English speaking expatriates in the Republic of Panama for organizing parties and writing and publishing articles about living in Panama, ...
by Don Winner on Monday, June 22 2009 @ 12:15 PM COT - Story - 2,919 Hits

11. In the land of counterfeit
By Jeffrey Sheban Photos by Jeff Hinckley for The Columbus Dispatch - To track the global surge in fake goods, The Dispatch sent a reporter and photographer to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand this summer for a rare look inside the counterfeit trade. Knockoff goods made in Asia easily ...
by Don Winner on Monday, November 26 2007 @ 07:06 AM COT - Story - 2,900 Hits

12. Back To Immigration - This Time With Gusto...
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - OK, one more time. It became apparent over the weekend that the new rules established in Panamanian law regarding the 30-day tourist visa issue have become the #1 topic within the English speaking expatriate community. This morning I wandered back over to Immigration again ...
by Don Winner on Monday, June 11 2007 @ 03:18 PM COT - Story - 2,633 Hits

13. 60 Hookers Busted in Panama Immigration Sweep
... because they do not, in fact, have their papers in order. They lack the card for "performing artists" issued to allow them to work in prostitution legally for nine months in Panama. Relatives of the detained women say they are sleeping on the floor due to overcrowding in the immigration ...
by Don Winner on Saturday, January 23 2010 @ 05:45 PM COT - Story - 2,563 Hits

14. "Hooker Roundup" - Immigration Snags Sundry Snatch in ...
... going out every Thursday night like clockwork pretty soon the girls will have them figured out and they won't be able to arrest anyone at all. When that happens, they can then declare they have eradicated prostitution in the Republic of Panama, and a good time was had by all.
by Don Winner on Friday, May 28 2010 @ 01:59 PM COT - Story - 2,496 Hits

15. Corrupt Panamanian Immigration Officials Act As Virtual Pimps ...
... from the girls. Therefore, in effect, the corrupt Panamanian government officials are indirectly involved in organized crime, and their system allows them to profit from prostitution. And, they are collecting about $1 million dollars per year from the money they extort from the prostitutes. And what's more, everyone in the ...
by Don Winner on Thursday, February 10 2011 @ 10:27 AM COT - Story - 2,319 Hits

16. US State Department 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report ...
... to urban areas for labor exploitation. Foreign victims trafficked into Panama are from Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Central America. Some Colombian women reportedly migrate to Panama, intending to work in Panama’s sex industry by means of the country’s alternadora visa program, which is commonly used to facilitate prostitution. (more)
by Don Winner on Thursday, June 05 2008 @ 02:07 PM COT - Story - 2,185 Hits

17. Underage Girls Working as Prostitutes in Chiriqui
... their names and identities protected. The First Superior Prosecutor of Chiriqui, Jose Henriquez, said on Telemetro that they have opened an investigation into the case and that they will take the necessary measures to prevent these children returning to the activity of prostitution. (Source: ABDIEL AUGUSTO PATINO for La Estrella)
by Don Winner on Wednesday, January 20 2010 @ 01:31 PM COT - Story - 2,085 Hits

18. Follow Up on "RJ Erwin" - Real Name ...
... was in debt to the Russian Mafia in our area and had also been running some sort of illegal poker room and some level of prostitution from warehouse space he had. The police told me he either left the country or was dead. He was so good at getting away ...
by Don Winner on Tuesday, May 18 2010 @ 08:41 AM COT - Story - 1,852 Hits

19. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005
Panama, a representative democracy with an elected executive composed of a president and two vice presidents, has a population of approximately 3 million. In 2004 national elections, which were considered by international and domestic observers to be generally free and fair, voters elected as president Martin Torrijos of the Democratic ...
by Don Winner on Tuesday, March 21 2006 @ 04:55 PM COT - Story - 1,698 Hits

20. "Artist" Visas for Hookers...
... to talk about the granting of visas to dancers, "entertainers," and artists. Asked about the possibility these visas are granted to foreigners for purposes of prostitution, Immigration director Ricardo Vargas simply remained silent. Jowee Figueroa of the Ministry of Labor said Immigraion is responsible for granting permission to enter the ...
by Don Winner on Tuesday, February 21 2006 @ 09:22 PM COT - Story - 1,678 Hits

21. Hookers at Habanos! Imagine Our Shock And Surprise!
... A raid by Immigration uncovered a nightclub that supposedly is primarily dedicated to selling cigars, but according to the investigation is also devoted to clandestine prostitution. Inside the business, which is located in the banking district of Panama, they found several women, women's lingerie, and an erotic dancing area. It ...
by Don Winner on Thursday, January 27 2011 @ 01:22 PM COT - Story - 1,617 Hits

22. "All Corrupt Officials Are Going Down..."
The lead story in La Prensa this morning is, once again, about corruption. Ana Matilde Gómez, Panama's Attorney General, announed that there are more undercover operations ongoing, and that all corrupt public officials are "going to fall, sooner or later."
by Don Winner on Tuesday, August 23 2005 @ 06:49 AM COT - Story - 1,457 Hits

23. Defensor Del Pueblo Vargas Speaks Out on New ...
La Critica - Panama's Defensor del Pueblo (literally "public defender" but actually a Human Rights Watchdog organization) Ricardo Vargas, warned that the creation of the National Intelligence and Security Service should be adopted through the passage of a law by the Panamanian National Assembly, and highlight a series of faults ...
by Don Winner on Monday, August 11 2008 @ 05:18 PM COT - Story - 1,453 Hits

24. Ex-porn star, Miami Companions manager, call girl avoids ...
BY TRESA BALDAS for the Detroit Free Press - Nayubet Swaso was spared prison today for her involvement in the prostitution ring Miami Companions / U.S. Department of Justice. Call girls write letters in support of Miami Companions boss. Ringleader of Miami Companions escort service making plea to avoid prison ...
by Don Winner on Saturday, May 07 2011 @ 09:36 AM COT - Story - 1,149 Hits

25. Keeping The Pressure Up On Hookers - Another ...
... like this where it comes to their own twig & berries. When wedding tackle or the family jewels are at stake...then they suddenly get serious. Prostitution is legal in Panama as long as the business establishment is licensed by the government. The sex technicians (a.k.a. whores) must also be licensed ...
by Rusty on Saturday, August 22 2009 @ 10:05 AM COT - Story > Comment

26. "Hooker Roundup" - Immigration Snags Sundry Snatch in ...
Prostitution is legal in Panama. What is illegal is off-the-books prostitution. The government just wants to get its share of the profits. No panamanian polititian would want to get rid of such a gold mine.
by champ on Saturday, May 29 2010 @ 08:15 PM COT - Story > Comment

27. Prostitutes Exploited by Immigration, Night Club Owners, and ...
... that we see exposes of on "60 Minutes" and "CNN" in eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. I am 100% in favor of legal prostitution. But the scheme you have described is not that, its sex slavery and human trafficking and the government of Panama needs to be called ...
by susangg on Sunday, June 06 2010 @ 02:38 PM COT - Story > Comment

28. Violent Home Invasion Crime Wave in Coronado Area
... had seen crime spiral out of control in Belize, specifically to address the issue of crime against people and homes - not drugs, car thefts, prostitution, etc. Second, we developed a four level strategy for defending our community: 1) Protect the community as a whole - make it known to ...
by markheyer on Wednesday, January 05 2011 @ 12:09 PM COT - Story > Comment

29. Municipality of Panama City Rounds Up "Clandestine" Prostitutes
So. That makes it official! The Government of Panama officially sanctions prostitution! Bosco always pulls something everytime Martinelli is out of the country. I was just wondering. Are Bosco and Joe Biden cousins? Or is it just something in the water?
by Dick on Monday, May 02 2011 @ 12:55 PM COT - Story > Comment

30. They Were Obligated To Prostitute Themselves And Sell ...
... What has really happened here is quite simple. One dancer caught with drugs blamed the owner (Tony) saying he forced her into drug sales and prostitution. It is an outright lie and they just went with her bullshit story. BTW, she has skipped town and is the only dancer who ...
by Joshy Panama on Wednesday, August 03 2011 @ 01:12 AM COT - Story > Comment

Hookers, Hookers, Everywhere... Sex Tourism in Panama

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide - It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it. Long-time readers will know that I rarely shrink away from the opportunity to write about hookers and the sex trade. Panamanian authorities want it both ways, to be able to say they are doing something to control the sex trade but then again they are not doing a very good job. There are "areas of increased tolerance," whore houses that have been operating for decades, but the government has a cow if someone puts up a website in English promoting Panama as a destination for sex tourism. Finding a hooker in Panama is one of the easiest things to do, but prostitution is illegal in Panama. But if prostitution is illegal then why do they have mandatory clinics for all of the hookers? How can you required a sanctioned hooker to carry a card from the Ministry of Health saying she's good to go if prostitution is illegal? And if they are seeing the girls at the health clinics every week, why don't they make sure they are all registered and working legally? And if you're going to bust someone in the sex trade, how come you only go after foreign owners (specifically, Americans) and not the Panamanians who own the seedier whore houses? As you can see, I still have a lot of quesitons about this whole thing. At least the homework is fun. (more)

The Cotton Club: There's a new place that's about to open (supposedly) on Via España, just below the El Panama Hotel. It's called the Cotton Club and there are a couple of questions I have about this place. First of all, according to a source in the immigration office, they have not handed out any new "alternadora" visas since the new director Ricardo Vargas took over. Their line is that he inherited the system as it is and is doing the best he can to manage things the way they are, within the confines of existing law. Perfect. Party Line. Got it. But then how is the Cotton Club going to open, I ask? If, according to existing law, the "alternadora" visas can not be transferred from one club operator to another then are there going to be any "alternadoras" working at the Cotton Club? Or are they all going to be Panamanian hookers? Remember that one of the main reasons they went after the Midnight Club (supposedly) was because their "cupos" for the "alternadora" visas were assigned to the Life Girls club but the sign out front said Midnight Club. And, if the guys at immigration are right and no new "alternadora" visas have been issued for the Cotton Club, then what's going on? Lovers of transparent government want to know. 

 

Smell the Farts in Church: The other thing is that the Cotton Club is only about 200 meters from La Iglesia Del Carmen in Panama City. And someone told me (remains to be verified in Panamanian law) that you can't have a whore house within like 500 meters of a Church. According to this picture, the Cotton Club can't open in this location. And who are the owners of the Cotton Club, anyway? Is there any chance that the raid against the Midnight Club (which is practically right across the street, just a little further away from the church) and the opening of the Cotton Club are related? Whatever. Just more questions I have about this industry in Panama. 

Why Should I Care? I don't. The guys that care are the rest of the club owners who don't want to see another option come open. Every owner in town wants to be the only guy operating in what is now a very competitive business. The owners "steal" the girls from other clubs by offering them better working conditions or chances to earn money. And the girls know where the guys go, and they go where they get the best payday. And here's the kicker - the club owners who are following the rules (law) and playing the game the "right" way have the biggest complaints about the clubs that are not operating legally. For example... 

Check Out The "Felice" Club: Not for the faint of heart. It's in Santa Ana just up the street from Nelson's on the corner. Again, I did my best "dumb wandering Gringo" routine and the table guy filled me in on the place in thirty seconds. They have rooms upstairs where the girls live and they will go for $15 bucks a pop. There's no cover and national beers at $1.25 a bottle. Have a great time. There are places like this, low end whore houses, all over town. They are in the worst parts of town in places you really don't want to go unless you know what you're doing. But most of them don't have any kind of permits or permissions to be working in the sex business but they've been there forever and have paid off all the right people decades ago. 

10% Entertainment Tax: The government gets 10% of every $30.00 glass of champagne that you buy a stripper. Betcha didn't know that one. In Las Vegas there are more than 180 strip clubs and most of them are open 24 hours a day. They charge $7.00 bucks a beer, and of every beer they sell .70 cents goes to the gub'ment. The Panamanian government should have a huge fiscal incentive to make sure that all of the hookers are on the books because they would make a whole hell of a lot more money in taxes. The increased revenue would more than make up for any additional costs required for manpower, etc. It would be a money-maker. Shake it for La Patria, baby... 

So, How Many Hookers Are There, Anyway? Excellent question. And, no one knows the answer. There are about 1,000 registered sex workers all over the country, including foreign "alternadoras" as well as Panamanians who are registered to work in massage parlors and the like. But there are an estimated 4,000 hookers who are "independents" or working off the books. They are not registered or required to go to any kind of health screening or education. For the most part they are either Panamanians or foreigners who have been through the system a couple of times and they know there are significant fiscal incentives to remain off the books, and little down-side if they don't. 

Busted For Being A Hooker? It's an administrative process, not criminal. That means there's no chance of jail time if you're caught. A cop can catch you getting some action in the middle of Parque Porras and the worst thing that will happen is a $20 fine from the "corregidoria." Have a great day. C'ya next time. All of the corregidores have seen the hookers who routinely work in their areas of responsibility, especially the Panamanians who can't be deported. The point is this - there's not much of a down side even if they get busted, and in any case the chances that they will get caught are slim in any case. 

What Does It Cost to Be Legal: Short answer, about $250 bucks a month. That's the total cost for a girl to be on the books, pay her dues and fines, go to the clinics, get the visas, etc. And that's not counting the cost of clothes, those black leather boots with the 6" spiked heels and the short red mini-skirt. Independents just need a cell phone and a pad to work from. They advertise in the "personals" section of all the major newspapers and turn tricks like it's going out of style. OK, this is a test. I'm going to see how many cell phone numbers I can come up with in ten minutes on the Internet for hookers in Panama. Ready? Go!...

• Go figure - The first one I run into is for the ladies, on Encuentra24.com an add for a "tall black guy, athletic, will only make house calls or to hotels. 6509-7283" There are a bunch of adds on Encuentra24. 
  
  
• Classified Ads: Aim High, shoot low. If you would like to check out the ads currently running in "La Critica" just follow this link go to straight to the adult section. There are currently 26 listings, mostly independents working off of a cell phone who will come to you. 
  
  
• This Counts: Call 6628-7526 for the "Tienda Divertida" sex toys store. This counts because they apparently have a home delivery service, and if you're too embarrassed to go out and buy that 12" model that takes two "D" batteries then they will scoot that sucker right over to your door, no questions asked. 
  
  
• Back To The Hookers: Check out The Oasis Club for a quick massage. More about this place later. 
  
  

That Was Ten Minutes: No kiddin'. I didn't even really have to try. It's not like they're hiding or anything. As part of my deep and probing research into this subject I wandered over to the center of gravity for Panamanian hooker-dom, Via Veneto. I walked around the inside of the casino for awhile, then walked out of the front door of the hotel and headed for Via España. I had barely cleared the Dunkin Donuts, and doing my best to look like a gringo who had been in town for about thirty seconds, I was approached by the guy who sits on the stoop in front of the Oasis Club, handing out cards and dragging people in to get a "massage." I asked "what kind of a place is it, a bar or what?" Yeah, there's a bar. Come on in and have a good time. The funny part is that when I followed the dude into the massage parlor there were two people there in the entrance who are supposed to be the "meet and greet" people to steer you through the process. They were both talking on the cell phone, and this was the side of the conversation I could hear:

• "Yes sir. It's $30 an hour for the massage. You pay that up front and then head into the back with the girl of your choice." 
  
  
• "Like I said, sir. You pay here at the front desk and then you head into the back with the girl, so the cost of the massage is paid up front. Then later, you know, whatever happens between you and her is up to you." 
  
  
• "I really can't say. Like I said whatever you two work out is up to you." 
  
  
• "About $75 for full service, less for anything else. All-right. Great. We're open all night. Looking forward to seeing you." 
  
  

 

Independent Confirmation of my In-Depth Journalistic Investigation: Just had to check their website under "prices" and there it is, all laid out. Not hard at all.

• Stop by The Oasis on Via Veneto or call The Oasis for in-room delivery at 264-4785 or 264-1351 to get the best value for your dollar. We offer the lowest prices for basic and full-service massages in the city, not to mention some of the most beautiful ladies to entertain and please you. 
  
  
• PRICES 
  
  
• $30.00 Basic massage 
  
  
• $50.00 Full-service massage from 11:30am - 2:30pm (Lunch Time Special, must be requested to apply) 
  
  
• $75.00 Full-service massage after 2:30pm 
  
  
• $80.00 Full-service massage in your hotel room 
  
  
• $100.00 Full-service massage with 2 girls in our place. 
  
  
• SPECIALS 
  
  
• Get a $5 discount of any full-service massage after 2:30pm by printing out our coupon! We accept cash, travelers checks, American Express, Visa and Mastercard 
  
  

What? You Want to Stamp my Passport? Any of the girls who come to work as "alternadoras" get a big, fat stamp in their passport which basically screams "hooker" to the world. Many times girls will show up at a place to work but not want to have their passport stamped and they want to work off of the books. That exposes the owner to the same kinds of problems that the owner of the Midnight Club had with a bunch of Colombian "tourists" working as independents under his roof. 

That's It For Now: It's late and my eyes are getting blurry. This is a subject that deserves my full attention for awhile, just because if Panama did it right they could turn this place into a real magnet for the "entertainment" industry. And doing it wrong leads to dumb wandering gringos (or gringas) who get caught up in the wrong crowd and end up doing 20 hard in La Joyita. Just ask Debra Ann Ridgley who was having a lot of fun with her nice new Colombian friends that she met at the casino. Caveat emptor is always in effect, and even more so for the intrepid international sex traveler. 

Copyright 2007 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide As usual, go ahead and use whatever you want, just please give credit to the original source. Salud.