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Consumers'confidence increased 8.3 points in PanamaStory byThe Panama Post
Citizens have more confidence in a brighter future with the advent to power of Martinelli. Security is important because it ensures the ability for investment and citizen actionThe confidence index of the Panamanian consumer rose 8.3 points in June from last May, an increase that rests on the hope of a better future due to the change of government that took place last July 1. "It is normal that consumers expect a businessman (Ricardo Martinelli, new president of Panama) to have a more optimal management of the economy, resulting in more jobs and economic growth," said Domingo Barrios, general manager of the surveyor firm The Marketing Group. The confidence index in June was 115 points and 106.7 in May. An increase in employment is expected, resulting in more stability at home and in the country, however; the consumer also knows that the price of goods is important because it limits his ability to save.The measurement scale ranges from 0 to 200. The four variables that constitute this index are: Economic level of a household in the next 12 months, where Panama reached 127 points; the economic situation of the country, which is 129; unemployment in the future in the next 12 months, which received 109 points, therefore more jobs are expected and, finally, the variable of savings that indicates there is lack of confidence, with 96 points, because of its reduced amount. This is an important fact because in order to build strong economies, domestic savings are crucial, they are what "settles" banks and gives independence to the national economy with regard to the international financial system, Barrios said. Union against crime The Marketing Group also studied the index of public safety of Panama with a sample of 1,000 people nationwide, over 18 years old, 50% men and the rest women.
The study revealed that in June of this year, 72% of Panamanians feel "high" or "some" fear. The 86% believe that crime increased in the last year, 11% think that it remains the same and 3% think it has fallen. Among the security measures people have taken because of this situation are: not going out at certain times, not visiting some places, reinforcing security at home or organizing with neighbors to help each other. Barrios said the security issue is very important since it is a variable that affects economy, because if there is a perception of insecurity the capacity to act and invest is limited.
Panama Business Sector Encouraged
Source: Leland Baxter-Neal / The Tico Times
URL: http://www.ticotimes.net/businessarchive/2009_05/051509.htm
PANAMA CITY, Panama – President-elect Ricardo Martinelli will assume power July 1 with years of explosive economic growth at his back, hefty campaign promises on his shoulders and a daunting deceleration of the country's economy before him.
Fueled by booming construction – parti-cularly of high-rise apartment towers – a fl ush banking sector and commerce through the Panama Canal, the country's gross domestic product (GDP) has grown by an average of more than 8 percent annually since 2004, with growth spiking to 11.5 percent in 2007 and 9.2 percent in 2008.
Panama's economy has been one of the fastest growing in Latin America. However, as credit and commerce contract worldwide, the country has not been immune, and the slump will be one of the biggest challenges Martinelli faces as he begins his presidency.
Growth in Panama plummeted back to earth at the beginning of the year, and analysts predict a GDP growth in 2009 of only 3 percent. This is a rate that neighboring Costa Rica might envy, considering its predicted rate of 0.5 percent for this year.
“In the short term, maintaining positive GDP growth during the global recession will be key,” reads a post-election report from the international credit rating agency Standard & Poor's.
“Even though, as noted, Panama's is among the handful of economies that we expect to expand in 2009, growth will decelerate sharply,” the report continues. “This could make political alliances hard to maintain. Here is where we believe that Mr. Martinelli's proven ability as a successful business manager will come into play.”
The owner of one of the largest supermarket chains in Panama and founder of the Democratic Change Party, Martinelli was elected May 3 with 60 percent of the vote, the highest margin ever achieved in Panama's 20-year-old democracy. His nearest opponent, Balbina Herrera of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), received less than 38 percent.
Martinelli also has worked in government, serving as chairman of the board of directors of the Panama Canal Authority, as Panama Canal minister and director of Panama's Social Security Administration.
“Frankly, the business sector is going to love Martinelli,” said Heather Berkman, a Latin America analyst for the consulting firm Eurasia Group. “He's planning on cutting corporate taxes to implement the flat tax, and he came out last week saying he would resist any legislation requiring more tax transparency and information sharing – which the U.S. Congress has been demanding as a precursor to movement on the Panama free-trade agreement.”
Trade and Taxes
The George W. Bush administration in the U. S. and Panama's reigning Martín Torrijos administration finished negations and signed a U.S. – Panama free trade agreement in December, 2006, and current U.S. President Barack Obama has said it is the first such agreement he wants to move through Congress.
But some key U.S. Democrats have said they will not vote for the deal unless Panama – recently mentioned on a tax haven list produced by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – agrees to share sensitive tax information with the United States.
“A tax information exchange agreement is the least of what we should get before the free trade agreement,” U.S. Sen. Carl Levin told the U.S. news service Bloomberg.
Though Martinelli has called the trade agreement his “number one priority,” his administration has denied that Panama is a tax haven and has rejected the possibility of giving up tax information.
“The free trade agreement and sharing tax information should be dealt with separately,” Martinelli's top economic advisor Frank de Lima told Bloomberg. “We are aware that times are changing, but we will not succumb to pressure from the U.S. so that they can start fishing expeditions to look for their citizens.”
Key Sectors Feeling Crunch
U.S. citizens have flocked to Panama in recent years, both for business and retirement, in part driving the real estate boom that has pushed dozens of high rise condo and apartment towers skyward. That too, however, is feeling the crunch.
“Local banks, though they maintain a high level of health, have restricted local credit because of the foreign banks' lack of liquidity,” said Fernando Duque, president of the real estate development company Buenaventura, in an e-mail. “Obtaining new credit for real estate projects in Panama City has almost entirely been paralyzed.”
Duque said that he expects the Martinelli administration to continue to invest in Panama's growing tourism industry.
“Panama has been betting on tourism as one of its fastest growing industries, and in this moment there are projects totaling about 1,500 rooms, principally in Panama City,” he said. “However, for tourism to develop in other areas, state infrastructure is necessary.”
Martinelli campaigned on promises to attract foreign investment and build better infrastructure and a subway system for the traffic-choked capital. He also inherits plans for an already partially funded $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal.
Duque said he expects the canal expansion project to begin this year and “neutralize” the economic effects of the slowdown in new construction.
Martinelli Discusses Panama Canal Expansion Progress
18 May, 2009 12:00:00 ACP admintpp / The Panama Post
the.panama.post@rimolamedios.com
Panamanian President Martín Torrijos and Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta briefed President-elect Ricardo Martinelli on the status of the Canal Expansion Program Monday. Elected May 3, President Martinelli takes office July 1.
Expansion will build a new lane of traffic along the Canal through the construction of a new set of locks. The project will double Canal capacity and allow more traffic and the passage of longer and wider ships. Overall, expansion is estimated at $5.25 billion, with an anticipated completion of 2014. In leadership until 2014, President-elect Martinelli and his Administration will serve for the remainder of the project.
Photo courtesy ACP: (left to right) ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta, ACP Board of Directors Chairman Dani Kuzniecky, Panamanian Vice-president and Foreign Minister Samuel Lewis, Panamanian President Martín Torrijos, Panamanian President-elect Ricardo Martinelli, Panamanian Vice-president-elect and appointed Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Varela and Panamanian Minister for Canal Affairs Rómulo Roux.
Panama's Modern ferry services the province of Colon
The Panama’s Canal Authority began using the ferry’s service.
The 5th of November ferry provides service 12 hours per day
The 5th of November ferry began moving people between Costa Abajo, province of Colon, and the Atlantic entrance of the Panama's Canal. The service is free. For now, the ferry will only operate on weekends (Saturday and Sunday), from 12:01 noon until midnight. During this time, vehicle traffic over Gatun Locks will be suspended.
The short term objective is that the ferry works for 16 hours a day, between 5:00 a.m and 9:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, including holidays. ACP has provided different security rules for the use of the "ferry", among others: the need for the vehicles to be aligned in single lines to the end, according to arrival, and depending on space availability and type of automobile. Likewise, those vehicles that transport dangerous cargo, with over 500 gallons and are properly identified for those purposes, should travel on a one-by-one basis or accompanied by another vehicle that meets the same criteria.
Smoking aboard is also prohibited, as well as strident sound stereos, horns, turning car engines on, or moving vehicles around without ferry's personnel authorization. This modern "ferry" will provide free service across the East-West sides of Gatun Locks, until a new vehicle crossing, either tunnel or bridge, is constructed between the northern side and the Atlantic lock system. On October 22, 2006, the proposal for the Canal's expansion was approved by a national referendum. The implementation of the program is under responsibility of the Panama Canal Authority.
The 5th of November Ferry was named after a tribute to the city of Colon's contribution to Panama's separation from Colombia on November 5, 1903. The boat was built at Hin Lee Shipyards, and it was purchased from Cheoy Lee Shipyards, Ltd., with headquarters in Hong Kong, for the amount of $4.23 million. It can transport 24 vehicles, with a maximum weight of 450 tons-equivalent to 15 concrete mixer trucks--, and 64 people.
The ACP's personnel will operate this ferry, while the National Police will provide security service on both terminals. It has fire extinguisher and security equipment. The system also contemplates the enforcement of the procedures to ensure in an expedite way, the transportation of ambulances to the area in case of emergency.
The ACP built two terminals to load and unload, one on the East and another one on the West side of the Canal, to allow vehicles to move from one side to the other with the minimum waiting time. The average traveling time will be of only
Camtur Promotes Domestic
Tourism in Panama
11 May, 2009 12:00:00 Luis Miguel Blanco / The Panama Post
luis.blanco@rimolamedios.com
Mangers in the tourism sector welcome an initiative by Minister of Tourism Rubin Blades and request adequate infrastructure for destinations
The proclamation of The Ten Wonders of Panama by the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP) was received with approval by leaders of the country's tourism sector. They see it as a good step to increase Panamanians' knowledge of their nation's valuable tourist destinations and to help sustain the industry.
According to Jaime Campuzano, president of the Tourism Association of Panama (CAMTUR), this proclamation is an important initiative to promote domestic tourism. He noted that in times of crisis, countries always seek to increase domestic tourism, because it's the simplest and most economical way to support the industry.
“The large number of votes shows that the ATP contest spurred great participation and attracted a high level of interest. Campuzano added that many tourist attractions are little known and must try to differentiate themselves from others. To attract tourists, some must become tourism products with the necessary basic infrastructure: accessibility, public services and publicity. With time, this will help them develop their surrounding areas,” he said.
Campuzano stated that "At CAMTUR, we support the project 100 percent. The Ten Wonders will now be part of tour operators' packages, as long as tourists can get to them. “The private sector has committed itself to promote and develop them and to promote investment in micro and small businesses in those places."
For Ana Royo, president of the Panamanian Sustainable Tourism Association (APTSO), this type of project will greatly help people take ownership of those places. She notes that members of the tourism industry must create incentives for communities to unite. In her opinion, consistent and strong promotion in the media is needed, which she feels could change the face of the country.
"I'm very taken with Minister Blades' idea. We should implement it. It's very important, because we must educate many people in Panama who don't realize the value of these monuments, national parks and UNESCO patrimonies. I think this is one way to increase their value and our national pride," she stated.
Moisés Veliz, vice president of governmental relations for Panama's Copa Airlines, says ATP's initiative to promote the Ten Wonders of Panama is a good one, "because it will make Panamanians aware of the value of our historical and natural sites. It will make them more eager to know what we have and to give it the value that it deserves," he said.
He noted that the high participation in choosing the wonders shows the interest that people have in knowing more about the country. For Veliz, it also shows the need to go into depth to create a culture around those sites. He noted that this would motivate local residents to care for and preserve them, so those sites could maintain their new national status.
He added that "in these times of reduced international tourism, countries must promote domestic tourism to maintain the industry's dynamism by raising awareness."
Veliz said that Copa Airlines will help spread awareness of these wonders in its various communications to customers so that people outside the country will also know Panama's patrimony and its cultural and natural tourism alternatives.
"This activity will inspire Panamanians to appreciate what we have here. The result will show the care that we have for our country," said Ana Lorena Araya, Continental Airlines' Country Manager for Panama.
She added that this would give tourists more knowledge of the most important sites. “When people arrive in the country, they want to know where th
ey are and what they should do, which requires guidance,” she said.
The Ten Wonders represent each of the country's nine provinces, along with its aboriginal peoples. They were chosen freely over the Internet in a vote sponsored by the ATP and include natural, historic, and religious monuments.
Source: Courtesy of Business Panama / written by Guillermo Chapman
http://www.fenixpanama.com/panama-economy.html
The much vaunted uniqueness of the Panamanian economy stands out in comparison with countries in the region. In other Latin-American economies manufacturing and agriculture represent two-fifths, or more, of GDP but in Panama these two activities amount to less than one-half, while services account for more than two-thirds, of total economic activity. The latter covers some traditional mature industries such as the Canal, the Colon Free Zone and banking, recent comers such as tourism, including cruise vessels, as well as fledgling and promising new activities like logistics (transshipment of containers and future value added operations thereof) and information technology communications (ITC). Differently from Hong Kong and Singapore - the leading service economies in Asia - Panama lacks competitiveness in manufacturing but, like them, it shows increasing productivity in logistics and good potential in ITC.
The other side of the coin is that the service sectors by themselves, in the absence of a modernization program, are not sufficient to lift the rate of growth of GDP to the level necessary to make employment grow at a fast pace and induce a noticeable spillover effect in the rest of the economy to enhance the welfare of the population.
The Panamanian economy is small, open and shows a high duality: The export-oriented service sectors exert a dominant role in the GDP accounts but have limited linkages to the rest of the economy, including their relatively poor contributions to tax revenues and employment. The exchange rate is fixed (the U.S. dollar is legal tender) and there is full financial integration of the banking system with the rest of the world. Deficits in the current account of the Balance of Payments – even as high as 10% or more of GDP which have not been infrequent - do not have the negative implications one finds in other economies since they cannot take place unless there are specific sources of financing, usually capital inflows associated with major foreign direct investment or bank lending. The monetary system imposes a large degree of fiscal discipline: public sector; deficits may not be sustained unless the Government obtains voluntary financing from third parties either external or local. The monetary system also implies that external shocks, like hikes in the price of oil or international financial crises, have to be absorbed in the real sectors by a decrease in production and employment and not through price changes.
During the past four decades the evolution of GDP was characterized by high real annual rates of growth in the sixties (8.3%) and substantially lower rates in the seventies (4.8%) and the nineties (4.6%). The eighties were indeed the “lost decade” in Panama, as in the rest of Latin America, with a GDP rate of growth of 0.5% per year. Some of the most remarkable factors were: the impact of the two oil shocks of the seventies, the positive effect of the implementation of the new Canal treaty in the early eighties followed by the Latin American debt crisis in 1982 and the Noriega crisis of 1987-1989. The first half of the nineties showed an initial recovery phase of GDP growth to 6.4 per cent annually in 1990-1994 and a slowing down to 3.6 per cent in 1995-1999. In the last three years (2000 to 2002) the rate of growth of real GDP has declined to about 2 per cent annually as a consequence of worldwide recession and very anemic foreign and local investment.
The long term decline in the dynamism of the Panamanian economy is closely associated with the performance of its exports of goods and services which show a very high correlation with the growth of its GDP; thus the higher the growth in exports implies a higher growth in GDP. In the sixties, revenues from the Canal expanded at a fast pace because of the Vietnam War and at the same time the export of bananas and shrimp also grew fast. During the seventies, new banking activity and the re-export of goods from the Colon Free Zone provided a boost to export earnings while the eighties was a mixed bag that did not provide any net gains. But in the first half of the nineties there were no new export activities and the existing industries began to show diminishing rates of growth. This was specially so in the second half of the last decade when traditional exports of services grew slowly, exports of merchandise declined, as a consequence of different local and external circumstances (bananas, sugar, coffee, shrimp and textiles) and new activities such as container ports, telecommunications and cruise vessels did not add enough to offset the losses in merchandise and the slow growth of traditional activities. This situation has been further complicated since 2001 because of the impact of the events of September 11 in the US, the concurrent world recession, the lack of new investment and the collapse of the Venezuelan economy which dealt a major blow to the Colon Free Zone.
Furthermore, the expansion of internal demand as an engine of short-term growth is limited by the high indebtedness of local agents. Therefore, my conclusion up to this point is that the export of goods and services is probably the most important force which makes the Panamanian economy tick. In general terms, strong growth in exports should result in parallel growth in GDP and to a lesser degree in employment, depending on the composition of the exports. A direct corollary is that in order to boost exports we need foreign investment not only to complement local savings but mainly to provide know-how in production technology, modern management techniques and knowledge of markets. This of course requires a friendly climate towards private investors, both local and foreign.
Another unique characteristic of the Panamanian economy is its banking system whose local loan portfolio to the private sector amounts to 88 per cent of GDP, the highest proportion in the region, followed by Chile with 82 per cent. Panama has a financial system which is fully integrated to the global markets, a fundamental difference with respect to other “dollarized” systems where foreign banks do not have a major presence and don’t play a stabilizing role when shocks do occur. The US dollar is the official currency and, with the exception of limited coinage, it is the numeration for personal and corporate transactions. Panama has no central bank, thus it is a perfect dollarized emerging economy. The system provides certain advantages to the Panamanian economy: 1) there is no foreign exchange risk that outside investors would have to take into account; 2) inflation is very low, usually below that of major countries; 3) there is absolute freedom of movement of capital in or out of the country; and 4) to a degree it limits the size of public sector deficits. On the other hand, the absence of a central bank and of reserves implies a loss of income for the authorities or seniorage, there is neither a lender of last resort nor any tools to fend off, at least in the short term, the impact of external shocks. On balance, the system has served the country well and is an effective mechanism for development.
At this juncture Panama has other assets that can provide a solid base to launch a sustained process of economic growth. These include the Canal itself and the opportunities that could be derived from its expansion as well as land and other assets of the former Canal Zone adjacent to the waterway. The modernization of Canal ports, privatized in the late nineties, and the network of broadband connections with the rest of the world and their local loops add to the potential for exploiting the geographic position of the country. These elements, jointly with the tradition of exports of goods and services, the banking industry and the monetary system are what make the Panamanian economy tick, actually and potentially.
The question then is: why isn’t real GDP growing at a faster pace? The short answer is that there are also obstacles to be taken into account which take the form of rigidities that still affect the economic structure of Panama.
These include the following: 1) Inflexibility of the labor market; 2) an inefficient, high-cost, internal transportation system; 3) relatively high cost of transactions (red tape); 4) lack of a comprehensive trade policy; 5) a structural fiscal imbalance where interest payments on public debt are about 30 per cent of current central Government revenue; 6) the lack of a clear strategy to integrate areas surrounding the Canal with the rest of the economy and develop new activities linked to the transit of vessels and Canal operations that would be a new source of long term growth.
In my view the opportunities clearly outweigh the obstacles and there is growing awareness in business and professional circles of the need to adopt a modernization program to capture the potentialities of the economy.
Panama Headline News
Prostitution and Human Slavery Profits Increase
Sexual Exploitation Profits Increase
May 14 story thanks to A.M. Costa Rica
World forced labor profits
estimated at $20 billion
By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
The International Labor Organization says criminals are making $20 billion a year from forced labor and that figure is substantially higher when profits from sexual exploitation are factored in. A new report launched by the organization in Geneva finds the impact of the global economic and jobs crisis is worsening the forced labor problem.
New data from the International Labor Organization finds criminals now are making five times more in profits from forced labor than they did four years ago. At that time, the organization reported they were making huge profits of $32 billion a year. That included $28 billion from sexual exploitation.
Roger Plant, heads the organization's Special Action Program to Combat Forced Labor, said illicit profits from forced labor are likely to be much more now.
"In 2005, we looked at $4 billion of profits outside the sex industry. We are now saying, we have a loss to the workers of $20 billion outside the sex industry. So, we are likely to be dealing with a much more serious problem, "he said.
That would add up to $52 billion, if the profits of sexual exploitation were the same.
The International Labor Organization calls forced labor a global problem. It says this form of modern slavery operates in multinational companies in industrialized countries, not just in the informal sector of developing countries.
The U.N. agency reports more than 12 million people around the world are trapped in all forms of forced labor. Between 40 and 50 percent are children under the age of 18. Plant says child labor is a particularly serious problem in West African countries. He adds the whole issue of forced labor has not received enough attention in Africa.
The report finds people are forced to work very long hours under bad conditions for no pay or very little pay in a wide range of industries. It says forced labor is appearing in electronics, automobiles and modern textiles, as well as in brick kilns, small fishing boats and backward agriculture in developing countries.
Panama Headline News
Venezula, it is time to think Panama.
It is time to move to panama. We have no Chavez here.
We have a Free Trade Zone and A Chavez Free Zone.
Free press group warns
Chávez targeting media
Thanks to A.M. Costa Rica May, 14 2009
The Inter American Press Association has warned that establishment of a new policy for the inspection of radio and television stations by Venezuela’s communications regulation agency CONATEL appears to be a move by President Hugo Chávez to set the stage to allow him to justify shutting down independent news media.
CONATEL (the national telecommunications commission) Tuesday published its decision in the Official Gazette, just two days after Chávez attacked privately-owned GlobovisiónTV, warning that he could take it off the air for “conspiring” against his government. In the same speech he called on official agencies to take action against anyone who fails to comply with a law on social responsibility in radio and television.
Globovisión already faces three administrative proceedings by CONATEL and could be shut down temporarily.
Enrique Santos Calderón, Inter American Press president and editor of the Bogotá, Colombia, newspaper El Tiempo, declared, “We are deeply concerned that this authorization to inspect the media will become the legal justification that President Hugo Chávez is looking for to prove that he is right whenever he decides to shut down an information outlet.”
Santos Calderón recalled that the same process of criticism and administrative legal attack was pursued by Chávez beginning in December 2006 against Radio Caracas Televisión, an independent broadcaster that he went on to shut down and whose equipment he ordered seized in May 2007. “There is no doubt that we are seeing a similar strategy at play here to attract supporters and backers to his cause,” the association president added.
Robert Rivard, chairman of the Inter American Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, in a direct reference to Globovisión, stated, “It is extremely important for this and other independent media to exist in this country — media that will be branded as opponents and enemies of the state because they hold critical and independent views.”
Rivard, editor of the San Antonio Express-News, Texas, said that the current Venezuelan government is moving further and further away from the principles of freedom of the press.
At its recent meeting in Asunción, Paraguay, the Inter American Press Association protested in its report on the state of press freedom in the Americas that in Venezuela, Chavez' verbal threats continued and an increase in official acts against owners of independent news media and individual journalists was registered. The association has long been pointing out that the Venezuelan government is amending and expanding current laws to gain greater control over the country’s news media.
Panama News Headlines Panama Gets High Rankings
Source: Panama Star
URL: thepanamastar. com
In Latin America only Chile is ahead of the Isthmus as a place for doing business, and the gap is narrowing fast
The latest report by Miami-based online journal Latin Business Chronicle rated Panama as the second best country in Latin America to do business preceded only by Chile.
The index of 19 countries is the broadest measure of business climate in Latin America.
Rather than looking at the size of a country’s GDP or GDP per capita, it looks at five key categories and 27 subcategories to measure the recent, current and future business environment in a country.
They are: macro environment (country wide economic indicators), corporate environment, globalization and competitiveness, technology level, and political environment.
The top three spots this year were won by Chile, Panama and Peru. Chile obtained 17,055 points, Panama 17,027 points, and Peru 16,658 points in the 2009 index.
The honor of the best business climate goes to Chile this year, thanks to the best corporate and political environment in the region, on top of the second best score in technology level and third best in globalization/ competitiveness.
However, it failed to reach the top five in macro environment due to poor economic growth and rising inflation.
Panama reached second place once again, denoting the country’s business-friendly climate. It ranks second in macro environment, and in globalization/ competitiveness, fourth in political environment, and sixth best in corporate environment.
The gap in points between Chile and Panama reduced this year compared to 2008, reflecting Chile’s danger of losing the prized top mark next year were Panama to improve in any of the five main factors considered, according to Latin Business Chronicle editor in chief, Joachim Bamrud.
“If Chile does not move forward in reforms to improve its business levels, it can fall behind a Panama expected to move forward with the new President elect, Ricardo Martinelli, who promises to implement reforms such as lower taxes,” he said.
Peru holds third place, with the best macro environment in Latin America, and the fourth in corporate environment and technology level.
It was also one of only two countries that significantly improved its marks from the 2008 index.
Uruguay followed in fourth place, being the best country in technology level, Mexico ranks eighth, and Brazil ninth.
Outside of Venezuela and Haiti, in the last two positions, Argentina, Bolivia and Nicaragua are quoted as the worst countries to do business in Latin America by the Latin Business Index.
Venezuela received the last place for its worst macro and political environment in Latin America, and the third worst mark in corporate environment and globalization/ competitiveness.
The methodology used by Latin Business Chronicle differs from that of the World Bank, which surveys business culture by measuring the level of business regulations and enforcement in 181 economies around the world through standardized surveys administered to local experts, from lawyers and business consultants to freight forwarders.
According to the 2009 Doing Business report, Panama’s rank among the 181 economies surveyed fell 5 points compared to 2008, from 76 to 81 in ease of doing business.
Panama rates better than the regional average in: ease of starting/ or closing a business, duration and cost of registering property, credit information sharing and legal rights of borrowers and lenders, ease of importing exporting, and ease of enforcing commercial contracts.
The country fares worse compared to the regional average on: ease of dealing with construction permits, ease of hiring and firing workers, investor protection, and average rate and administrative burden of paying taxes.
Panama News Headlines
May 11, 2009
La Prensa English Edition lAprensa.com
Martinelli’s cabinet taking shape
Seven days after being elected, Ricardo Martinelli will officially unveil his cabinet choices today at the University of Panama.The announcement follows a flurry of meetings that have been held in the days after the election between Martinelli and numerous political insiders.According to sources within Martinelli’s transition team, he plans to appoint Juan Carlos Varela as the minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Franklin Vergara as minister of Health and Guillermo Ferrufino as minister of Social Development. Other appointments include Alberto Vallarino as minister of Economy and Finance, Gustavo Pérez as National Police director and Lucy Molinar, a reporter with TVN Channel 2, as minister of Education.One unknown is the new minister of Government and Justice, a post that was turned down by Aníbal Galindo, the vice president of the Unión Patriótica party.Magaly Castillo, executive director of the Alianza Ciudadana Pro Justicia, said that the organization hopes that Martinelli “appoints honest people who believe in dialogue to solve problems and, above all, are committed to transparency and accountability.”
Panama's New President: A Boost for Business
May 10, 2009
Source: Michele Labrut / Time Online
time.com/time
Panamanians take justifiable pride in their operation of the Panama Canal. Since the U.S. handed the famous waterway over to Panama nine years ago, the independent Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has run it more efficiently, more safely and more profitably than the Americans did. Too bad, most Panamanians say, that their government is still best known for the kind of corruption and waste that has marred the small Central American country's reputation ever since pirates haunted the Caribbean. If they could just run the nation the way they run the canal, Panamanians believe, they could become a world-class maritime commercial and financial center — the Hong Kong of the Americas. Or maybe give Miami a run as the unofficial capital of Latin America.
Given that national angst, it's less surprising that conservative tycoon Ricardo Martinelli upset Panama's powerful ruling party on Sunday to win the presidency in a landslide. Martinelli, 57, is a U.S.-educated free-marketeer, a millionaire whose business empire includes supermarkets, banks and agricultural firms. Just as important, earlier in this decade Martinelli was chairman of the Panama Canal's board of directors and Minister of Canal Affairs when the ACP decided on a $5.25 billion expansion of the canal, approved by voters in 2006, which has already created 2,000 new jobs and promises to engender thousands more before the project is finished in 2014. "We will change this country," Martinelli pledged on Sunday night after garnering 61% of the vote to just 37% for Balbina Herrera of the ruling Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD). Martinelli, who got only 5.3% of the vote in his first presidential run, in 2004, is the first presidential candidate in Panama's modern history to win an absolute majority.
Martinelli is bucking a leftward trend in Central America — a region that, despite its signing of a free-trade pact with the U.S. a few years ago, has since seen leftist Presidents take power in Nicaragua and El Salvador and more centrist governments like those in Honduras and Costa Rica join energy alliances with left-wing Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. "I think this shows that, at least in countries where the democratic rules of the game are accepted, more right-of-center politicians like [President Alvaro] Uribe in Colombia or [President Felipe] Calderón in Mexico can, of course, compete in Latin America," says Susan Kaufman Purcell, director of the Center for Hemispheric Policy at the University of Miami. "If they display a social component, especially a concern for poor people, then a responsible and competent businessman like Martinelli is a strong alternative."
Current President Martin Torrijos — the son of the late Panamanian strongman Brigadier General Omar Torrijos, who got the U.S. in 1977 to sign the treaty that eventually gave the canal to Panama — has pushed through some anticorruption reforms. But scandals have persisted. Herrera's campaign had to fight allegations that it received financing from a Colombian national now in prison in Bogotá on charges of alleged extortion, money laundering and drug trafficking in exchange for political favors. (It didn't help Herrera when it was disclosed that while he was staying in Panama, the Colombian, David Murcia, had employed bodyguards provided by Panama's Institutional Protection Service, responsible for protecting the President.)
A host of other problems aggravated Panama's electorate, chief among them security, education and an antiquated public-transit system. "I have voted for the PRD for the past 25 years, but this time I [tried] my luck with Martinelli," says Pedro Gomez, owner of a small Panama City cobbler shop who says he was finally tired of "receiving nothing in return. At least Martinelli promised to give scholarships and free books to children, and my sons need them." Martinelli has also proposed construction of a $1 billion metro, both under- and above ground, along with a light-rail system.
Martinelli's party, Democratic Change, and other allies also won a comfortable majority in the National Assembly, which may make it easier for him to realize his aggressive reform agenda. That includes budget reductions, more business-friendly labor reforms as well as financial and tax changes. Still, Martinelli's affable but strong executive personality — he's known as an imperious, sometimes right-wing businessman accustomed to seeing his orders carried out immediately — will have to battle Panama's notoriously slow and entrenched government bureaucracy.
Martinelli, who takes office July 1, will also have a delicate U.S.-related issue atop his desk: pushing the U.S. Congress to ratify the separate, bilateral free-trade agreement that Panama City and Washington signed in 2006. President Barack Obama favors it, but its passage in the U.S. has been in doubt because many in Congress are angry that Pedro Miguel Gonzalez — who has been indicted in the U.S. for the killing of a U.S. soldier in 1991 — remained president of Panama's National Assembly (until September 2008) amid the controversy. Gonzalez lost his Assembly seat in Sunday's election, however, and with it his parliamentary immunity. Although he is unlikely to be extradited to the U.S. (Panamanian law forbids the extradition of nationals), his ouster from the Assembly may remove a significant obstacle to the free-trade pact.
As the chief of Panama, but only the nominal boss of the canal authority, Martinelli will have little technical control over what will be the nation's most important order of business during his five-year presidency (he is constitutionally limited to one term). That's the Panama Canal expansion, a massive dig that will add a third set of locks able to handle the supersize, "post-Panamax" ships. Those vessels can hold up to 12,000 20-ft.-long containers and are considered the future of commercial-cargo shipping.
But Martinelli may well be the President who cuts the new locks' ribbons. That moment could make Panama the kind of player in the western hemisphere that Singapore is in the eastern — provided Panama finally has a competent, trustworthy administration in place. "Panama is already becoming a type of counterpole to Miami in terms of where Latin Americans are looking to park their resources," says Kaufman Purcell. "Voters chose Martinelli in large part to see that through." Panamanians will have to hope now that by the time the locks' expansion and Martinelli's presidency are finished, they'll have both a canal and a government to be proud of.
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Panama News |
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Panama Daily News
Panama President Ricardo Martinelli Visits Alma Mater
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --
An international figure paid a visit to Fayetteville Saturday. Panamanian President Riccardo Martinelli studied at the University of Arkansas before embarking on his political journey.
A small crowd watched as Martinelli talked about his love for his alma mater.
"I am very happy to be here and very proud to be an alumnus of the University of Arkansas," Martinelli said.
The university honored Martinelli by establishing a scholarship in his name.
The scholarship will provide financial assistance for students, and preference will be given to students from the Republic of Panama.
"The opportunity during the four and a half years that i spent in Fayetteville has done so much in my life," Martinelli said.
Martinelli hopes the scholarship will provide opportunities for students from Panama to follow in his footsteps, and learn valuable lessons that could help strengthen his home country.
He also says he plans to encourage more communication between Panama and the United States in the future.
"I will do everything in my power to continue strengthening our relationship not only with the university and the state of Arkansas, but with the U.S.," Martinelli said.
The pressure was on for the Razorback baseball team since the opening pitch of the game was thrown by the president of a country.
President Ricardo Martinelli graduated from the University of Arkansas and was elected president of Panama last summer. Panama is a small country in between Central and South America.
This was President Martinelli's first trip to the U of A since he became the president of Panama.
Je says its time here that helped him get where he is today.
"It feels like a dream. I never thought it would come true. I am so proud and happy and so excited. A part of me remains in Arkansas. I love Arkansas and its people. In my life, everything I have become, Arkansas had a lot to do with," said President Martinelli.
Congressman John Boozman agrees.
He graduated from the University of Arkansas at the same time as President Martinelli. "He's somebody that the state of Arkansas can be so proud of. The values, and he's very open and honest about this, that he learned here being in real America has taken and really thrived," said Congressman Boozman.
"The President spent the morning tackling tough issues like free trade and crime in his country of Panama. But things lightened up in the afternoon when he threw out the first pitch at the Razorback baseball game.
The president got a little practice pitching when he recently threw the first pitch at a Yankee's baseball game.
It only took him a couple tries to get the ball across the plate. President Martinelli was given an Arkansas Traveler certificate from Governor Beebe, making him an official ambassador of goodwill from Arkansas.
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Boquete Restaurant Guide |
Boquete Restaurant Guide
Thanks to Boquete Panama Guide
Boquete probably has more restaurants per capita than any other city in Panama. I decided to do an omnibus update for the holiday eating season and for visitors.
There are several restaurants not mentioned, we know some and just have not had time or desire to eat at them. Each is linked to its post if we have one for the restaurant. More current opinions are here.
American
Bistro Boquete: I have many posts involving the Bistro since it is an anchor in Boquete. They are now serving breakfasts as well a lunch and dinners. Always a good place to go and feel welcome.
Subway: What could be more american than fast food? Actually not bad and at this time the best palc ein town for a sandwich.
Amigos: It is difficult to classify Amigos since they serve such a wide variety of food. They are listed under breakfast, Burgers and here also. Lunches are excellent and consistently good. Dinners vary with the chef and availability of ingredients. Check the dinner specials on the blackboard in addition to the menu.
Breakfast
Punto de Encuentro Cafe: Olga is wonderful. The food is ok and the atmosphere is still good but new construction is threatening the view.
Panamonte: Jennifer’s Sunday brunch favorite.
El Cafe: Been a while since we have eaten breakfast at El Cafe - closed
Central Park: My favorite Breakfast spot in Boquete.Watch the town wake up and enjoy something tasty
El Dorado Park: Alto Boquete, same menu as Central Park but lacking the atmosphere
Bistro Boquete: I have many posts involving the Bistro since it is an anchor in Boquete. They are now serving breakfasts as well a lunch and dinners. Always a good place to go and feel welcome.
Amigos - Located near the central Park in Bajo Boquete. A very good American style breakfast. The Eggs Boquete sound good and if you like a vinegar heavy attempt at Hollandese give them a try.
Burgers
Amigos: The best location to enjoy a beer, people watch and eat a real burger. The food has improved a great deal since Mark and Jennifer took over. I recommend the Panamanian lunch, it is written on the blackboard and is always both a good value and good food. They also have some great bar food, the wings, chicken, onion rings and nachos are the best in Boquete.
Fresa Marys: We have not returned but I hope they have running water now.
Java Juice: We keep going back for the best Batidos in town. The burger is also still an excellent value. Our children eat two at a time.
Tammy’s - Behind Roxannes, good burgers, they have Pollo a la Lena (chicken roasted over wood) but it is not consistent in quality. The middle eastern foods, Falafel, hummus and more are far better. Probably the best burger in Boquete. Reasonable prices open 11:30 - 8PM
Chinese
Yings: Very good food a little more expensive than David but better than most in David and a lot more convenient in Alto Boquete.
Continental Country Style
Panamonte: Usually top flight, avoid busy days, they do run out of food. Eat in the bar (just don’t take our spot near the fireplace)
Palo Alto: Despite rumors to the countrary we did a drive by and the Palo Alto is open. We did not see a customer and we doubt we will return unless we see people eating there. A tragic loss.
The Wine Bar: New and beautifully located and appointed at the Valle del Rio Hotel. Nice selection of wine and cheeses as well as a full Italian menu
Oasis: One the best five in Boquete for dinner. Great service, good chef and usually good food. We have returned several times and recommend the Corvina, Trout, filete and Rack of Pork. Skip the lamb.
French
Rendez-vous : I think they are open again, not sure. Our first experience was fantastic later meals were, to say the least disappointing. Closed Jan 2008
La Crepe: One of five new November 2007 openings. Excellent crepes and more
Hibiscus : Resurrected and reopened at Alto Lino the Hibiscus is better than ever. Christophe now has a small eight table restaurant and prepares both his menu daily based upon what is available fresh. 1 June 2008 Hibiscus is closed again.
Ou Lala : Christophe is back with great food and personal attention in Los Naranjos.
Grill
Roxannes Grill : New and a current favorite. They have revised their prices upward a little and are as of last night officially open. A top choice.
The Big Food : A great spot in Bajo Boquete. Good grilled food cooked in front of you. Outdoor seating only but it just feels so right. Low prices, no credit cards. Open 7 days noon to 10 pm. If you like like meat try it.
Italian
Il Pianista: Good food, good wine and a spectacular setting. Re-visited in Feb 2009 still a top choice.
Papa Riccos: Reopened March in his new location on the Boquete - David Highway across from Brisas Boqueteno. Excellent world class pizza from a man with more than 50 years expereince flinging pizza dough.
Quo Vadis: excellent pasta, good Italian Food, no Pizza Closed November 2008
Caffe Pomodoro: Excellent location shared with the Wine Bar at Valle del Rio Hotel. Very good food, slow service but really who cares in such a lovely environment. Update 12/2008 the food has gone far downhill and the service has become even worse.  Update March 1 after hearing things were getting better again we returned, the service was excellent, the pizza we ordered was almost as good a burned Red Baron frozen pizza, not recommended.
Mexican
Antojitos: Trini’s food is as always excellent, her prices have gotten a bit too high for us to eat there as frequently as we did in the past.
La Casona: We have not returned. We will next time we want to play roulette with the menu. It is hit miss and I have since returned for some good food.
El Fogata - Good TexMex on the road to David, Inexpensive tasty burritos, quesadillas and tacos. Closed 12/08
El Charro Mexicano - Inexpensive, in Bajo Boquete and good portion size. In my one experience not flavorful but worth a try. eat inside during the day the street noise and diesel fumes ruin a meal.
Middle Eastern
Al Zarana: We have had mixed reviews of meals at Al Zarana. Our conclusion is that the appetizers and shwarma are the best things on the menu. Closed due to a fire (arabic lightening?) Feb 2009
Panamanian
El Sabroson: One of my favorites for fast cheap eats. Try the trout (trucha).
Amigos: Still offering the best location to enjoy a beer, people watch and eat a good lunch local style for under $3.00. The food has improved a great deal and the special of the day for lunch is on the black board inside not on the menu so look or ask..
Lourdes: We have not returned since the review.
Genesis: We have not returned since this note.
Cafe Nelvis: Still my favorite for fried chicken. They have moved across from the elementry school Bajo Boquete.
Central Park: My favorite Boquete Breakfast spot, great view of the park and usually good eats.
Auras: It has been a few months since we have eaten at Auras. Unlike most Panamanian restaurants they are not a cafeteria; they cook to order. Still recommended highly.
La Casa del Risco, Los Molinos: We have not been back recently, but rumor has it they have a new chef.
Milquiburger : I still have not tried a burger because the fried chicken so damn good.
A Mi Modo Open late is the best I can say about the pizza but the menu is far more varied and I am sure I will be back again to try the trucha or other dishes.
Guari Guari : Guari Guari a road house in central Palmira It is known more for it’s music than it’s cuisine but if you want a very inexpensive meal and fun entertainment Thursday through Sunday evening I recommend a stop at Guari Guari.
Peruvian
Delicias del Peru: We have not returned for some time so nothing new to say.
Machu Picchu: We have not returned for some time so nothing new to say.
Valle del Urubamba: Boquete’s third Peruvian restaurant is in Alto Boquete on the David highway. The food as of opening in April 2009 is the best in it’s class. Prices are reasonable, the location is small and has both indoor and outdoor seating. Open seven days a week from noon - 9pm.
Carbon Encendido- Alto Boquete adjacent to Tradewinds Furniture. Both a Peruvian and a grill. Food is decent, but there is no inside dining. You either eat in the entry way or under a ramada in the rear. Not a fun place to eat especially in unfavorable weather.
Sandwiches
Pacifico Deli - A California Sandwich Shop on the road to David. Good sandwiches, Gringo prices.Closed 12/08
Subway: What could be more american than fast food? Actually not bad and at this time the best place in town for a sandwich.
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Panama Travel Adventures |
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Weekend in Heaven
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Hotel Milan is the best deal in Panama City.Best Location, Great Service and the Price is Right.
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President Ricardo Martinelli 
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Jon Schwartz Fishing Adventures
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Bocas Del Toro Vacation's
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Black Jesus Isla Grande
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San Blas Vacation's Web-Site
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Beautiful Costa Rica Women
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PANAMA TOURS & TRAVEL
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Surf Bocas Del Toro 
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Panama International Art Gallery
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Pii Pii Sweet in Coronado
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Panama River Charges
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Panama Sailing Adventure
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Panama is a country endowed with many diverse attractions. You will be amazed at sights that will vary from luscious beaches with crystal clear water and sand white as snow - or black as coal in some cases - to rich volcanic mountains that rise above 3,474 meters and have an eternal spring quality as the altitude keeps it nice and cool in the tropics.  Panama Tours Website
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Republic of Panama, in English. Repùblica de Panamà, in Spanish 
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Fears expressed that Colombian war is spilling into Panamá
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The policies of the conservative Martinelli administration are raising fears that Panamá may become more deeply involved in the Colombian war against the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia.
A shootout took place Jan. 27 between Panamanian forces and a small group of the Marxist guerrillas, according to The Panamá News. Three members of the Fuerzas Armadas died, and two were captured, the newspaper said.
The location was said to be on the banks of the Tuira River not far from Boca de Cupe in the Darién Province of eastern Panamá.
The newspaper said that this was at least the third shootout with the Colombian rebel group in the last year. Panamanian sources have been selective in giving information on the run-in, but President Álvaro Uribe in Colombia said that Panamanian forces bombarded a rebel camp in Panamá, said the newspaper, citing reports from El Espectador in Colombia.
Concerns about Panama's involvement in Colombia's civil conflict are being expressed in some of the daily newspapers, said The Panama News. A more recent run-in off the Darien coast may have been with rebels or ordinary criminals.
The area along the Colombian border with Panamá is a lawless one, but the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias
have used the area to purchase supplies and to hide from Colombian government forces.
"Other signs of the Martinelli administration's position in the Colombian internal conflict are less ambiguous: the Panamanian police wanted posters for FARC leaders posted around Darien communities near the border," wrote Eric Jackson, editor of The Panamá News. "Although Colombia's right-wing paramilitaries have attacked Panama and burned villages, assassinated public officials and kidnapped and murdered fleeing Colombians in the course of these attacks, there are no similar posters for the perpetrators of these acts."
Jackson also said in his newspaper that U.S. mercenaries are active in the region.
"If Panama is going to go to war with FARC to the extent that FARC responds in kind, even if they are depleted by defeats in their war with government forces in Colombia, the guerrillas probably outmatch any fighting force of Panama's," said Jackson. "They probably also have the funds to bribe key Panamanian security forces."
Ricardo Martinelli took office July 1 after a campaign that promised a crackdown on crime and corruption. He has a U.S. military school education as well as a conservative political orientation, so support for Uribe's war would not be a surprise. However, in Costa Rica, politicians and others are sure to be troubled by an expansion of the four-decade-old Colombian insurgency into Panamá.
Panamá trade treaty stalled
Dodd tells officials there
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
There is little chance that the U.S. Congress will pass the Panamá free trade treaty, according to U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, who is touring Central American countries with Sen. Bob Corker, according to The Panamá News. Dodd, who will not be seeking re-electionn November after three decades in the Senate, met with Juan Carlos Varela, Panama's foreign minister.
Dodd told Varela that the weak rule of law in Panama as one of the reasons the agreement will not be confirmed, said the newspaper. The treaty was signed in 2006 and has the support of President Barack Obama and the Ricardo Martinelli administration in Panamá.
Dodd and Corker also met Friday with President Óscar Arias Sánchez and president-elect Laura Chinchilla at the Arias home in Rohrmoser. There was no significant announcement after that meeting. The two senators also are visiting Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua on their trip.
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HOTEL MILAN PANAMA CITY, PANAMA |
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Tranquility, Comfort and Service. Hotel Milan was built and opened in fall of 2004 with the amenities and comfort that you seek when away from home. Located in the heart of Panama City in the Cangrejo District it is close to everything; Panama's best shopping, attractions, restaurants, banking, casinos, and only a few minutes away from the InterAmerican highway that connects the Americas through Panama.
Tel: 507-263-6130 inside Panama.
Tel: outside Panama 011-507-263-6130
Ask about our rates and discounts by e-mail
hotelmilan@cwpanama.net
Website Pictures Photo's Information
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Poor Street Children of Panama |
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Educational Center
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Panama Hotel & Resort Guide |
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Panama Hotel Guide
Los Balcones Hotel
Hotel Tierra Verde
Built over the Caribbean Sea, along a mile long coral reefed coast, Punta Caracol is constructed using the traditional methods of the Archipelago: each handsomely built.
Intercontinental Panama City
Bananas Village Resort
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Contact Panama Visitor's Guide |
Panama Visitor's Guide.
Panama Jack
1-415-819-6792 U.S.
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Panama Tour & Vacation Guide |
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Sport Fishing Panama
Tropic Star Lodge
This is the best fishing in the world, just ask my friend Bubba he has more trophy fish and animals than any one in the world. The walls in his house look like a cemetery. I sure hope GOD is not a fish or an animal, for his sake.
Web-Site
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PANAMA PHOTO GALLERY 
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 Hacienda Del Mar Web-Site
An exclusive vacation resort that includes organic homegrown food and fresh seafood, heartfelt Pearl Island hospitality, natural reefs to explore in crystal clear waters, and 14,400 acres of unspoiled virgin rainforest. All this is just a glimpse of what awaits you at Hacienda Del Mar.
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Hacienda Del Mar
An exclusive vacation resort that includes organic homegrown food and fresh seafood, heartfelt Pearl Island hospitality, natural reefs to explore in crystal clear waters, and 14,400 acres of unspoiled virgin rainforest. All this is just a glimpse of what awaits you at Hacienda Del Mar.
Take your beach chick to this resort and you will really score points.
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Panama Headline News
Bruce Jones Educational Center
Helping poor street children to get an education in Panama
Education verses crime or prostitution
Director: Maria Teresa Donato
Objective:
Bruce Jones Educational Center is a not for profit school that takes teaching to where the impoverished kids of Panama are, the streets. The priority of the initial phase of Bruce Jones Educational Center recourses is to introduce these hard to reach kids to English as a second language, helping them improve their skill set in order to achieve a higher level of earning potential. In time Bruce Jones Educational Center will set up a computer lab to teach these same kids computer skills that combined with the English skills will help them leave the streets of Panama, and end the cycle of poverty they have been born into. Bruce Jones Educational Center is also involved with getting basic school supplies to kids that are already in school, and have homes, and loving families that are just unable to afford these basic school supplies. Bruce Jones Educational Center is also dedicated to getting orphans not just educated, but supplying them with those things that make being a kid fun, by purchasing Christmas toys for over one thousand boy's, and girls. With next year's goal doubling, and with some luck, and other kind hearted souls Bruce Jones Educational Center hopes to be able to give every child in Panama that needs a toy to play with, a toy to play with. Why Panama? Panama is an emerging Latin country with a fairly small population, but a high rate of poverty. Bruce Jones Educational Center picked Panama because of the size, which it believes enables it to reach its goal, and affect the most amount of Children in a positive way. Bruce Jones Educational Center has no illusions of eradicating the poverty that so many children are being exposed to, but has a firm commitment to do all that it can to give as many children as possible the opportunity to better their lives, and the lives of their inevitable children if they want it with no other motives then to help. Bruce Jones Educational Center has no ties to any Religious organizations, although it does help where it can with full autonomy, and with the soul beneficiaries being the impoverished children of Panama. Bruce Jones Educational Center has no interest in indoctrinating any children into any belief other than with hard work, and a helping hand they can find all that they seek.
Students: 15 total between the ages of 9 - 15 from Calidonia, Panama
Hookers being recruited as intelligence operatives
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The statement may seem very obvious, but customers of prostitutes should not provide a lot of personal information.
Some of San José's more expensive call girls report that they have been approached by individuals they think are Mexican with offers to purchase information regarding their customers.
In México, officials have discovered that the Zeta narco military force has made offers of from $400 to $800 to working women and men for information that may be useful in a crime. The narcos are interested in infiltrating public institutions, finding out which potential kidnap victim has ready money and a whole list of personal information on large groups of persons.
Costa Rican prostitutes say that similar efforts to obtain personal information have been made here.
Mostly unknown to the sex tourists who visit some of the local hotels is another tier of prostitutes who are involved with the movers and shakers of Costa Rican society. It is at this level that attempts have been made to obtain information
No one has admitted accepting the offers, and one individual said that $400 to $800 is not enough to destroy her business. She is one of those women who works from noon until 8 p.m. in places where the average expat cannot go. Patrons are mostly top businessmen, diplomats, judges and politicians. Discretion is the rule.
Sought are a whole list of information ranging from locations of bank accounts to the names of minor children. The questioners also are interested in the names of corporations in which the individual may have an interest. In addition to pillow talk, the questioners most certainly have taken advantage of the country's public record system that lists corporate ownership, vehicle titles, deeds and family relationships.
Some of the women who have been approached said that the volume of information that they receive is incredible because frequently their customers either simply want to talk or seek to feed their ego.
One woman said that she believed similar offers are being made to domestic employees who are situated much better to provide floor plans of homes and hourly schedules.
EDUCATION IN PANAMAEvery person in our Panama community has an opportunity to play a key role in the success of the students in the Panama. Whether it's a teacher being a role model, a parent volunteering, a business partnering, a city leader advocating, or a student preparing to become a world leader, Panama is the place where you can be all that you want to be. However, the need to transform the education system in Panama grows every day, and a new report grading the education systems from across Latin America reveals the poor state of primary education in the country. Panama scored very low in subjects such as Spanish, mathematics and science, compared with other countries in the region such as Cuba, Argentina and Chile, which lead the list of countries with the best educational systems and strategies. Other countries have invested in technology which has resulted in students having more interest in school and grades. The study looked at some 156 schools, 559 teachers and more than 13 thousand students in third to sixth grade. Importantly, this is the first time Panama has participated in the study, which lasted from 2005 to 2007. Panama's Minister for Education, Lucy Molinar, confessed to being alarmed by the results, however, the study is successful she says, because it helps to orient her on the status of the education system and to identify where the system's deficiencies lie.
Martinelli meets with presidents of Costa Rica and Mexico
la prensa
President Martinelli, along with 29 other heads of State, are gathered in Cancun for a regional summit.
President of the Republic, Ricardo Martinelli, is scheduled to meet with President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, and President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón during his current mission to Cancun to attend the “Latin America and Caribbean Summit of Unity."
One of the objectives of this mission is the signing of an agreement with Mexico to avoid double taxation; an action that forms part of the strategies being developed by the Panamanian government to extricate the country from "the list of uncooperative countries with regards to tax matters.”
During the Summit, which approximately 30 Heads of State are attending, Martinelli, accompanied by Vice-President and Foreign Minister, Juan Carlos Varela, is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his Central American counterparts.
The purpose of these meetings is to join forces to promote the incorporation of Panama into the process of negotiating an Association Agreement between Central American countries and the European Union.
Martinelli is also expected to support efforts being made to rebuild Haiti, as well as to discuss infrastructure investment and regional trade promotion with his counterparts.
Panama vows to defend border area following clash with armd gunmen
PANAMA CITY – The government of Panama says it will defend its territory following the wounding of a police officer during a clash between Panamanian police and armed men along the border with Colombia.
The Foreign Ministry says the government will not allow any part of Panama to be used by groups for drug trafficking or other illicit activities.
Sunday's statement does not identify the group that attacked a government patrol boat Saturday. But the wording suggests they may have been related to Colombian cocaine traffickers or rebels who participate in the trade.
A similar border clash in January resulted in the deaths of three Colombian rebels.
Panama President Ricardo Martinelli Visits Alma Mater
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --
An international figure paid a visit to Fayetteville Saturday. Panamanian President Riccardo Martinelli studied at the University of Arkansas before embarking on his political journey.
A small crowd watched as Martinelli talked about his love for his alma mater.
"I am very happy to be here and very proud to be an alumnus of the University of Arkansas," Martinelli said.
The university honored Martinelli by establishing a scholarship in his name.
The scholarship will provide financial assistance for students, and preference will be given to students from the Republic of Panama.
"The opportunity during the four and a half years that i spent in Fayetteville has done so much in my life," Martinelli said.
Martinelli hopes the scholarship will provide opportunities for students from Panama to follow in his footsteps, and learn valuable lessons that could help strengthen his home country.
He also says he plans to encourage more communication between Panama and the United States in the future.
"I will do everything in my power to continue strengthening our relationship not only with the university and the state of Arkansas, but with the U.S.," Martinelli said.
The pressure was on for the Razorback baseball team since the opening pitch of the game was thrown by the president of a country.
President Ricardo Martinelli graduated from the University of Arkansas and was elected president of Panama last summer. Panama is a small country in between Central and South America.
This was President Martinelli's first trip to the U of A since he became the president of Panama.
Je says its time here that helped him get where he is today.
"It feels like a dream. I never thought it would come true. I am so proud and happy and so excited. A part of me remains in Arkansas. I love Arkansas and its people. In my life, everything I have become, Arkansas had a lot to do with," said President Martinelli.
Congressman John Boozman agrees.
He graduated from the University of Arkansas at the same time as President Martinelli. "He's somebody that the state of Arkansas can be so proud of. The values, and he's very open and honest about this, that he learned here being in real America has taken and really thrived," said Congressman Boozman.
"The President spent the morning tackling tough issues like free trade and crime in his country of Panama. But things lightened up in the afternoon when he threw out the first pitch at the Razorback baseball game.
The president got a little practice pitching when he recently threw the first pitch at a Yankee's baseball game.
It only took him a couple tries to get the ball across the plate. President Martinelli was given an Arkansas Traveler certificate from Governor Beebe, making him an official ambassador of goodwill from Arkansas.
New sewage system in Colón already broken
la prensa
A new sewage system in Colón does not have the capacity to handle waste flowing into it.
Despite numerous warnings from engineers, the government of Martín Torrijos authorized the payment of $12.8 million from the Fund for Social Investment to the firm of Transcaribe Trading for the construction of a new sewage system in Colón in August 2008.
Now, less than two years later, the system has numerous problems.
The work was deemed to be satisfactory by the Torrijos administration when it signed off on the project. But this approval was given despite a number of studies by engineers from water and sewer agency IDANN warning that the work had serious problems.
Francisco Israel Rodriguez, director of the Social Investment Fund at the time the work was presented, said he remembered nothing about the project, then refused to answer any further questions. New IDAAN Director for Colón Mariel Lima Young confirmed that the project lacks the proper capacity and that the pumps are constantly breaking down.
Transcaribe Trading owner David Ochy said that the project was built according to government specifications and that the firm will not replace the pumps because the contract has already been completed.
Arias arrested on alcohol charges at panama carnival
story by La Prensa
The leader of the Panama City Carnival Board, Carlos Arias, was arrested Sunday after police noticed minors being sold alcohol in an area of Vía España.
This comes a day after Arias and the Panama Tourism Authority had a public falling out over a $1 entrance fee to the opening of Carnival festivities in Panama City.
Police came to remove the minors from the area where alcohol was being sold, which caused a disturbance. Arias arrived on the scene and also protested the actions of the officers, which led to his arrest.
Earlier Sunday, Arias had called the dispute over the entrance fee a "misunderstanding."
Arias had hired people to collect a $1 entrance fee, but the Panama Tourism Authority, which oversees Carnival, ordered that practice stopped because all events are supposed to be free.
Arias said that the $1 entrance fee should have been collected only for people heading into a special dance area, and not for general admission. He added that the situation was quickly rectified and that the rest of the activities will be free of charge.
Carnival deals with problems
la prensa
Panama City's Carnival has been suspended due to a number of problems.
Panama City's Carnival continues to be plagued by problems.
These problems include the arrest of the Carnival Board president and ongoing disputes between the board and the Panama Tourism Authority, which is in charge of the event. On Sunday, the Carnival Board announced it would suspend all activities, a decision that was reversed about an hour later.
The day started with Carlos Arias, Carnival board president, being arrested following a confrontation with police. Arias was trying to prevent police from cracking down on alcohol sales to minors. This prompted the board to announce Carnival had been suspended, even though it was unclear if they had the authority to do so.
Arias also clashed with the Tourism Authority over a fee he tried to charge to enter the opening day of Carnival on Saturday.
Also Sunday, food and beverage vendors complained about losing money Saturday night when police forced them to close at midnight.
"We feel cheated," said Zuleika Pérez, one of 175 vendors. "The Carnival Board authorized us to sell after midnight, but the police forced is to close."
Pérez said she lost five bags chorizo and other goods that she had planned to sell.
Despite all the problems, entertainment is expected to continue as scheduled, and vendors have been told they can stay open until 3 a.m.
The Republic of Panama
Panama Visitors Guide
Welcomes
G.S.L. Real Estate Panama
G.S.L. Real Estate Panama Web-Site
Republic of Panama
Welcome to GSL Worldwide, the Real Estate site for properties throughout the whole of Panama. GSL provides a first class service which is based entirely on customer satisfaction for those wishing to rent or purchase Real Estate within Panama. We have connections with all major construction companies and developers in Panama to enable us to locate the property that suits both your budget, and your preference. There is so much to choose from in the cosmopolitan city of Panama, including first class restaurants and bars for those of you who prefer the hustle and bustle of city life. For those who prefer the quieter lifestyle of secluded beaches and mountain locations and prefer to be outside the city, there is also a great deal to choose from. Please select from the menu on the left hand side in order to view the properties on offer and feel free to contact us any time for further advice or just a chat. We have both English and Spanish speaking professionals who are able to assist you in every aspect of moving or retiring to Panama.
•
Our offices are situated at Local #3, Via Espana, close to many of the hotels. Please call in Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 6.00pm or Saturday between 9.00am and 2.00pm, or telephone and arrange for us to meet you at your hotel. We are fully licensed Realtors and will take you through the process of completing all the paperwork for renting a property, or guide you through the laws and regulations of purchasing property. When dealing with GSL you will have peace of mind, knowing that you can relax and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere that Panama has to offer, with the certainty that all legal aspects of your property deal have been completed in an exacting manner.
• Anyone moving to a new country is aware that the assistance of local professionals can be invaluable. It is in our interest to make sure that every aspect of your property purchase or rental is carried out with the utmost professionalism and friendly service that we are renowned for.
• All legal aspects of renting Real Estate in Panama are covered by a lease agreement between yourself and the vendor. All of this paperwork is completed by our own in-house lawyer and registered with the local governing authorities.
• When purchasing Real Estate in Panama it is always advisable to use the services of a fully qualified lawyer, who has the relevant experience. Here at GSL we are able to process all Real Estate transactions, setting up of Corporations and Foundations, and also handle all types of Immigration Visa's.
• Welcome to GSL Worldwide, the Real Estate site for properties throughout the whole of Panama. GSL provides a first class service which is based entirely on customer satisfaction for those wishing to rent or purchase Real Estate within Panama. We have connections with all major construction companies and developers in Panama to enable us to locate the property that suits both your budget, and your preference. There is so much to choose from in the cosmopolitan city of Panama, including first class restaurants and bars for those of you who prefer the hustle and bustle of city life. For those who prefer the quieter lifestyle of secluded beaches and mountain locations and prefer to be outside the city, there is also a great deal to choose from. Please select from the menu on the left hand side in order to view the properties on offer and feel free to contact us any time for further advice or just a chat. We have both English and Spanish speaking professionals who are able to assist you in every aspect of moving or retiring to Panama.
•
Our offices are situated at Local #3, Via Espana, close to many of the hotels. Please call in Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 6.00pm or Saturday between 9.00am and 2.00pm, or telephone and arrange for us to meet you at your hotel. We are fully licensed Realtors and will take you through the process of completing all the paperwork for renting a property, or guide you through the laws and regulations of purchasing property. When dealing with GSL you will have peace of mind, knowing that you can relax and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere that Panama has to offer, with the certainty that all legal aspects of your property deal have been completed in an exacting manner.
• Anyone moving to a new country is aware that the assistance of local professionals can be invaluable. It is in our interest to make sure that every aspect of your property purchase or rental is carried out with the utmost professionalism and friendly service that we are renowned for.
• All legal aspects of renting Real Estate in Panama are covered by a lease agreement between yourself and the vendor. All of this paperwork is completed by our own in-house lawyer and registered with the local governing authorities.
• When purchasing Real Estate in Panama it is always advisable to use the services of a fully qualified lawyer, who has the relevant experience. Here at GSL we are able to process all Real Estate transactions, setting up of Corporations and Foundations, and also handle all types of Immigration Visa's.
• Welcome to GSL Worldwide, the Real Estate site for properties throughout the whole of Panama. GSL provides a first class service which is based entirely on customer satisfaction for those wishing to rent or purchase Real Estate within Panama. We have connections with all major construction companies and developers in Panama to enable us to locate the property that suits both your budget, and your preference. There is so much to choose from in the cosmopolitan city of Panama, including first class restaurants and bars for those of you who prefer the hustle and bustle of city life. For those who prefer the quieter lifestyle of secluded beaches and mountain locations and prefer to be outside the city, there is also a great deal to choose from. Please select from the menu on the left hand side in order to view the properties on offer and feel free to contact us any time for further advice or just a chat. We have both English and Spanish speaking professionals who are able to assist you in every aspect of moving or retiring to Panama.
Gas explosion rocks banking district
la prensa
Flames shoot up from a gas truck that exploded in the banking district Tuesday.
A truck belonging to Tropigás exploded in the banking district Tuesday, seriously injuring one person and damaging a number of cars and buildings.
One of those injured was Abelardo Matos, who was eating at a restaurant when the explosion happened. Matos is being treated at Santo Tomás for burns, according to medical director of the hospital, Elias Phillips Mayorca.
The two Tropigás employees who were with the truck escaped serious injury. José Remice, 30, an assistant dispenser, is stable and out of any danger, the company said. His partner, driver Fabio de León, 38, was not injured. Esteban Valdés, Ruth Quezada and Heidi Archibold, all of whom were near the truck when it exploded, suffered minor injuries.
"Our company greatly regrets the severity of the accident and we reiterate our full readiness to continue to cooperate in the clarification of the causes of this accident before the national community and the authorities of the country," the company said in a statement.
The first two explosions were reported at 1:44 p.m. and 1:54 p.m. Firefighters rushed to the scene, and were at the location when a third explosion was reported at 2 p.m.
The area was evacuated as firefighters battled the blaze, which damaged a number of cars and a nearby building, Edificio América, which suffered havy damage. A number of families were left homeless by the blaze, which also destroyed 22 vehicles.
Panama $24 Million upgrade for David, Chirqui Airport
Several companies interested in developing the expansion of the airstrip at the Enrique Maleky airport, in the city of David, Chiriquí, whose reference cost is over US$24 million, performed there a field study.
A note published in daily La Prensa indicates that the administrator of this airport, Ricardo Brenes, said that extending the airstrip to 2,600 meters of length and enlarging the airport facilities represents a long term solution to attend the needs of the west region of the country.
He highlighted that the investments executed at the public airports in the interior of the country are due to a strategy oriented to support commerce, tourism and economic development in general, which will also benefit the communities where these facilities are located.
Martinelli defends tax hike
la prensa
President of the Republic, Ricardo Martinelli.
President of the Republic, Ricardo Martinelli, speaking on RPC Radio yesterday from a work tour in the city of David, defended the recent tax hike.
Martinelli justified the increase, attributing it to the establishment of a universal scholarship for students across the country.
With the adjustment of taxes, the estimated 800,000 school-aged children currently residing in the country, can receive a grant, regardless of the political affiliation of their parents, detailed Martinelli on RPC Radio.
The official went on to inform that, parallel to this increase, the government is simultaneously lowering the income tax, by approximately half. "Those who are paying for this tax are the banks that did not pay taxes prior," said the president.
Costa Rica, Has A New Women President
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Costa Ricans have elected their first woman president as the ruling party candidate won in a landslide after campaigning to continue free market policies in Central America's most stable nation.
With most of the votes from Sunday's election counted, Laura Chinchilla held a 22-point lead over her closest rival. Her 47 percent share of the vote was well beyond the 40 percent needed to avoid a run-off.
The 50-year-old protege of the current president, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oscar Arias, promised to pursue the same economic policies that recently brought the country into a trade pact with the U.S. and opened commerce with China.
"Today we are making history," said Chinchilla, who will be the fifth Latin American woman to serve as president when she takes office in May. "The Costa Rican people have given me their confidence, and I will not betray it."
The closest contender, Otton Solis of the Citizens Action Party, got 25 percent of the votes. He and the other main rival, Libertarian Otto Guevara, quickly conceded defeat.
It was unclear, however, whether Chinchilla's National Liberation Party would gain a majority in congress.
Analyst Heather Berkman of the Eurasia Group said coalition building without a majority would likely delay or derail controversial fiscal reforms to shore up government finances and energy deregulation.
The third-place candidate, Guevara, congratulated Chinchilla as "our president," but he also pointed out the new political muscle of his tax-bashing Libertarian Movement Party. He won 21 percent of the vote.
Arias' economic policies helped insulate Costa Rica from the world economic crisis as he kept a high profile on the world stage as a negotiator in Honduras' political crisis after a coup deposed President Manuel Zelaya in June.
Critics of the Arias government, in which Chinchilla served as vice president, contended its policies catered to big developers to boost the economy at the cost of the nation's fragile ecosystems.
But most Costa Ricans were reluctant to shake up the status quo in a country with relatively high salaries, the longest life expectancy in Latin America, a thriving ecotourism industry and near-universal literacy.
Chinchilla, the mother of a teenage son, is a social conservative who opposes abortion and gay marriage. She appealed both to Costa Ricans seeking a fresh face and those reluctant to risk the unknown.
As a female president, she would follow an increasingly common trend in many Latin American countries: Nicaragua, Panama, Chile and Argentina have all elected women as presidents.
Alfredo Fernandez, 77, said he has always voted for the National Liberation Party, but this time his ballot was special.
"It is an honor to be able to have a woman president," he said.
Even Costa Ricans on the margins of society backed Chinchilla.
Heizel Arias, a 24-year-old single mother voted at a prison where she is serving an eight-year drug smuggling sentence.
"I voted for Laura Chinchilla because she has promised to fight for women," Arias said. "She was the only one who visited us and told us her plans and I believe in her."
Chavez Claims He Is the King
CARACAS, Venezuela – Police used tear gas, plastic bullets and water cannons to scatter hundreds of students protesting against the government Thursday, while President Hugo Chavez's supporters celebrated the 18th anniversary of his failed coup as an army officer.
Caracas Police Chief Carlos Meza said authorities broke up the protest because university students had not been granted permission to march. He said the denial was aimed at preventing clashes with thousands of "Chavistas" marching across the capital to mark the botched 1992 military rebellion that Chavez led as a lieutenant colonel.
"They don't have permission to march," Meza said.
Student leaders countered that they have the right to stage peaceful protests, and they said authorities loyal to Chavez frequently deny them permission to demonstrate. Before the protest was dispersed, students chanted: "We're students, not coup plotters!"
"This is one more demonstration of the government's abuse of power," student leader Roderick Navarro said.
Students started leading protests last week after the government pressured cable and satellite TV providers to drop an opposition channel. Students have organized demonstrations in cities across the country, accusing Chavez of forcing Radio Caracas Television International off the airwaves as a means of silencing his critics.
Chavez challenged the students to continue staging demonstrations, saying they won't weaken his socialist government. But he warned them against stirring up violence, suggesting authorities would break up protests that get out of control.
"Don't make a mistake with us. You'll get a firm response," Chavez said during a speech to his supporters at Venezuela's largest military fort.
Thousands of Chavez's backers gathered to listen to Chavez, who hailed the Feb. 4, 1992, military uprising against then-President Carlos Andres Perez as a justified rebellion seeking to topple a corrupt government that ignored the plight of Venezuela's poor.
More than 80 civilians and 17 soldiers were killed before troops loyal to the government quelled the coup attempt, which Chavez commemorates annually
Large cocaine shipment seized in Panama
Police confiscated 177 kilograms of cocaine Tuesday as it was about to be loaded into a container at the Port of Cristóbal in Colón.
Authorities arrested two employees of Panama Ports Company who were allegedly traing to load the cocaine. Preliminary reports indicate that the two employees brought the drugs with them into the shipping area.
They were taken into custody while the investigation continues.
Coment by Panama Jack
Cocaine is sold in Panama for $800.00 to $1,000 a Kilo and by the time it reaches Canada the price is $40,000.00 a Kilo
 Visit by Pope Benedict to Panama confirmed for 2013
Pope Benedict XVI will make an official visit to Panama to coincide with the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Pacific Ocean by Europeans in September 2013.
Confirmation was made on Wednesday by the Minister of the Presidency, Demetrius Papadimitriu, in a meeting with representatives of foreign and local press.
The pope received President Ricardo Martinelli at the papal summer residence of Castelgandolfo in September 2009. On that occasion, the Holy Father was invited by Martinelli to Panama for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the sighting of the Pacific by Balboa.
The visit will coincide with Panama's planned hosting of the Central American Games.
Panama's Civil Aviation Authority -
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Panama's Civil Aviation Authority (AAC) has issued a "Notice To Airmen" (NOTAM) severely restricting the flight of private aircraft in Eastern Panama near the border with Colombia. According to the note - "All private, commercial (charter), instruction and helicopter flights are prohibited in the area of the Darién, except those going to Miraflores and Meteti, and those flights flown by regular airlines."
 Source: TVN Noticias -
Panama Guide
A delegation of twenty Panamanian search and rescue experts will be departing the country in the coming hours, to provide assistance to Haiti which was struck by a devastating earthquake yesterday. Copa airlines will make an aircraft available to the government, which will be used to transport the rescue team as well as 10,000 bags of food donated by the office of the First Lady, Marta de Martinelli. Panama's Foreign Ministry said that despite their best efforts, they still have not been able to locate the charge d'affaires of Panama in Haiti, Eugenio Taylor.
Source: Kathyria Caicedo for Telemetro Reporta -
Panama Guide
About 250,000 workers in Panama will see an increase in their paychecks today, as a result of the new increases to the minimum wage announced by the government at the end of last year, which takes effect as of today, 15 January 2010. However, there are many complaints and doubts. Every company is obliged to pay their employees at the new rates as per Executive Order Number 263, which regulates the minimum wage and specifies what has to be paid according to the type of commercial activity and region of the country.
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Tropic Star's Black Marlin
Jon Schwartz finds monster black marlin in Panama
By Jon Schwartz Web-Site
A Week at Tropic Star
In the winter of 2008, I had the great fortune of photographing some of the world's greatest fishing spots running at full steam. Swarms of surface-breaking striped marlin provided Cabo anglers with nonstop action. The pristine paradise of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula served up a tropical mix of billfish, roosters and bull dolphin. To top it all, the annual run of sailfish in Guatemala, where anglers released an average of 20 per day's charter, eclipsed even my wildest fishing fantasies. I returned to the States in January, flush with a wealth of images and adventure that would surely quench my traveling jones for a good while.
Just when I'd started to acclimate to my normal stateside routine, I got an e-mail from Raleigh Werking, manager of the Tropic Star Lodge. Turns out that they'd just experienced their best month ever of marlin fishing: 97 released in a single week! Had this report been from any other place in the world, I would have been able to brush off this incredible news, satisfied that I'd recently seen enough similar action. The problem was that this wasn't any old spot.
Panama's Tropic Star Lodge (TSL) is home to a great many species and boasts one of the most productive inshore fisheries in the world. Huge cubera snapper, grouper and roosterfish are landed on a regular basis within yards of the coastline. TSL's all-tackle record roosterfish tipped the scales at 96 pounds, and many are caught in the 50- to 70-pound range. Incredibly, this top-notch nearshore bite rates a distant second to the international contingent of anglers who flock to TSL for one reason alone: close and personal encounters with Makaira indica, the majestic black marlin.
We've all seen Guy Harvey's pictures of brutish blacks rocketing skyward within feet of TSL's fleet of 31-foot Bertrams, deckhands' arms fearlessly reaching for the leader while the angler sits with mouth agape. Always the skeptic, I'd assumed that these incredible scenarios were fairly rare. If they weren't, one thing was for sure - I was missing out on some of the most dramatic displays of man versus beast to be found on the planet.
A confluence of events: Raleigh's report, a whole week off from my day job and payday succeeded in rendering me utterly incapable of resisting the temptation to see for myself. In addition, black marlin were one of the few species that I'd been unable to get on film (compact flash card, really). The potential to plop myself into the middle of some big-game madness and score some epic photos of my own sealed the deal.
TSL usually books out a year in advance, so it was only with some great luck that I was able to book a room during the peak season for black marlin. Bonnie Karp at the lodge's office in Orlando, Florida, helped me find a flight from LAX to Panama City's Tocumen Airport. Arriving guests usually spend the night in one of the deluxe hotels near the airport and take a transfer plane to the remote airport near the lodge the next morning.
To my delight, a well-dressed representative from TSL was waiting for me as I exited the plane. She whisked me through customs and brought me to the VIP lounge, where I sipped espresso and caught up on e-mails via wireless until Jimmy Owens, the larger-than-life valet, showed up and brought me to a deluxe hotel, smack-dab in the middle of Panama City.
One of the things I enjoy most about fishing travel is exploring the host countries. Although I'd soon be on a plane bound for one of the most remote fishing lodges on earth, I had a full day to tour Panama City, a thriving modern metropolis. Jimmy hooked me up with a classic old Panamanian gentleman named Luis Singh who took me on one of the most enjoyable half-day tours I've ever experienced. Winding through the districts in Luis' prized Crown Vic, I got the lowdown on the country's history: the building of the Panama Canal, the international flavor the city enjoyed as a result of the constant influx of trade and tourism, and the structural and political stability that grew from the decades-long partnership with the United States.
After witnessing a massive cruise ship squeak through the Miraflores locks of the canal, we passed by the nearly finished phalanx of skyscraping luxury condos that line the city's waterfront. This area of the city is as sophisticated and metropolitan as any that I've see in the States. In visiting a modern mall to get some last-minute electronic goodies for my cameras, I noticed that the quality of goods was high, but the prices were reasonable. The U.S. dollar is the country's official currency, which makes transactions effortless. International Living magazine ranked Panama City as one of the world's top five places to retire, and it's no wonder. Between the low cost of living, the surge in development and its central location, Panama City is clearly blossoming.
From January to March, TSL only offers weeklong bookings; that amounts to six days of fishing and seven nights. Half-week packages are available in December and from April to September. The stay is all-inclusive, except for extras like massages, drinks and tips.
Fishing for Marlin in Panama
Jon Schwartz
I am having a grand time here at Tropic Star Lodge in Panama. The setting here is incredible, and the fishing is fantastic. It's a fishing resort deep in the heart of the Darien Jungle in Panama, 100 miles from the nearest paved road- or maybe any road for that matter.
I wrote an article about this place for Sport Fishing Magazine after my first visit here, which you can read here Fishing and Travel Articles by Jon Schwartz
I came here to witness 'His Majesty the Black Marlin' jump within meters of the boat. They get huge here, and they hit big trolled baits about 10 minutes offshore, depending on the season. When I say big baits, I mean BIG. Here's a mate holding a live bonito bait just before he bridles it to a huge circle hook and tosses it overboard to entice a bite from a monster:
The marlin are pretty thick here right now- good numbers of them. The bite usually happens first thing. First baits in the water get bit. As soon as the reel starts screaming they back the boat down at warp speed and the fish launch themselves all over the place. The fights are full-on adrenalin rushes. It's hard to get good photos because the boat is backing down so hard to catch up with the fish and there is water coming over the transom.
Although the fish get huge, the Humboldt current here, according to several staff, make for an oxygen-poor environment at deeper depths. Instead of heading for the deep like they do in many other locations, the fish tend to stay near the surface. For that reason, they are able to use much lighter tackle- 50 pound rods and reels versus 80 and 130 pound gear that is used in many other big marlin locations- so the interaction with the fish is much more intimate. Smaller boats lower to the water with lighter tackle like they have here make for front row seats to big fish mayhem!
Last year, the first day on my first visit to Tropic Star Lodge, I lucked out with a photo that made it onto the cover of Marlin Magazine.
I kind of had a feeling that after having such luck on my last trip, I would have to do some dues-paying this trip, and my feelings were right. Although the fishing here turned out to be much hotter than last year, I did a lot of zigging when I should have been zagging. I accompanied one couple who caught 8 marlin here in six days ( I think 5 blacks averaging 400 pounds and 3 blues averaging 300), but their best luck occurred on days when I was on other boats.
This all started to mess with my head; I started to think I was bad luck, and went looking for all sorts of things that may have resulted in the hex. Could it be my white socks? I tried wearing the same shirt for 4 days, stuff like that.
Catching fish is hard, but catching a photo of a jumping fish is many times harder. Not only do I have to be on the right boat that is experiencing the action, but the fish has to jump, the lighting has to be right, I have to maintain my balance in the midst of a lot of action, my camera settings have to be spot on, and my gear has to be functioning perfectly. The below shot is one of me posing. In the heat of the battle it's all I can do to stand up straight, and you'd never find me sitting down.
Anyway, as soon as we got here, they had some children from the small village across the bay come and do some folk dancing. It was awesome! It made me realize I should have brought my kids ( I have three girls). My kids are bilingual, and my wife is from a similar-sized town in Mexico; they would have become best buddies with these kids right off the bat.
I took some neat pictures of them, with them, and then made a CD for their parents so they can get them printed the next time they travel to Panama City. For most, if not all, of the parents and children, these are the first photos that have ever been taken of them! You should have seen the look on their faces when I downloaded the shots and showed them to them on my laptop. They are such dolls. Que bonita!
I was super stoked to hang out with them too, but don't show my wife these pics of my new Panamanian beauties!
I talked with their teacher, and it turns out that that her husband is the head of the school at the village. I want to go visit the village tomorrow and hang out with the kids and their parents. Many of them work here at the resort. It's a special feeling, you meet the kids, and then go out on boats manned by their fathers. The personal aspect of it makes it just that much more exciting to me, because I am also a 3rd grade school teacher.
I am already thinking that the coolest thing to do would be to maintain contact with these kids and the teachers and their parents, and have them be pen pals with my own students in San Diego. They are all about the same age. I'll be able to speak with them as I can get by in Spanish, and my wife and daughters can help out with anything I can't handle. It would be terrific if I was able to combine teaching with my sportfishing photography and travel writing and involve my students as well as my own family!!!
I was fishing with Richard and Edie Kearley for several days as well. They were very fun to hang out with. Here is a photo I took of Edie on the way out to the fishing grounds.
And here's a photo of Richard 'going great guns' on a 60 pound tuna:
Below is a shot of Richard with a tasty dorado.There's so many dorado here, they are like pests. Pretty funny considering that these same fish would make for trophy fish on many other fishing excursions.
They ended up landing 8 marlin in 6 days of fishing, but almost all of them were landed on days that I wasn't with them. One day they had 4 black marlin! Of course I wasn't with them that day. Arrgh!!
I also accompanied famous fly fishing angler and multiple world record holder Margo Vincent and her grandson Kyle Vincent.
Kyle set a (pending) new world record for mullet snapper at 24 lbs! You can bet his grandma was super proud of him! Everyone kept telling him, "You realize you have the coolest grandma in the world, don't you?"
He also landed a 375 pound blue marlin earlier in the same day. Here's him fighting the big blue as Margo looks on from the bridge:
Pretty amazing for a 12 year old, no?!
Both Richard and Kyle kept Dockmaster Albert Battoo busy recording their various achievements. With his first black marlin in day one, Richard his Royal Grand Slam: catching one of every type of billfish in the world!
The funny thing is that the most elusive billfish, the spearfish, was actually the first one that he landed like 30 years ago. I took particular interest in this because I wrote a 2500 word feature article about spearfish that will be featured in the February issue of Marlin Magazine, which should be on newsstands in about 3 weeks.
Here's Richard having his Royal Grand Slam recorded by Albert Battoo.
And here is Albert, one day later, making the sign for Kyle Vincent's pending world record 24 pound mullet snapper.
In addition to taking fishing related photos, I enjoy portrait, scenic, and architectural photography. I took a photo of the spa area and got this neat shot of Marisol the masseuse working with a client:
In addition to taking fishing related photos, I enjoy portrait, scenic, and architectural photography. I took a photo of the spa area and got this neat shot of Marisol the masseuse working with a client:
Finally I ended my week's stay with a visit to the nearby village of Pinas.
I wanted to check out the computer lab that is being set up and meet up with some of the folks I met last year there.
Jose ( pictured on the right) works with Tropic Star and also lives in the village. He introduced me to the teacher of the school (on the left) and they showed me the lab. It'll be cool when it's up and running in the next couple of months so I can communicate with my friends down there!
On the way out of Pinas I met up with one of the mates of the boats that I had been on over my week's stay. His name is Alexi. He is Margo Vincent's favorite mate and is probably going to end up as a captain at some point.
He also happens to be super friendly and he introduced me to his children when I walked by the house. It's funny to see these guys chase around monster fish all day, every day, and then see them relaxing at home. What seems like extreme angling to many is for them another day on the water. They've undoubtedly wired and released thousands of huge marlin, perhaps as much or more than anyone in the world. (FYI "wired" means grabbed onto the leader, brought the fish to the boat, and removed the hook). Thrill seeking anglers from all over the world travel to Pinas Bay to take part in a ritual that these fellows perform as a matter of course. Here's marlin whisperer Alexi with children:
Last year, I took a lot of scenic and architectural shots when I was at the lodge. It turns out that some of my photographs will be included in the soon to be released book by Guy Harvey called Panama Paradise: A Tribute to Tropic Star Lodge.
The book has 334 pages, and in it, Guy Chronicles the beginnings of the lodge in 1961 to the present day. Needless to say I am thrilled and flattered to have my work featured in Guy Harvey's book!
I am writing an article about Panama for the World Billfish Series Magazine. The editor of the publication Sam White suggested that I might like to get some scenic shots of Panama City, so I hired Panama's best guide, Luis Singh, to take me on a tour of the city. I went with him last year but needed to get more material. I desperately wanted to get good night shots taken from on high that showed the city's skyline, but after touring the city with Luis, I began to think I might strike out.
Most of the skyscrapers in the city- and there are a lot of them-are closed to the public. They are the homes of the ultra wealthy. Not sure if you know but Panama has a lot of new development and new buildings.
Trump Towers type of stuff, but even richer, and a new John's Hopkins Hospital branch, a bustling modern business sector, and tons of high-cotton shopping malls that feature stores like Rolex, Gucci, and all the rest.
After a series of unsuccessful attempts at getting a good vantage point for a shot, I decided to get crafty. Luis let me off in front of a popular tourist spot, and suggested I try to find the best spot I could on foot. I talked my way into the lobby of a posh 51 floor condo high rise, and the bellman let me onto the exercise room on the deck of the 15th floor. I was so excited! He left me there alone, though, and the room was so hot, I ventured out into the hallway to cool off.
A couple walked by and we started talking. The next thing I knew they were asking me if I wanted to go up and take pictures from the penthouse on the 51st floor!!! The bellman came back to keep an eye on me and sees me with my new friends, so I say, "These kind folks are gonna take me up to the penthouse!" All he could do was smile.
I had with me my Nikon D700's and several of my favorite lenses, and I got some AWESOME shots that I will post and include in that article for the Would Billfish Series magazine. I was so happy to be up there by myself, I was simply ecstatic! I completely lost track of time, and when I returned to Luis's car two hours later he said in a panic, "What happened to you??"
I proudly pointed to the tallest building in the sky and said, "You see that one? I was on the penthouse taking pics of the city!!!!" We had a laugh about that and his eyes bugged out when I showed him the shots. Yahoo!!!
Here is a collection of some of the best day tours in Panama City from our friends at PanamaTours.com.pa
Panama City Tour – Rich history tucked into a modern city. It's more than just a Canal.
Take a tour of one the most vibrant cities in Central America. Discover the old Panama ruins of Casco Viejo, the original location of the city before pirates and disease destroyed the town. Also experience a progressive city of the future, boasting the banking capital of Central America, beautiful plazas, and breath-taking skyline views. Bring your camera, and open your mind to the culturally profound Panama City -- Panama City Tour
Panama Canal Eco Tour – Along the Canal view exotic animals and flora, and swim, fish, and kayak at a nearby lake.
On this tour you'll get an up close and personal look at the historically significant changes being made to the famous Panama Canal. Share the canal with towering container ships, cruises, and other unique vessels as you see the canal's history and it's transition into the future. This is also a nature tour because you'll have the chance to see tropical flora and rain forest animals along the way, and you'll take a canoe trip through lake Gatun. Enjoy some swimming, fishing, and kayaking during the afternoon -- Panama Canal Eco Tour
Embera Indian Village Tour – Experience a real Indian Village amongst an exotic jungle. Travel up the Chagres River through a tropical jungle full of exotic plants and wildlife on your way to visiting a real Indian Village. Interact with the villagers and learn about how they hunt, fish, harvest, and more. You'll even experience their cultural traditions like dancing and body painting, and be able to see their handmade crafts like woven baskets, plates, and masks. Walk through the lush jungle and get a close and personal look at what real jungle life is all about -- Embera Indian Village Tour Anton Valley Day Tour – Beautiful mountain and waterfall views alongside a dormant volcano.
This is a place you may only think exists in the movies, with it's luscious green vegetation, towering cliffs and mountains, and cascading waterfalls, but you can experience it first hand on this Anton Valley Day Tour. Enjoy a scenic drive along the Pan-American Highway, walk through elaborate gardens, and even visit a zoo. Bathe in the hot springs and waterfalls, and don't forget to browse the native Indian crafts at the local artisan market -- Anton Valley Day Tour
Panama Canal Train and the Caribbean Forts – Take a train ride alongside the picturesque canal.
Ride the train for a unique and beautiful vantage point alongside the Panama City Canal, where you'll wind through historical spot after historical spot from Panama City to Colon. Visit the Gatun Locks, the Old School of the Americas, the First Sherman and San Lorenzo National Parks, and enjoy a buffet style lunch at the Sol Melia Resort & Hotel in Colon -- Panama Canal Train and the Caribbean Forts
Panama Canal Partial Transit – Experience the canal on board a real ship as it passes through.
If you want to really experience the Panama Canal, what's better than traveling down the canal on a ship!? Go through the locks just like any vessel as you experience first hand how the trip goes for an average ship making it's pass through the historic canal. Lunch is included, and the ship's accommodations are comfortable to make for a great trip down the canal -- Panama Canal Partial Transit
Panama Canal Fishing Tour – Fish all morning and feast in the afternoon.
On this trip you get to fish in some of the best spots in all of Panama. Wake up early and enjoy the beautiful morning as you make your way along the lake searching and hunting down that perfect catch. After a full morning of fishing, return to the floating house to enjoy your delicious fresh catch and tell stories of your epic battles on the lake -- Panama Canal Fishing Tour
Underage Prostitutes Walk the streets of Central America
Story by Panama Visitor’s Guide
All through Central America, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico you can teen age prostitutes on the streets.
You drive through downtown Managua, Nicaragua after 10 P.M. and you see the streets lined with 13, 14, 15 year old prostitutes. They are there to provide income for the families. They are growing number of economic prostitutes, young girls forced to sell their bodies to make sure their families can pay the rent and have food on their tables. The police seem to look the other way, possibly some of them are paying them to do so. These young girls are looking to make $20.00 to $30.00 for the night.
In Tijuana Mexico, just across the border from California, the United States in Zona Rojo Section of town, that is the red light district. The streets are lined from one end to the other with Teenage Girls to young to gain entrance to bars where American Men have sex with girls over the age of 18. There is a police station in the Zona Rojo Section and on both sides of the doorway leading into the police station there are standing underage prostitutes. Girls from all over Mexico go to the border towns to send money to their families. Sex with a underage street girl is about $20.00 in the bars it is $60.00 for an hour.
In Costa Rica you find underage prostitutes along the streets of the capital of San Jose and at all the tourist beach towns. You also find them in the nightclubs and bars using forged identification cards or one of a friends or an older sister. This is all about the economics. Their families need this money to live on. Mother encourage their daughters and sons to go out and bring home money for the family. The average wage in Central America for a grown man is $12.00 a day if you can speak English it could be as much as $20.00. Maximum is about $700.00 but that would take a degree from the university. Girls on the street can Make up to $20.00 an hour while girls that work the bars can make $30.00 and $100.00 depending what kind of bar they are working in and if there are any North American’s Around, they pay the most for sex on the entire planet.
In Panama there underage prostitutes working the street in front of the hotel’s in the tourist areas, in the hotel’s and casino’s there are prostitutes working in bars looking for gringo’s and men from all over the world with greenback in their pockets. Most of these girls are Columbians who come from their home country to enjoy the riches of Panama. Panama City has a great number of wealthy families and these beautiful Columbian girls are much better looking than the local girls and can sometimes marry into a rich family or get someone from outside Panama to buy them a condo and a car, which makes it easy for them to fend for themselves. Older men are the normal pray to this system. They live all their lives making money and these women work all their lives taking it from them. Local girls are $30.00 to $50.00 and the beautiful Columbian’s are asking for $100.00.
Here is a little advice. Do not get caught with an underage prostitute in Central America that is a girl under the age of 18. You will do many years in Prison.
Some these countries have now included on their underage arrest law’s Uncles, Cousins, Brothers, Stepfathers and Fathers , it is now illegal for these people to sex with children. ment to spend $400 million in Chiriquí
Columbian Prostitutes being kicked out of Panama by Government of Panama mat decrese sex trade tourist's and the number of visitors to Panama
Panama Jack
San Blas Vacations
Story By Panama Jack
I had been searching for a great TourGuide for Panama and I had looked at hundreds of Tourguide websites and they all seemed to lacking, they eather had bad discriptions or bad pictures and then I stumbled on the website San Blas Tours and I knew I had found what I was looking for, a website that could provide information on tours in the San Blas islands. I spoke to the owner on phone and told him that I would like to link to his site to provide to the 18,000 visitors to my site every month the information on how to get to San Blas and how to get place to stay in San Blas and what San Blas had to offer. I was amazed how much the owner of San Blas Vacations knew about Panama and how provide tours to people who would like to see Panama and of course San Blas. It is like a little secret in Panama only the locals know how to get there and where to stay in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Here is the name of the company it is San Blas Vacations and here is their website
Enjoy your vacation in San Blas Ower is Leonardo Goffi and he speaks perfect ienglish.
call form the United States 1-954-678-9990 and do not forget to tell Leo Panama Jack sent you.
San Blas Vacations
Story By Panama Jack
I had been searching for a great TourGuide for Panama and I had looked at hundreds of Tourguide websites and they all seemed to lacking, they eather had bad discriptions or bad pictures and then I stumbled on the website San Blas Tours and I knew I had found what I was looking for, a website that could provide information on tours in the San Blas islands. I spoke to the owner on phone and told him that I would like to link to his site to provide to the 18,000 visitors to my site every month the information on how to get to San Blas and how to get place to stay in San Blas and what San Blas had to offer. I was amazed how much the owner of San Blas Vacations knew about Panama and how provide tours to people who would like to see Panama and of course San Blas. It is like a little secret in Panama only the locals know how to get there and where to stay in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Here is the name of the company it is San Blas Vacations and here is their website
Enjoy your vacation in San Blas Ower is Leonardo Goffi and he speaks perfect ienglish.
call form the United States 1-954-678-9990 and do not forget to tell Leo Panama Jack sent you.
Martinelli Bust JetSet Massage by Prostitutes
Story by Panama Jack
President Ricardo Martinelli President of Panama leeds raid on whore house in Panama City. The house of ill repute was JetSet Massage. As I under stand it, Condom's and Drugs where found at the seen. Also several undocumented Columbian Girls were found to be at the house and detained by Imagration Police. As of today the JetSet massage/House of Prostitution is no longer in business.
old story by Don Winner below
Jet Set Elegancia Still Running - Hookers in Obario
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide com - It looks like the Jet Set Elegancia Spa in Obarrio is back up and running full speed. They had a run-in with their neighbors a few months ago - there are some very rich and politically powerful people living right next door and I was sure they were going to be shut down. But not so fast - I just checked their website and you can see that "Sol" is available 24/7 (pictured here), advertised as a 21 year-old submissive Russian woman, 34C, Chestnut hair and green eyes, 1.6 meters tall and weighing 125 pounds. Of course, whatever happens in the back room during your 60 minute session for $150 bucks is between you and her. Don't forget your raincoat...
Copyright 2008 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud
Hooker's in Panama City, Panama
Story by Don Winner
Hookers, Hookers... In Obarrio
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - I ran into someone who reads Panama-Guide regularly and they commented "what's the matter, Don? No stories about hookers lately?" Hey, not by choice, you can bet on that. As chance would have it I got a telephone call late yesterday afternoon from Ivan Medina, the Secretary of the company for JetSet Elegancia Intl. If you remember La Prensa and several other local newspapers ran stories about a raid the "corregidora" (Justice of the Peace) from Bella Vista conducted against their business on 2 October 2007. I picked up the story from La Prensa and translated it when it came out. They were calling me to complain, to clarify what had happened, and to ask me to pull down the original article. (more)
Officially Pro-Hooker: Let me state my bias going into this article - I am officially pro-hooker. I think whatever consenting adults decide to do to one another behind closed doors is their business. I know all of the arguments about exploitation and abuse and believe there are ways to mitigate those threats and to protect the women and men who work in the sex industry as well as their clients. Obviously there is and always will be a demand for their services and someone will always step up with the supply. Over the years the Government of Panama has taken a generally common sense approach, much more liberal than the silly knee-jerk anti sex industry found in most of the Puritanical-based United States. Pushing hookers underground by making everything illegal tends to put everyone involved in much more danger in several senses of the word. Recognizing and accepting reality allows the Panamanian government to implement means and measures to protect everyone on all sides of the business transaction. That's my official stance, for what it's worth, and you should know that going in.
But, In Obarrio? The JetSet Elegancia Intl compound is located at the corner of Calle 57 and 3rd Street South in Obarrio. For the record, this is a neighborhood of mansions, some of them worth millions of dollars. To get there, drive down Calle 50 past the Marbella intersection. On your left hand side you will see the "Tropicana" furniture store at the intersection with the traffic signal. That is Calle 56 and you can not turn to the left there because it's one-way coming towards Calle 50. Turn to the left at the very next street which is Calle 57. You will know that you have the correct street because there is a nice park on your right hand side. The JetSet Elegancia Intl compound is the last house on the left hand side. It has a large while wall all the way around. They have Valet Parking (according to their website) and the doors are marked "Entrance" and "Exit". The second door is the entrance, so you can just pull up, they will open the door for you, and then the door will close behind you once you're inside. Should take about ten seconds, max.
So, What's The Problem: According to Estella Echeverri, the President of the company, there are a lot of rich and powerful people who live in Obarrio and they don't like the fact that they are operating a "spa" in their neighborhood. She accused the "corregidora" of Bella Vista, Lic. Lourdes Guerra, of being corrupt and of having abused her power. In a telephone interview Echeverri said "I was traveling to Costa Rica at the time of the raid. If I had been there I never would have let them enter the house." Echeverri said "residents of Obarrio paid the corregidora of Bella Vista to conduct the raid, and they paid the press to print bad articles about us in order to do damage to our business." I asked her if she had or if she intended to file an official criminal complaint with Panama's Judicial Technical Police (PTJ) regarding her alleged complaints against Lic. Lourdes Guerra, because she was making serious allegations of corruption. Echeverri said "we are currently consulting with our lawyers and we intend to file a criminal complaint against the corregidora for corruption as well as for abuse of power and abuse of her office and position. In addition we are going to sue the newspapers that ran the story as well."
Is This "Spa" a Massage Parlor? I explained my "pro-hooker" position to Estella Echeverri. I gave her my quick analysis of the problems she was having which apparently stem from her choice of location and venue. Many rich, powerful, and well known people who live in those houses in that particular neighborhood of Obarrio, and there's no way they are going to stand for a "spa" to operate literally in their backyards. And another thing, if JetSet Elegancia Intl is really a "spa" which does nothing but beauty treatments for aging socialites, then they probably would not have any problems at all. If that were the case then the little old biddies in the neighborhood would be lining up for facials and a nice bikini-waxing before their weekend jaunt to Contadora on the yacht..
Trying to Bullshit Me Is Generally A Bad Idea: And this is the part where I got ticked off. I explained nicely to Echeverri that I've been here for more than twenty years, that I've researched the sex industry in Panama extensively, I know most of the owners and players, and that everyone in the world knows that JetSet Elegancia Intl is actually a Panamanian-style massage parlor, done fancy. All of these massage parlors work on the "don't ask, don't tell" principle. The client pays a flat fee at the door and then heads off to a room with the girl. Whatever happens between the two adults behind closed doors is between them. Echeverri held her ground. In spite of significant evidence to the contrary, she continued to insist that no, JetSet Elegancia Intl is not that kind of an operation, and that they are not involved in the sex industry in Panama, at all.
Salute the Bullshit Flag As It Runs Up The Pole: It took me about 30 seconds to Google the customer feedback from the whore monger chat boards and forums that are all over the Internet. On these boards international whore mongers discuss their experiences with different establishments in Panama. The general consensus on JetSet Elegancia Intl, and this is feedback from customers who have been there (and, I have not) is that they are charging too much for what they provide, and that the girls simply are not that great. You would be better off at another club. When I told Echeverri about those reports, she asked me "where are those, I've been trying to find them..." and I told her how to use Google. Good luck with that.
Oh My! Email Threats: I almost forgot. Before the phone calls came in I received this email from dario which said:
"My friend no say lies of jetset. We have all document for operation free, Jet set is funtionaly in this moment, an need you remove the mesage about jetset, this message impact direct my business, if you no remove this message. We open a legal process for Don Winner. Sorry my friend. note: respond this email for later tomorrow."
Errr... OK: Later on the phone Estella Echeverri told me that email was written by Ivan Medina, the first guy who called, and that he used one of her email addresses by mistake to send me that email. What's really funny is that if you Google "Dario" (the name that comes with the email address) "Echeverri" (the last name of the President of JetSet Elegancia Intl) and "Panama" you come up with SEC filings for a guy named Dario Echeverri who was involved in a company called Phone1globalwide Inc in Panama back in 2004 and 2005. Now, are the two related? I have no idea. The only other Dario Echeverri is a Priest in Colombia who got famous for trying to negotiate a peace with the far-right paramilitaries. Maybe he's thrown in the cloth and has come over to the other side? Nah...
Obviously, so threat of any kind of sexual activity here...
Wait A Minute, Back To The Sex Thing: For the record, when the "corregiduria" (Justice of the Peace) of Bella Vista raided the JetSet Elegancia Intl compound their website went down immediately. And also for the record, shortly after the raid I began to see ads in the paper again for JetSet Elegancia Intl in the personal sections of La Prensa, La Critica, etc. So, it seems like they are, in fact, back in business.
A Construction Related Complaint: According to Ivan Medina the original problem with the "corregidora" had to do with an issue related to a construction complaint and that they used that as a pretext to enter their facility. He went on to say that the company has all of their permits and permissions to operate as a spa, and that they had fixed the problem and were opened basically the next day.
"How Many "Alternadora" Visas Do You Have?" I asked Ivan Median how many "alternadora" visas they have, and he said that they have about ten. He said the problem is that many of the girls left when the "corregidora" made her raid, and that the "alternadora" visas are tied to the girls. That there is a process through which you have to "clean" the visa to allow it to be used by another girl, and that's part of their problem. Medina said they are now operating primarily with Panamanian girls, which does away with that problem.
Backtrack, Change Story: The first conversation I had with these people was with Ivan Medina. After that conversation I received another call a few minutes later from Estella Echeverri who contradicted what Ivan Medina had just told me. She said that they do not have any "cupos" for "alternadora visas" because, she said, "we are not that kind of business." So when I asked her if they were using all Panamanian employees, she said "no, we are using Colombian girls as well, but only as professional service contracts."
Ah, It's All Coming Together: A few weeks ago I got a tip from someone in Immigration who called to let me know that "there was a house in Obarrio that was full of Colombian girls who were turning tricks." At the time it got by me, but when Estella Echeverri told me they had "Colombian independents" working there on "professional service" contracts, that was even enough for someone as dense as me to make the connection. JetSet Elegancia Intl was the house my contact in Immigration was talking about, and they had called me before the raid that was conducted by the "corregidora" of Bella Vista. Unfortunately, my contact simply didn't know the exact location of the house, and I didn't have time to chase it down. No wait, that call came in months ago.
A Call to the "Corregidora": I like to be able to verify all angles of the stories I publish so I put a call into the office of Lic. Lourdes Guerra, the "corregidora" of Bella Vista, to get her response to the threat of a criminal complaint for being corrupt, having accepted bribes from the residents of Obarrio, for having abused her office, and for overstepping her bounds, according to Estella Echeverri. I called again and the people in her office explained that all hearings are scheduled on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and that it might be difficult to speak with Lic. Lourdes Guerra on the issue, or that she would not be able to get back to me with a formal response for a day or two. So, that's pending.
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