Panama City Enforces Holy Week Alcohol Ban With Fines Up to B/.1,000
Panama City will enforce a Holy Week dry law, with fines from B/.100 to B/.1,000 for violators. The measure is part of the city’s holiday public safety controls.
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Panama City will enforce a Holy Week dry law, with fines from B/.100 to B/.1,000 for violators. The measure is part of the city’s holiday public safety controls.
Panama expects a major Easter Week travel surge, with Tocumen International Airport projecting more than 78,000 passengers from April 1 to 5. The busiest day is forecast for Sunday, when arrivals and departures will peak.
Cleanup crews worked at the Tocumen police station after disturbances and vandalism left several areas damaged. The incident highlighted the impact unrest can have on public security facilities in one of Panama’s busiest districts.
Resident doctors in Panama say CSS payroll delays and unresolved salary category changes are undermining morale and hospital operations. Fenameri has called a nationwide peaceful protest for April 9 to press for immediate action.
A disturbance involving teenagers damaged the Tocumen police post, leading Senniaf to carry out cleanup work and coordinate next steps with security authorities.
Panama will open the 2026 South American Youth Games with a ceremony led by Farruko, pairing sports, culture, and a major regional spotlight. The event will bring thousands of young athletes to the country.
Panama’s government is tightening public spending by limiting fuel, travel, and per diem expenses. The Ministry of Economy and Finance says the strategy is meant to help shield the country from the global energy crisis.
Planes are dropping millions of sterile flies over the Panama-Colombia border in a long-running campaign to stop screwworms from spreading. The effort protects livestock and helps defend Panama’s role as a regional biosecurity barrier.
A 54-year-old hemodialysis patient says his silver-gray pickup was stolen from the CSS hospital parking lot in Panama City while he traveled from Chepo for treatment. The vehicle carries plate 304741.
Deputies will not attend a cleanup day at the Tocumen CAI because the event overlaps with a National Assembly session. The planned activity remains part of a broader effort involving Senniaf and public facility maintenance.
Panama beat South Africa 2-1 in a 2026 friendly, with Yoel Bárcenas delivering a standout performance. The result gives Panama an encouraging boost as it continues international preparations.
Russia claimed full control of Ukraine’s Luhansk region, but Kyiv quickly rejected the assertion as Zelenskyy prepared for talks with U.S. envoys. The disputed battlefield claim comes as peace efforts remain fragile.
Bocas del Toro confirmed Panama’s first bovine rabies case of 2026, prompting renewed calls for livestock vaccination. Authorities urged producers to protect all susceptible animals.
A Chiriquí judge replaced preventive detention with house arrest for David representative Jorge Eduardo Montenegro Vallarino in a peculado case tied to alleged misuse of decentralization funds. Prosecutors say the alleged damage reaches $4.4 million in the 2019-2024 period.
Panama’s national football team remains 33rd in the FIFA rankings as attention turns to the 2026 World Cup. The team’s position keeps it among the more competitive sides in international football.
Panama’s tourism sector finished 2025 with B/. 6.5 billion in spending and higher hotel occupancy, while early 2026 is running 14% above last year. The gains signal continued strength for one of the country’s key economic engines.
Panamanian filmmaker and NASA live broadcast producer Daniel Lauchú is taking part in the Artemis II Moon mission launch. His involvement highlights Panama’s presence in a major international space effort.
Seven teams have already clinched spots in the 2026 Campeonato Nacional de Béisbol Mayor’s next round, leaving Veraguas, Los Santos and Panamá Metro fighting for the last berth. Tuesday’s results pushed Panamá Oeste, Darién, Herrera, Colón and Coclé into the qualified group.
Social Development Minister Beatriz Carles appeared before Panama’s National Assembly and outlined the country’s shelter network. She said the system has 48 centers divided into nutrition, school-season, and protection shelters.
Gustavo Pérez, a convicted former National Security Council director in Panama’s wiretapping case, appeared on a Senniaf visit as a security adviser. The visit followed a recent escape of adolescents from the Tocumen shelter.