The latest, verified reporting on events across Panama and beyond. This section covers breaking stories, developments, and essential daily news.
A failure at the Gatún power plant knocked out electricity in Panama City and San Miguelito, cutting 600 megawatts from the grid before Etesa restored full service at 10:58 p.m.
Technology firm Sonda S.A. has clarified how the new fare collection system for the Panama Metro and Metrobús works, insisting users will not be double charged. The explanation comes as passengers adjust to changes on the country’s two busiest public transport services.
Families of young Chiricanos believed to be in Russia and Ukraine held a vigil demanding faster action from authorities, as at least three alleged recruiters remain in provisional detention.
The Mayor’s Office of Panama has launched a $533,000 tender for Christmas 2026 activities, including the tree lighting and parade logistics, bringing total planned holiday spending to more than $3.8 million. The bill includes 9,000 meal coupons, 200 portable toilets, golf carts, and private security.
Heavy rains in Bocas del Toro and Chiriquí are fueling a black sigatoka outbreak in Panama’s banana and plantain crops, prompting Mida to announce drainage and fumigation support for growers. Producers warn of possible plantain shortages and price pressure.
Panama’s Social Security Fund (CSS) will begin September pension payments on September 18, with a second payment date on September 21, according to the official calendar for retirees and pensioners.
IFARHU has activated the first 2026 Educational Insurance payment for new Excellence Contest scholarship winners in Herrera, Los Santos, and Coclé via the Caja de Ahorros Punch wallet. Students should check their digital wallets to access the funds.
The IMA has announced that its low-cost Agroferias will operate on Monday, September 14, and Tuesday, September 15, offering fresh Panamanian farm products at reduced prices.
Panama’s weather service has identified Chiriquí, Veraguas and Azuero as the areas most likely to see thunderstorms this Saturday, with northern winds reaching up to 25 km/h in Caribbean maritime zones.
The Panama Canal delivered 130 property titles benefiting 575 people in the Río Indio watershed, part of a program that has granted more than 2,200 titles in the area and over 25,000 across the Canal watershed in 26 years.
Panama honored 105-year-old José A. León, a World War II U.S. Army veteran and the longest-living U.S. veteran outside the United States, as a distinguished citizen at the Gobernación de Panamá.
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Chiriquí province in western Panama, prompting Sinaproc and the Fire Department to deploy inspection teams to hospitals and public buildings to assess structural conditions.
ENSA has launched a contingency plan, including free pins, for prepaid electricity customers left unable to purchase energy due to a technical failure in its commercial services platform. The measure aims to keep households connected while the company restores normal transactions.
The UTP community held a human chain to demand justice and faster investigations into the forced disappearance of student Jafeth González.
Students at Panama’s Autonomous University of Indigenous Peoples are demanding the resignation of interim rector Demetrio Santamaría Montezuma after the university failed to justify a $3 million budget allocation for fiscal year 2027.
Panama’s national employment fair has registered 18,000 job seekers so far and aims for 30,000, with an in-person event at Atlapa on September 15-16 and a virtual platform open nationwide from September 14-20.
Acodeco has published the maximum prices for 25-pound gas tanks across Panama under Executive Decree No. 32 of 2026, with prices varying by locality and enforcement available through consumer complaints.
The IFARHU has confirmed that the second PASE-U payment for secondary students will be credited to the Mastercard debit card issued by the Caja de Ahorros. Students and families should watch for official payment dates.
Residents of Colón protested outside ENSA offices after a prolonged failure in the prepaid electricity recharge system left families without power, causing food losses amid intense heat. The company faces mounting public pressure to resolve the outage and compensate affected users.
Staff at the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí (Unachi) have gone two pay periods without salaries, with Rector Absel Navarro blaming an administrative limbo facing the new administration and asking employees for patience.
