The latest, verified reporting on events across Panama and beyond. This section covers breaking stories, developments, and essential daily news.
Vamos lawmakers say Panama’s Contraloría changed the labor status of 39 employees without consent, placing them on unpaid leave. The Comptroller General’s Office has responded, intensifying the dispute over public-sector employment practices.
Panama has approved the importation of 90,000 quintals of green coffee to address a domestic shortage, with a 3% tariff and a deadline of September 30, 2026. Officials say the measure is meant to ease supply pressure without harming local production.
A violent altercation between inmates in La Joya prison on April 21 left one person dead. The incident highlights ongoing security challenges inside Panama’s penitentiary system.
Panama’s government agreed to pay $14.9 million to settle a dispute with the Nuevo ION Panamá consortium over the canceled new national cancer institute project. The payment will be split between 2026 and 2027.
Ifarhu has extended its scholarship process in Azuero and Coclé through April 24, giving students more time to participate. The effort highlights academic merit and high student averages.
Authorities in Cerro Azul are warning of critically low levels in the Cabra River as rainfall deficits continue to strain local water reserves. Even reserve tanks are showing insufficient levels, adding to concern in the area.
Panama is confronting the economic fallout from the 2023 shutdown of First Quantum Minerals’ Cobre Panamá mine, with growth and jobs taking a hit. The closure has rippled through suppliers, workers and local businesses tied to one of the country’s biggest private projects.
Panama is grappling with the economic and labor-market damage left by the 2023 closure of First Quantum’s Cobre Panama mine. The shutdown has weighed on growth, jobs, and broader business activity.
Panama will pay nearly $15 million to settle a dispute tied to the new ION project, after the consortium sought more than B/.70 million in arbitration. The case highlights the financial risks of major public contract disagreements.
Visits at La Joya prison were suspended after a shooting killed one inmate. Authorities are carrying out operations to find the firearm used in the attack.
Panama’s new Civil Procedure Code shifts civil litigation from a rigid, stage-by-stage model to one centered on concentrated hearings and oral proceedings. The reform aims to speed up justice while preserving due process.
App-based drivers in Chiriquí are asking to be included in transport regulations and say they are ready to work with authorities. The group wants to keep serving users while improving service quality.
Vamos lawmakers are denouncing a labor-status change affecting 39 Comptroller General’s Office employees, saying they were placed under “investigation” without explanation. The dispute raises questions about transparency and due process inside a key Panama institution.
The president of Panama’s National Assembly will ask the Comptroller General for clarification after concerns emerged over unpaid leave cases affecting several offices. He also denied that officials were being granted such leave improperly.
Panama blanked Argentina 7-0 at the 2026 South American Youth Games to stay unbeaten in baseball. The team now faces Colombia in a showdown between the tournament’s only undefeated squads.
Princess Cruises’ newest Sphere Class ship completed its first Panama Canal transit, marking a milestone voyage for the line and a high-profile moment for the waterway. The crossing highlights the canal’s continued importance as both a global shipping route and a tourism draw.
FIFA will open a new World Cup 2026 ticket sales window on April 22, with seats sold online on a first-come, first-served basis. More than 5 million tickets have already been sold for the 104-match tournament.
A second man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of a taxi driver in Hato Pilón, Mironó, following a March 2024 attack in the Ngäbe Buglé comarca. The case highlights the violent nature of the crime and its impact on the local community.
Panama National Police recovered six vehicles in Panama Oeste that were under active reports for robbery, theft, and unlawful appropriation. The seizure highlights ongoing enforcement against vehicle-related crime in the province.
Patients in Chiriquí are reporting waits of up to five days to collect medication at the Policlínica Gustavo A. Ros. The delays are affecting insured residents who depend on timely access to prescriptions.