Friday
Friday 24th February 2023.
February 24, 2023
The fiscal deficit of $3,005 million registered by the non-financial public sector is of such magnitude that it would be enough to finance 88% of the construction of the third subway line, including the underground section to cross under the Panama Canal.
During 2022, revenues totaled $13,273.2 million, with an increase of 13.8% compared to the previous year. While expenses totaled $16,278.7 million, reflecting an increase of 1.7% or $272.7 million. The increase in revenue was insufficient to offset high public spending, which is mainly intended to cover the operations of the state apparatus.
The Comptroller General of the Republic updated the GDP calculations for recent years, taking a new base year (2018) as a reference, which resulted in an upward adjustment in the GDP data.
As of yesterday, the 8 mills that operate in the Cobre Panama project, located in the mountains of Donoso, province of Colón, were due to stop at some point of the day. This was announced on February 19 by the company Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of the Canadian First Quantum.
The decision was made, according to the company, due to the refusal of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) to lift the decision to prohibit the operation of the port of Punta Rincón decreed since January 26. Not being able to continue with exports, the miner points out that it ran out of storage space.
Michael Camacho, leader of the Unión de Trabajadores de Minera Panamá union, reported that until Wednesday afternoon, the order to cease operations was in effect, although he clarified that they did not know the exact time the order would be executed.
Yesterday, the members of Utramipa were to carry out a march at 9:00 am in Penonomé, while another group will do the same in the vicinity of the Palacio de las Garzas, in San Felipe.
After the announcement of the cessation of operations scheduled, the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI), nor the AMP have ruled on the mining company’s decision. The last time that the MICI referred to the dispute with First Quantum was on February 1, while the AMP has been silent since January 26 when it prohibited the operation of the port due to the lack of certifications of the equipment used. to weigh the material that is exported.
The Mining Chamber of Panama and the group of suppliers of the Cobre Panamá project, which total more than 2,000, yesterday asked the Government to avoid the closure of the mine and asked that the talks be expedited to achieve the signing of a new contract.
The head of the MICI, Federico Alfaro Boyd, has indicated that the remaining points to reach an agreement with First Quantum are related to the early termination of the contract and the royalties that the State would receive in the event of a collapse in the price of the pound of copper in international markets.
Last year, the Cobre Panama project generated sales of 2,959 million dollars and an operating profit of 1,65 million dollars.
A new fire has been recorded at the Cerro Patacón landfill.
The alert for the emergency was given at about 9:45 pm Wednesday, work to extinguish the fire registered in the used tire storage area continues, it has been reported.
Firefighters from the Carrasquilla and Plaza Amador stations participated in the extinguishing, with the support of tank trucks from the Institute of National Aqueducts and Sewers.
“The high temperatures and the breeze have allowed the fire to spread rapidly,” said Ángel Delgado, director of Related Calamities for the Panama Fire Department.
He added that the bomberos were relieved, taking into account that the staff is “exhausted.” It must be remembered that on Wednesday, the firefighters also attended other emergencies, such as the fire at a warehouse located in the Vista Hermosa area.
Delgado commented that, according to preliminary reports, there were people carrying out “some kind of activity” near where the fire was recorded on Cerro Patacón. However, investigations will determine the causes of this new incident, he added.
This is the second fire at the landfill in less than 15 days on February 21, it was confirmed that a fire had been put out, for which three fire engines with 10,000 gallons of water each and three tankers were used.
For its part, the Urban and Home Cleaning Authority reported that they are preparing all the necessary reports that can determine the responsibilities in this case.
Jaime Powell Rodríguez, alias Yunya, from Colón, was provisionally detained in Spain for the purpose of extradition to Panama, at the request of the Section for Crimes Against Public Faith of the Public Ministry, a body that is investigating him for falsifying documents.
The extradition request was endorsed in a guarantee hearing held Wednesday.
This was reported by the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation, through its social networks.
Yunya made the news again after the National Police (PN) reported on Monday, February 20, that he had been captured in Pozuelo, Spain, a country that is investigating him for money laundering.
According to investigations by public security agencies, Powell Rodríguez, 39, would have taken over the leadership of Bagdad, a criminal group dedicated to drug trafficking and other crimes, in 2016. At that time, he would have replaced Jorge Rubén Camargo Clarke, alias Cholo Chorrillo, who was captured on February 11, 2022, in Costa Rica, after being a fugitive for some time.
The Public Ministry also links him to the HDM gang.
In the Public Registry, his name appears in at least four companies: Bazar Inglés, SA, Desarrollo JMD, SA, Inversiones y Desarrollo J & S, SA and Recicladora Collins, SA All are located in Colón.
In addition, he appears as the owner of a property in the La Alborada urbanization, in the township of Cativá, Colón.
His profile is consistent with the standards of drug lords: he presents himself as a businessman to camouflage his criminal operations through public limited companies. In Spain, he would have woven a business network with the purpose of moving drugs and laundering money.
It is not the first time that Yunya has made headlines. In June 2018, the PN announced that he had been captured in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, while he was on vacation.
Two people were apprehended by National Police agents on the night of this Wednesday, after a shooting at the Tocumen International Airport.
Police confirmed that the two captured men carried firearms and tried to “commit a crime” against another person who had arrived at the air terminal.
The exchange of shots took place at the entrance to Terminal 2 of the airport, when the attackers tried to reach the victim’s truck.
Police officers on duty at the airport intervened immediately. One of the attackers was arrested on the spot and the second was apprehended at the Santo Tomás hospital, when he went to seek medical attention.
Through its Twitter account, the Tocumen International Airport reported that the operations of the air terminal remain uninterrupted.
The Panamanian Women’s Soccer Team wrote the most important chapter in its history by qualifying for its first World Cup, while the Under-17s won their ticket to the highest tournament of nations for the third time.
Those led by Ignacio Quintana achieved their goal by beating Paraguay 1-0 at the Waikato stadium in New Zealand.
The star of the match was Lineth Cedeño (76′) scoring the only goal of the match with a header, after a free kick by Marta Cox.