Friday
Friday 26th August 2022.
August 26, 2022
The single dialogue table for Panama, which takes place in Penonomé, Coclé, took up, the issue of the cost of the basic family basket and with the reincorporation of the members of Bastión del Oriente Chiricano The representation of the Executive began the day at 11:00 am with a summary of the actions that are being carried out to ensure compliance with what was agreed in the dialogue on the basic food basket. The Bastion had withdrawn from the table because one of the points it was requesting is that the Government give answers to the issue of the basic basket, since they had reports that it was not complying with the measures to reduce the cost of the products. The representatives of the Government and of the groups; United People for Life Alliance, National Alliance for the Rights of the Organized People (Anadepo) and Bastión del Oriente Chiricano, must also jointly analyze the proposal made by the facilitating team on Wednesday night to close this first phase to move on to the next. stage. The dialogue takes place at the Cristo de Sembrador Center in Penonomé, with the facilitation of the Catholic Church. Likewise, it is waiting to define the commissions that must be formed to follow up on the consensus and dissent that occurred in the seven topics analyzed.
The people apprehended by the Drug Prosecutor’s Office and the National Police in an operation called ‘Fire’ and carried out in the provinces of Colón, Panama and Panama Oeste were taken on the afternoon of this Thursday, August 25, before a guarantee judge. The hearing, which is being held at the facilities of the accusatory penal system in Plaza Ágora, began after 2:00 pm The First Drug Prosecutor’s Office will request the legalization of arrests, formulation of charges and the corresponding precautionary measures. There are 41 people facing a process for alleged links to drug trafficking. The brother and wife of Eduardo Macea, alias Marshall, were captured in the operation, to whom the authorities attribute the control of cocaine trafficking routes to Europe through container ports in Colón, currently detained in Punta Coco. Among the detainees is also the representative of the district of Costa Arriba de Colón.
At least 11 alleged gang members have been apprehended this Thursday, in the so-called Sinaí operation, carried out by the Public Ministry and the National Police (PN) in the province of Colón. These people allegedly belong to the “Real Ganster 4 Life” gang, authorities reported. The aforementioned criminal group linked to the crime of gang activity is related to homicides, possession of weapons, drugs, personal injuries, robberies and other criminal acts registered in Colón.As part of this operation, the deputy director general of the PN, Simón Henríquez, reported that in Altos de Los Lagos (Colón) six people were apprehended, in nine proceedings carried out. Of these, three people are allegedly linked to the crime of intentional homicide, and the rest for attempted homicide, aggravated robbery and illegal possession of a firearm, the official explained. During the raids in the Puerto Escondido sector, specifically in El Callejón de la Muerte, police officers located a miniuzi and another person was apprehended. In Colón, the search proceedings were also carried out in the sectors of El Chorrillito, Calle 2 and 3 Herrera and Casco Viejo
The Panamanian Chamber of Construction (Capac) asked President Laurentino Cortizo to conclude the procedures for the payment of pending accounts to contractor companies that provide services to different State institutions. Capac sent a letter to Cortizo on August 19 in which it explained that these payments are vital in the economic recovery process of the country and the sector, as revealed by the business association in a statement on Thursday. Capac’s statement does not detail the amount owed, but La Prensa was able to learn that it would be about $800 million, accounting for debts that have been carried over since last year and those that correspond to the current fiscal period until July. In January of this year, Capac revealed that the debt with the contractors was around 300 million dollars, but this has been increasing. “The payment of delinquent accounts to contractors will contribute to the economic revitalization of many sectors linked to the construction industry,” said the press release signed by the organization’s president, Carlos Allen. The letter issued acknowledges that the actions taken by the Executive in the management of an extraordinary credit for $300 million to partially meet the pending obligations with State contractors for the execution and progress of works. “The urgency of this request is related to the fulfillment of obligations that these companies maintain with banking entities, subcontractors and suppliers that they have not been able to satisfy due to the lack of payment by the National Government,” highlights the note sent to President Cortizo.
This Friday, August 26, work will restart in the La Espiga de La Chorrera sector, thus resuming the works on the first section of the beach corridor. The Minister of Public Works, Rafael Sabonge , commented that on Wednesday, August 24, the Comptroller General of the Republic approved the addendum made to the contract, which reduces the amount of the work from 603 million dollars to 282 million dollars. In addition to reducing the amount of the work, the addendum approves the assignment of the contract requested by the FCC company in favor of the company Puentes y Calzadas Infraestructura de Panamá. The Ministry of Public Works (MOP) reported that between this Friday, today August 26 and Tuesday, September 20, there will be interruptions in vehicular traffic in the La Pesa de La Chorrera sector, as part of the work on the beach corridor. . According to the MOP, the interruptions of the vehicular flow on the Pan-American highway will occur in both directions and will be carried out by agents of the Land Transit and Transportation Authority. The works correspond to the extension to six lanes of the beach corridor (La Chorrera-Santa Cruz stretch) and as part of the reactivation of the works, mobilization of equipment and cleaning of the area will be carried out. Originally, the beach corridor was divided into two sections. The first would begin in La Chorrera up to the community of Santa Cruz, while the second would extend to the district of San Carlos. The goal was to reduce road congestion in that area. But the works that were never finished have been torture for the drivers who travel daily on that road. Now, the first section was reduced to a 6-kilometer viaduct, starting in the La Espiga sector, at the end of the La Chorrera highway, to culminate in the Hacienda Los Calderones sector, while the second section was cancelled. Sabonge indicated that the 6-lane viaduct would cost 150 million dollars and explained that adjustments were made in the design to improve access to the road, as well as rehabilitate the existing road.
The National Migration Service (SNM) reported that Executive Decree No. 77 of August 24, 2022 is already in force , which establishes that Venezuelan citizens who need to enter the country must request a stamped visa before the Consular Office of Panama in the country in which they are located. It is emphasized that foreigners of Venezuelan nationality must complete the procedure in compliance with the procedures and requirements established in Decree Law 3 of 2008, Executive Decree 320 of August 8, 2008 and Executive Decree No. 473 of August 23, 2017. In the considerations of the new provision, reference is made to Executive Decree No. 612 of October 22, 2018, which created the Office of Humanitarian Affairs for Venezuelan Residents in order to attend requests for family reunification for humanitarian reasons and family union. It should be noted that this instrument did not have regulations to effectively verify the requests. The Panamanian immigration authorities considered it convenient to standardize the immigration treatment of Venezuelan citizens with the regular procedures carried out by people of other nationalities. Rafael Rodríguez, from the Association of Naturalized Residents of Panama (Arena) confirmed that the rule on family reunification for Venezuelan citizens is eliminated. He added that they will be analyzing Decree No. 77 in depth to see if it is necessary to ask the authorities to clarify any aspect. The SNM highlighted that foreigners of Venezuelan nationality who have a valid visa or residence, duly issued by some of the countries included in article 1 of Executive Decree No. 521 of August 6, 2018, are exempt from the new provision. In addition, that all those requests that are in process will be attended to in accordance with the provisions of Executive Decree No. 612 of October 22, 2018, until the respective procedure is concluded.
The gallon of 95-octane gasoline will decrease three cents, that of 91-octane 12 cents; while diesel will have an increase of 8 cents per gallon starting this Friday, August 26, and until September 9, announced the National Energy Secretariat. These are the regular fuel prices without the state subsidy that for more than a month was established at $3.25 a gallon for gasoline and diesel at all fuel stations in the national territory. With the changes, the top price of 95-octane gasoline will remain at $4.29 per gallon, 91-octane gasoline at $4.07, and low-sulfur diesel at $4.45 per gallon, in the cities of Panama and Colón. For the rest of the country, prices show a slight variation due to transportation costs. With the new prices, diesel is again more expensive than gasoline. At the current frozen price of $3.25 per gallon, the State will subsidize $1.04 per gallon of 95-octane gasoline; $0.82 for a gallon of 91-octane gasoline and $1.20 for a gallon of diesel. According to reports from the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG), the first month of the fuel subsidy has represented some $42 million.