Monday
Monday 12th August 2024.
August 11, 2024
While reporting a decrease in the entry of irregular migrants through the Darien jungle , the Minister of Security, Frank Ábrego , said that the island of San Andrés has become an alternative route for these travelers.
Ábrego highlighted the efforts made to block some routes in the Darién jungle and to create a kind of humanitarian cordon so that people can travel through a relatively safe place, which has allowed for greater control.
“We understand that this has also discouraged many people from continuing to use our country as a route. Alternative routes have emerged through Colombia, which is to go to the island of San Andrés, and from there rent boats illegally to Nicaragua,” Ábrego said on the program Debate Abierto on Telemetro .
In early July, the government of President José Raúl Mulino , Panama blocked three unauthorized crossings used by irregular migrants, identified on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, the National Border Service reported at the time.
In addition, another blockade was installed at a land crossing that provides access to the Hito de Chucurti sector, Guna Yala, using perimeter barriers.
Ábrego explained that in the last month and 10 days there has been a large decrease in irregular travelers entering Darién from Colombia, with nearly 34,000 fewer migrants compared to last year at this time.
He also said that on Sunday morning, 263 migrants were reported to have arrived in Lajas Blancas, while last year around 3,000 arrived.
It should be remembered that Panama and the United States signed an agreement in which the United States will finance the repatriation of migrants arriving from Colombia who do not have legal grounds to remain in the country. Ábrego said that U.S. support could possibly begin at the end of this month, but that Panama will continue to operate repatriation flights.
The Ministry of Education (Meduca), through a statement, alerted the teaching and administrative community about an inconsistency detected in the information processed for the payment of the second installment of the thirteenth month .
The educational institution indicated that they are currently working to correct the differences found and ensure that payment is made as soon as possible.
Meduca reported that it took disciplinary measures to prevent similar situations from happening again in the future. The institution assures that it is implementing the necessary corrections to rectify the errors and protect the correct management of the resources destined for the payment of this benefit.
He also asked for the understanding of those affected while the situation is being resolved and reiterated his commitment to transparency and precision in the management of educational funds.
The appointment of Dino Mon as director of the Social Security Fund (CSS) once again brings to the national stage the challenge of solving the entity’s problems in a comprehensive manner, stressed the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (Cciap).
In its weekly letter to the country, the business association recalled that the reforms to the CSS have essentially resulted in asking for more sacrifices from the insured, with the increase in the retirement age or the reduction of benefits.
“However, even though the discussion on the sustainability of the Disability, Old Age and Death (IVM) program is mandatory and urgent, this limited strategy has proven to be insufficient and, in many cases, has exacerbated distrust and discontent among the insured . The reality is that the solution cannot focus solely on increasing the burdens on them; here we are all going to have to make sacrifices,” the document states.
The Cciap highlights that the new director of the CSS, who must be ratified by the National Assembly, must lead a comprehensive transformation of an institution that can and must be better,
In this sense, the union argues that the future of the CSS cannot ignore the need to improve the quality of its services .
“Policy holders deserve quality, accessible and efficient medical care. This is not a luxury, it is a right. Long waits, lack of medicines and inefficiency in the provision of services not only affect the health of citizens, but also undermine confidence in the institution,” emphasizes the Cciap.
He also recalled that one of the most critical problems facing the country’s main social security entity is the lack of administrative efficiency. In addition, inefficient purchasing processes have led to shortages of essential medicines and medical equipment . He also noted that the fact that medicines are lost in warehouses should be punished with the full weight of the law, and that these processes need to be reviewed to ensure transparency.
“ The politicization of the CSS has been another significant obstacle to its proper functioning. The hiring of personnel influenced by politics and not by technical criteria and real need has seriously damaged the institution. The depoliticization of the CSS is essential for its recovery and strengthening. We need an administration that responds to the needs of the insured and not to political swings,” says the Chamber of Commerce.
The drought, combined with increased water consumption by the population, has put pressure on the supply of water resources for the Panama Canal and has affected the operation of the interoceanic route in the last year.
This was described by Salvatore Basile, Vice President of Corporate Affairs of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) , in a presentation at the XIII Symposium on Energy and Water Industries of the Panamanian Industries Union, in which he detailed the actions that the Panama Canal Authority has taken.
He said that due to the lower availability of water, there has been a decrease in transits through the interoceanic route in the last year and therefore economic income has been affected.
“From October 2023 to June 2024, we have had 8,227 transits versus 10,856 that were recorded for the same period in fiscal year 2023. And that is because this year we have had 30% less rainfall in the Canal’s watershed and therefore we have 30% less water,” he described.
He explained how they proceeded to reduce traffic and manage quotas in order to continue operating amid adverse circumstances.
“By having fewer transits, we invoice less and therefore we will deliver less income to the Nation. In fact, if you look at the history of the Panama Canal ‘s contributions from 2000 to 2023, the Panama Canal has delivered 25 billion dollars to the Nation in direct contributions and the contributions for the current year have always been higher than those for the previous year, but this year 2024, due to this problem, will be the first time that a lower amount will be delivered,” he explained.
This situation had already been estimated in the budget, so it was to be expected, Basile said, pointing out that the projections will be met.
He also explained that in 2023, 2.545 billion dollars were delivered and this year it will be around 2.480 billion dollars.
Despite this situation, he stressed that opportunities have also been created to change the business model and the way they were operating.
He described how the daily operation of the Canal was previously defined by the Vice-Presidency of Operations based on the availability of resources for transit. But now, due to the water crisis, this has been restructured and the decision on how many transits will pass is defined by the Vice-Presidency of Water Resources Administration.
At least three water treatment plants in the country will be operating at 50% of their capacity today Monday, August 12, due to preventive maintenance work, the National Water and Sewer Institute (IDAAN) reported in several press releases.
These are the water treatment plants of La Chorrera and Chame in West Panama and Bugaba (Chiriquí). For example, the work at the Jaime Díaz Quintero plant in La Chorrera will be carried out from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
While Chame will operate at 50% of its capacity from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm, the areas of Bejuco, Chame, Gorgona, Coronado, Punta Barco Nuevo and Punta Barco Viejo will be affected. Regarding the Santa Marta water treatment plant in Bugaba , maintenance work will be carried out from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and communities may experience low pressure or lack of supply, the institution reported.
anamanian boxer Atheyna Bylon participated, along with other members of the national delegation, in the closing parade of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games , displaying the silver medal that placed our country in the medal table.
Panamanians, dressed in red, happily participated in the parade that brought down the curtain on the Olympic event.
On social media, boxing coach Gustavo Caicedo posted a video with the Panama delegation. Gymnast Hillary Heron and sprinter Gianna Woodruff were in the Panama group.
In addition to the dedication and effort of its athletes, Panama says goodbye to Paris with a silver medal, which represents the fourth it has won in the Olympic Games.
The first Panamanian medals were won by runner Lloyd La Beach with two bronze medals at the 1948 London Olympics.
At the 2008 Beijing Games, Irving Saladino gave Panama the gold medal in the long jump.
Now in Paris 2924, Bylon became the first woman to bring the country an Olympic medal, winning silver in the 75-kilogram category of women’s boxing.