Monday

Monday 3rd February 2025.

February 2, 2025

 

The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, met for more than half an hour with the Secretary of State of the United States (US), Marco Rubio, at the Palacio de Las Garzas, as part of his official agenda for his tour of Latin America.

After this, Mulino and Rubio held a meeting with representatives of Panama and the United States.

Present at the meeting on behalf of Panama were the Minister of Canal Affairs, José Ramón Icaza ; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Javier Martínez-Acha ; the Minister of Economy and Finance, Felipe Chapman ; the Minister of Security, Frank Ábrego ; and the Vice-Chancellor, Carlos Ruiz-Hernández .

In addition to José Miguel Alemán , Panama’s ambassador in Washington and presidential advisers Alberto Alemán Zubieta , Aníbal Galindo and Santiago Fascetto .

Representing the United States were Michael Kozak , assistant negotiator of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties; John Barrett , chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Panama; Michael Anton , director of policy planning; spokeswoman Tammy Bruce ; and Michael Needham , counselor

Rubio is leading a delegation of special envoys from U.S. President Donald Trump to address various regional issues, but in the case of Panama, the administration of the Canal will be the most relevant point of the tour.

This comes after more than a month of diplomatic tensions between the two nations, after Trump expressed last December his intention to regain control of the Panama Canal, alleging alleged Chinese influence in the administration of the maritime route and the toll rates for using the waterway.


Panama will not renew the memorandum of understanding, called The Silk Road , signed with China in November 2017, under the administration of former President Juan Carlos Varela (2014-2019) .

This was confirmed by President José Raúl Mulino , after his meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and representatives of the US government.

For his part, Rubio – in a message posted on his social network – made it clear that “the United States cannot and will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to continue its effective and growing control over the Panama Canal area. We also discussed efforts to end the hemisphere’s mass migration crisis and ensure fair competition for American companies.”

The memorandum promoted the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” between the two countries, with the aim of promoting the exchange of goods, technology, capital and personnel.

In addition to “improving policy coordination and deepening mutually beneficial and practical cooperation, and mutual learning among civilizations.”

According to paragraph II of the memorandum, both China and Panama would cooperate in policy communication , infrastructure connection , trade flow , circulation of funds and the union of the wills of the people .

The memorandum, according to its terms, is renewable every three years and is automatically extended for another three years unless terminated by either party.

From this point, the memorandum has been renewed twice: 2020 and 2023.

It is not yet known when Mulino will notify the Chinese government of his decision to abandon the memorandum.


The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino , announced that he has opened considerations for the technical team of the Panama Canal to hold talks with the United States, with the aim of clarifying any concerns of the American president Donald Trump about his accusations of an alleged influence of the Chinese government on the interoceanic route.

Mulino’s statements were made during his meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which he described as “highly respectful and cordial.”

He also revealed that he will wait for the audits of the Panama Ports Company (PPC) , which began on January 20, to be completed, since in his opinion, he believes that “everything related to the alleged Chinese presence in the Canal is more related to the port issue.”

For his part, Rubiom made it clear in a press release issued after the meeting that “this status quo is unacceptable and that, in the absence of immediate changes, it would require the United States to take the necessary measures to protect its rights under the Treaty.”

Rubio’s visit comes after more than a month of diplomatic tensions between the two nations, after Trump expressed last December his intention to regain control of the Panama Canal, alleging alleged Chinese influence in the administration of the maritime route and the toll rates for using the waterway.


The deputies of the Labor, Health and Social Development Commission of the National Assembly continue without reaching a consensus around key points of the third block of reforms to the Social Security Fund (CSS) , specifically regarding the possible increase in the retirement age.

Despite constant discussions and negotiations, positions within the commission remain divided, with some MPs defending the maintenance of the current system, while others advocate gradual adjustments. The debate, which has been going on for the week, reflects the complexity of the issue.

The deputy of the Vamos coalition and vice president of the Commission on Labor, Health and Social Development, Yarelis Rodríguez, stressed that the issue is still under discussion and depends on the consensus reached among the members of the commission.

“We are analyzing the articles; it will probably be decided between Monday and Tuesday, although I am not sure if it will be on Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning,” she explained. However, she assured that the decision will not be made later than those days.

Regarding the discussion on whether blocks three and four would be dealt with together or separately, the deputy mentioned that, at some point, it had been considered to unify them to speed up the process, but stressed that they will continue the discussion block by block.

“What we are preparing is to finish the third block first, since it contains too much material. Then we will move on to the fourth,” she explained. For her, the third block is the most complex, since it covers the entire system and the proposed reforms.

Delving into the most difficult articles of this block, the deputy pointed out that the main modifications have to do with the structuring of the pension system. “It is the most complicated, because options such as the solidarity system, the mixed system or a new model must be defined,” she commented.

One of the most controversial points remains the increase in the retirement age, which is included in the third block. On this issue, several parties have presented their positions. The ruling party Realizing Goals has proposed a gradual increase in the retirement age, which is being considered in the discussions.

The MP, who is part of the Vamos bench, was also clear in expressing her political group’s position on the increase in the retirement age. “We, as a bench, have already voted and our position is clear: we are not in favour of increasing the retirement age,” she stressed.

Other factions, such as the Democratic Revolutionary Party, have also expressed their opposition to raising the retirement age.

Regarding the progress of the discussion, the deputy assured that the commission met this weekend to try to reach a consensus. However, she acknowledged that the positions are very divided. “Some say that the mixed system should be eliminated, others propose strengthening it and there are those who are in favor of increasing the retirement age,” she indicated.

For her, the most difficult debates are in the first articles of the third block. Despite the differences, she is confident that consensus will be reached in this block, which will allow progress to the next one. “It is a complex issue, because we are going to define what type of system will be the most appropriate,” she concluded.


Starting today, Monday, the pharmacies of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) will begin to offer 20 medications with discounts ranging from 30% to 80% of their original price.

This measure seeks to facilitate access to essential medicines for the Panamanian population, according to the Minister of Health, Fernando Boyd Galindo, who stressed that this initiative will contribute to improving the economic situation of citizens, allowing them to acquire drugs at more affordable prices.

The list includes key medicines for the treatment of chronic, cardiovascular, respiratory diseases, among others. In addition, the minister announced that in the future more medicines will be added to this offer with reduced prices.

Some of the medications included in this list are:

  • Amlodipine (5 mg) Atenolol (100 mg) Enalapril (20 mg) Ibuprofen (400 mg)mParacetamol (500 mg) Salbutamol (100 mcg per inhalation) Metformin (850 mg) Azithromycin (500 mg) Ciprofloxacin (500 mg) Fluoxetine (20 mg)  Clarithromycin (500 mg)

The process to allow small pharmacies to sell medicines at low cost is still ongoing.

Boyd Galindo acknowledged that implementing this measure will take time. According to him, the National Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs of the Minsa , together with other directorates of the institution, is working intensively to ensure that smaller pharmacies can access medicines at the same cost as the State, allowing for a more equitable distribution.

In an exclusive interview with La Prensa, Boyd Galindo explained that the goal is not only to reduce prices, but also to guarantee the sustainability of the pharmaceutical sector. “We are developing a system of regulated prices that allows pharmacies to operate with a fair profit margin, without passing on excessive costs to patients,” he said.

One of the pillars of this plan is to provide small pharmacies with access to prices negotiated by the Minsa through public tenders carried out in collaboration with the Social Security Fund (CSS) . On this point, Boyd Galindo explained: “We are working with many entities at the same time, including the Directorate of Medicines, the Directorate of Pharmacy and Drugs and the Directorate of Finance, so that the prices that the ministry obtains through tenders are also transferred to the country’s small pharmacies.”


A judge in Darien province charged and ordered the arrest of three Colombians for crimes against the environment, while seven Panamanians, also linked to the case, were given precautionary measures requiring periodic reporting. All were arrested for operating five illegal mining camps linked to the Clan del Golfo .

During a hearing held on Saturday night, the court decided to maintain the detention of the Colombian citizens, considering that they are part of a criminal network allegedly linked to the Gulf Clan and dedicated to illegal mining.

At the same hearing, the prosecution appealed the judge’s decision to grant precautionary measures to the seven Panamanians, so the appeal hearing will take place on February 11.

According to investigations, illegal mining operated by the Clan del Golfo on the border between Colombia and Panama generates approximately $8 million annually for this criminal organization.

The defendants were arrested by the National Border Service (Senafront) while they were operating the camps near the Mangle River, in Altos del Tuira, Darién province.

Intelligence reports from Senafront indicate that the group dismantled in Panama belongs to the Efraín Vargas Gutiérrez front of the Clan del Golfo and follows the orders of José Vega Alvarán, alias “Monsignor.”

This group not only controls illegal gold mining, but also migrant and drug trafficking in the Darien region.

The director of Senafront, Jorge Gobea, described the Clan del Golfo as one of the main threats to security and stressed that dismantling its operations on the Darien border is a priority objective for the entity.

Gobea warned that the Clan del Golfo operates as a criminal structure on both sides of the border, directly intervening in the logistics of migrant trafficking, drugs and illegal mining. He also stated that the organization maintains multiple contacts in Panama and that Senafront has captured several of its members, who have been prosecuted for various crimes.


 

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