Monday
Monday 7th July 2025.
July 6, 2025
The Ministry of Education (Meduca) announced this Sunday the opening of disciplinary proceedings against teachers who persist in political activities during this strike and fail to return to their duties, amid a critical period for the national education system.
“We are living through crucial times for the future of the country’s education system,” said Education Minister Lucy Molinar . She explained that the stance adopted is driven by the need to return the education system to its fundamental mission: serving students and strengthening their comprehensive education.
“We have spent a decade on political adventures that distract us from the institution’s most important mission, which is to care for students and develop better citizens for the country,” Molinar stated. Therefore, the Ministry of Education maintains that it is time to set a precedent that guarantees teachers’ commitment to the task of education.
The Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) celebrated the return of thousands of teachers to the classroom and expressed its support for principals who need staff committed to education. “Everyone who has returned is teaching, and anyone who wants to return will be welcomed with open arms,” Molinar stated.
However, he emphasized that those who persist in political activities instead of returning to their duties face disciplinary proceedings, as it is vital to normalize the system and prioritize student well-being and learning . “The education system must serve education, not other interests,” he concluded.
On Sunday , July 6, Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro attributed a key role to former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009–2014) in the rise to power of President José Raúl Mulino .
“If it weren’t for Ricardo Martinelli, José Raúl Mulino, and this guy here, we probably wouldn’t be in office. I’m very grateful to Ricardo Martinelli,” Navarro said on the program Debate Abierto , referring to the former president’s role in the 2024 elections.
Navarro emphasized that Martinelli “helped the country achieve a democratic election and a democratic transition,” but emphasized that that stage has already been completed. In his opinion, what’s needed now is to close ranks around the government.
Navarro reiterated that the bond between the two leaders remains crucial: “Martinelli is Mulino, and Mulino remains Martinelli. I think that without Martinelli, there would have been no Mulino, and without Mulino, there would have been no possibility of Martinelli having a great government like the one President Mulino is trying to build, against all odds.”
He stated that the president has taken over a country in disarray and is making “difficult decisions,” even if they come at a high political cost.
From his position as former party leader, Navarro called for an end to social confrontation and respect for the constitutional order. “We must stop the shouting, the violence, the street closures, the disaster, the anarchy; and we must work together to put the country back in order. That’s where you’ll find me and President Mulino,” he said.
He added that the country needs conditions to attract investment and generate employment, and that this begins, he said, with “respecting the Constitution and the law, which mandates and establishes that there must be free movement.”
Finally, Navarro condemned the street closures as a form of protest. “They cannot be accepted. The closures are violence. Streets cannot be closed; that is violence,” he emphasized. He clarified that the right to demonstrate is guaranteed in the Constitution, but so is freedom of movement. “We cannot use the Constitution when we like it and discard it when we don’t. The Constitution and the law must be upheld,” he concluded.
They have denied it. Deputies from the Vamos coalition , the Democratic Change (CD) party , and the Panameñista party rejected statements by the Comptroller General of the Republic, Anel Flores , who had claimed that a businessman offered money on these buses to change votes prior to the legislative elections on July 1.
That day, the National Assembly witnessed everything from a five-hour delay in the start of the session to last-minute meetings in an Assembly cafeteria , where several deputies targeted Comptroller General Flores’s participation, asking for votes for Shirley Castañedas , the candidate of the ruling Realizing Goals (RM) party .
The comptroller has argued the opposite: that money was used to vote for the Panamanian candidate, Jorge Herrera, supported by several groups that identified themselves as opposition.
Deputy Augusto Tuto Palacios, of the Vamos coalition, reacted to the comptroller’s initial accusations: “On behalf of the 18 deputies of the [Vamos] party, I can assure the Panamanian public that these accusations are not true (…) they are totally false ,” the deputy told TVN.
Francisco Panchito Brea, a Panamanian deputy, and Eduardo Vásquez , a CD deputy elected as first vice president of the Legislature, as part of the so-called ‘opposition list ‘ , also distanced themselves .
“I’m proud of the five CD deputies who decided to help the country. None of them received financial support or anything similar . Since last year, the bag-slinging has stopped. This is an Assembly that doesn’t run on money,” Vásquez noted, joining forces to reject Comptroller Flores’s remarks.
“The basis of the agreement between the different factions is based on institutional strengthening and transparency. The comptroller should not perceive us as enemies (…) These types of issues, bag-busting and so on, a clean slate, we move on, I believe lack credibility ,” said the Panamanian member, Brea.
After the exchange of accusations, Brea called for conciliation, something for which there are recent precedents between the Comptroller’s Office and the Legislature.
‘Battalioner’ and ‘abuser’ were some of the adjectives exchanged by Comptroller Flores and the former president of the Assembly, Dana Castañeda , after an audit that the Comptroller’s Office carried out on the Legislature as a measure to eradicate the so-called ‘ bottle ‘ officials between April and May of this year.
Despite the insults, tensions between the two government entities subsequently eased . Flores reportedly even resumed talks on good terms with Castañeda on July 1, according to various deputies and political leaders who publicly stated that.
That’s right, Honorable.
Why are the Comptroller, his advisor Anria, Dana Castañeda, and Shirley in the National Assembly’s kitchenette?
Comptroller, respect the decisions of the First Organ of the State. Defend the interests of the country, not those of the government.
— Juan Diego Vásquez (@JDVasquezGut)
The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) reviewed the first year of management of the Executive Branch , the Legislative Branch , and local governments, making a firm call to combat clientelism.
“We’re sending a clear message to the National Assembly: the country is tired of the ‘what’s in it for me?'” the business association emphasized in its Sunday statement.
The CCIAP stated that Panama needs representatives who think of the common good and legislate responsibly, “not with petty interests.” “The legislative function must serve the country, not itself,” it added.
The union recognized some concrete advances that should not be overlooked in this first year of José Raúl Mulino’s administration . Among them, he mentioned the reorganization of public finances, “firm steps” toward fiscal discipline, a head-on approach to the structural crisis at the Social Security Fund (CSS) , and a more transparent and accountable management approach.
In the health sector, the organization highlighted clear signs of progress, such as a reduction in surgical backlogs, improved medication supply, the digitalization of medical records, and the reactivation of hospital projects.
Regarding tourism—considered a key pillar of the economy—he noted that a “solid recovery” has been seen during 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.
“We value the efforts to strengthen air connectivity, attract international events, and position Panama as an authentic and competitive destination. This momentum must be sustained, strengthened, and multiplied. Tourism generates employment, energizes regions, and projects our image to the world,” he stated.
The CCIAP recalled that, from the outset, it was aware that the path on these issues would be “uphill.”
“Therefore, this recognition does not mean complacency. Quite the contrary: the country’s demands are higher than ever. Panama needs bold decisions and concrete actions. Panamanians are tired of decades of excuses,” he added.
However, the union acknowledged that there are still outstanding issues that must be urgently addressed. One of them is education, which it described as “the country’s great historical debt.”
According to business leaders, it is essential to modernize the school curriculum to connect young people with the real demands of the workplace. At the same time, they consider it urgent to correct the serious infrastructure deficiencies affecting hundreds of schools.
Regarding public management, the CCIAP warned that inefficient bureaucracy persists, stifling both citizens and entrepreneurs.
“A radical transformation is required, leveraged by technology, that eliminates the discretion of public officials, streamlines procedures, and restores dignity to public service,” he maintains.
In the judicial sphere, he noted that 429 complaints have been filed for alleged crimes against state assets, half of them related to so-called parallel decentralization.
“This cannot be the end point, but rather the starting point. We demand that this be taken to the bottom, no matter who falls. State resources are not political spoils: they belong to the people, and no one has the right to steal them. The country demands real justice, not impunity disguised as due process,” he said.
On Wednesday, in Strasbourg, the European Parliament must decide whether to remove Panama and other nations from the list of high-risk countries for money laundering.
Last week, a group of European political parties submitted draft motions to Parliament proposing to reject the European Commission ‘s resolution—or Delegated Act —which last June recommended excluding Panama and Gibraltar from its list of jurisdictions at high risk of money laundering and terrorist financing, while also including Venezuela, among other countries.
In response to the intentions of some parties to reject the European Commission’s proposal, Panama’s ambassador to the bloc, Ángel Riera , sent a letter to the European Parliament urging recognition of the country’s progress in removing itself from this list, which he described as discriminatory.
“I am writing to respectfully urge you to support the Delegated Act proposed by the European Commission on June 10, 2025, which seeks to remove our country from the EU list of high-risk third countries, as part of its fight against money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). Remaining on this list remains a source of deep concern for my country. This situation fails to recognize the important reforms and concrete progress we have made in aligning with international AML/CFT standards, particularly those established by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and in accordance with the benchmarks established by the European Union,” the diplomat stated in the letter, which was obtained by the newspaper La Prensa .