News
Thursday 15th August 2024.
August 14, 2024
President José Raúl Mulino and his American counterpart, Joe Biden , held a telephone conversation on Wednesday , August 14, in which they discussed a series of issues of bilateral and regional relevance.
Among the points discussed were the crisis in Venezuela, a concern shared by both leaders, and the complex situation of irregular immigration in the Darien region, a critical corridor between Panama and Colombia.
During the dialogue, Panama’s role as a strategic ally in the hemisphere was also highlighted, underlining the importance of continued cooperation between both countries to face common challenges and strengthen stability in the region.
The Presidency of the Republic reported that both regional leaders held a telephone conversation for approximately 11 minutes , in which they also committed to exploring a joint solution to the crisis in Venezuela.
In this regard, it was indicated that Biden recognized the leadership of Panama and its president in the search for a solution to the Venezuelan crisis, while thanking President Mulino for Panama’s role in the framework of dialogue in the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations.
“Panama has a huge historical debt with Venezuela,” Mulino reminded his American counterpart, referring to Panama’s active role in finding a solution to the institutional crisis in the South American country.
For his part, President Biden pledged to begin implementing the agreement in August that will launch repatriation flights for migrants arriving in Panama through the dangerous Darien jungle.
According to the memorandum of understanding signed by both countries, the financing of these operations will be provided by the United States, which reflects Washington ‘s commitment to support Panama in managing the migration crisis.
This step is seen as a significant advance in bilateral cooperation to address the challenges of irregular migration in the region, and is expected to help relieve pressure on the Panamanian immigration system, while strengthening security and control on the country’s southern border.
Last year, more than half a million migrants crossed the Darien jungle seeking to reach the United States.
Two unaccredited universities received funding from the Institute for Human Resources Development and Training (Ifarhu) as part of its financial aid programme .
These are the Pan-American University (Upam) and the Inter-American University of Distance Education of Panama (Uniedpa).
In the list of financial aid released last week by the Presidency of the Republic , it is stated that Ifarhu provided $23,446.50 so that four people could study at Upam. As for Uniedpa, the entity disbursed $54,753.44 to finance the studies of 11 people at said center.
The National Council for Evaluation and Accreditation of Universities of Panama (Coneaupa) denied the certification of institutional accreditation to Upam on February 6, 2013 , after an evaluation of the center found that it lacks “systematized” studies that support its academic offering, that 70% of its professors do not have higher education studies, that only 20% of the professors trained in research develop research projects, that there are no documents that support the job placement of its graduates and that the job manuals are not updated, among other anomalies.
Upam requested accreditation again, but on September 28, 2021 , Coneaupa considered that it still did not meet the established requirements.
Uniedpa was not so lucky either. Coneaupa denied it institutional accreditation certification on three occasions: on December 12, 2012 , on November 17, 2015 , and on June 22, 2023. The reasons were: the lack of market studies to support its curricular policies, the absence of a guide to update the study plans that do not contemplate technological advances or science, the lack of procedures for the management of teachers, the majority of teachers without higher education studies, the nonexistence of teacher training programs, the lack of an adequate academic record of students’ grades, and the absence of manuals of administrative and academic functions, among other aspects. Ifarhu disbursed the aid between 2016 and 2022, when it was already known that both universities lacked academic accreditation.
Gone are the days when Etelvina Medianero de Bonagas , rector of the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Unachi), went to the Budget Committee of the National Assembly to request transfers of funds or additional credits and was only questioned by one deputy. These were days when the steamroller of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) and its allies looked after her, supported her and, without problems, approved the millions requested.
This Wednesday, August 14, 2024, that changed. This story could be titled: The day the Budget Commission rebelled against Etelvina. The rector was forced to answer tough questions about the juicy bonuses that university staff receive, the controversial calculations to calculate the seniority bonus, the poor budget execution and even cases of nepotism in the institution.
In this last aspect, Medianero de Bonagas even admitted that there are family clans at Unachi. There are 20 couples of appointed teachers, who in turn also have husbands, wives, sons, daughters-in-law working at the main state university in the province of Chiriquí.
When Deputy Jonathan Vega , from the independent Vamos party, who represents circuit 4-5 (Boquete, Dolega and Gualaca, Chiriquí), asked her about the matter, the rector gave the floor to one of the Unachi officials who accompanied her.
“Historically, the Bonagas administration inherited spouses who work within the university, who applied through a database. If we look at the number, we can say that there are about 20 couples who are teachers , on average,” the administrator responded.
Deputy Vega also asked if those 20 couples have named sons, daughters and other relatives.
“Yes,” the Unachi official replied. The deputy then asked again: “ Unachi has become a family business, right?”
The principal lowered her gaze and, sadly, simply said “yes.”
The rector also admitted that she has a niece from El Salvador working at Unachi. This is Miriam Colato , who earns a salary of $2,900. She said that her niece “has been working for more than 30 years. All she needs is her nationality.”
Osman Gómez, a deputy for the Alianza party, even asked the Comptroller General of the Republic to carry out a forensic audit of Unachi.
The first questions to the rector were about the period she has been working at Unachi. In this regard, she answered that she arrived at the university in 1978, so she has been with the institution for 47 years. She has been serving as rector for three periods. She started earning $380 and currently receives a monthly payment of $14,000.
Medianero de Bonagas went to the Budget Committee to request transfers of funds. One was for $600,500 and the other amounted to 259,706. The purpose? to pay bonuses and seniority bonuses for administrative and teaching staff at the university.
However, the rector left empty-handed. After multiple questions, the deputies rejected her request.
Once again, the lack of evidence was the escape valve for the Supreme Court of Justice to decide to shelve a criminal complaint against a deputy. This time it was the Bocas del Toro deputy of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) Benicio Robinson , accused of allegedly committing the crime of money laundering.
Through edict No. 893, posted on Wednesday, August 13, in the office of the Supreme Court of Justice, the parties are informed of the decision taken by the plenary session of this corporation; it was under the report of magistrate Carlos Vásquez and had the abstention of magistrate María Cristina Chen Stanziola.
The decision of the full Court to dismiss the complaint against Robinson is based on articles 487 and 488 of the Code of Criminal Procedure .
The first of them states that complaints or lawsuits against a deputy will be filed in the Court’s secretariat. Meanwhile, article 488 states that “when there are not sufficient merits to continue the criminal or police case, the Plenary will state this in a reasoned resolution and order its archiving.”
The complaint against Robinson was filed by former deputy and former party member Zulay Rodríguez for the alleged commission of crimes against the economic order in the form of money laundering and crimes against the National Treasury. The complaint also covered the alleged commission of the crime of embezzlement, document forgery and illicit association.
The complaint alleges that Robinson is in charge of managing a company called Transporte y Edificaciones del Atlántico, which has held a concession since 2013 to supply gravel and sand to projects being developed in the province of Bocas del Toro and which did not declare its profits.
To analyze the sustainability and profitability of the Panama Canal , the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino , met this Wednesday, August 14, with the Board of Directors of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) .
The president announced that the issue of building a new reservoir on the Indio River will be presented next year, after a new Social Security law is approved and a solution is found to the problem of the Donoso mine.
“I hope that the Canal issue will pass in calm waters, without hostility,” said the president at the meeting with the board of directors of the interoceanic waterway, which will celebrate 110 years of operation this Thursday, August 15.
During the discussion held in the Paz Room of the Palacio de las Garzas, alternatives were analyzed for a recomposition of the hydrographic basin of the interoceanic Canal, with the aim of establishing a freshwater reservoir in the Indio River, in addition to the measures applied to improve the water supply for the operation and for the population.