News
Thursday 24th July 2025.
July 23, 2025
The non-statute of limitations for crimes against public administration is back on the public agenda. Representative Roberto Zúñiga , leader of the Vamos party, presented a draft bill to the full National Assembly to ensure that crimes such as embezzlement, unjustified enrichment, corruption of public officials, extortion, bribery, influence peddling, fraud, and others, never have a statute of limitations in Panama.
That is, they can be investigated and punished regardless of how many years have passed since they were committed.
The proposal includes reforms to the Penal Code to declare all crimes related to acts of corruption committed by public officials or individuals that have affected state funds or property “imprescriptible.”
Furthermore, the penalties for these crimes are being sought to be increased. Benefits such as community service or house arrest would no longer be permitted for those who commit these serious crimes.
In many cases, alternative sentences would be eliminated to ensure that those convicted serve prison sentences. Even suspended sentences or parole for these crimes would be restricted. Furthermore, disqualification from holding public office would be made mandatory for those convicted of corruption.
Currently, Panamanian law establishes statutes of limitations that, in many cases, prevent current or former officials from being prosecuted after a certain period of time has elapsed, resulting in a long list of cases closed without any penalties.
For example, those investigated in the Odebrecht case were not prosecuted for corruption because, precisely, this crime had expired.
According to the document presented this week, the initiative seeks to close the gaps in impunity and protect state assets. “Corruption cannot continue to be rewarded with oblivion,” the explanatory statement states. This part of the proposal emphasizes that eliminating the statute of limitations would strengthen the fight against corruption and bolster citizen confidence in institutions.
The draft also warns that, since these are crimes that directly affect the public interest, they should receive stricter legal treatment. This idea has been raised on other occasions, but has so far failed to become law.
If approved, the measure would not be retroactive; that is, it would apply only to crimes committed after the law came into effect. However, it could have a significant symbolic and political impact: a clear message that corruption will no longer have an expiration date in the courts.
The bill must be discussed in the Government Committee before moving to the legislative session. However, the Assembly has not yet established its working committees due to disagreements between the legislative groups.
The Third Administrative Litigation Chamber of the Court admitted a nullity claim filed against Resolution No. 45 of May 30, 2025, of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Mici), which establishes a plan for the preservation and safe management of the Cobre Panamá mine and allows the mining company to dispose of the copper concentrate.
Under the ruling of Judge Cecilio Cedalise, the Third Chamber admitted a lawsuit filed by attorney Roberto Ruíz Díaz seeking to annul the resolution issued by the Ministry of the Interior (MICI).
On July 18, the Third Chamber requested that Justice Julio Moltó submit a report on the scope and purposes of the May 3, 2025, resolution and granted him five days to submit his response to the complaint filed by Ruiz Díaz.
The lawsuit is directly directed against Section F of the aforementioned decree, which allows the transfer and disposal of copper concentrate found at the mine facilities.
The lawsuit alleges that Minera Panamá cannot dispose of the copper concentrate found in the deposits, since it would need a concession for metallic mining to do so, but that Law 407, currently in force, prohibits this type of activity.
Ruiz Díaz, who filed the lawsuit, argues that the Third Chamber of the Court must clarify the legality of the portion of the resolution issued by Mici that allows Cobre Panamá to dispose of the copper concentrate. According to the company, these actions will be financed by the export of 121,000 dry metric tons of copper concentrate stored on site.
The plan is being implemented by First Quantum Minerals , under the supervision of more than ten institutions, including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MICI), the Ministry of Environment (Mi Ambiente), the Ministry of Security, the Ministry of Energy (SEP), the Public Ministry, the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES), and the Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development (Mitradel).
Also in January 2025, the process of removing 7,960 tons of ammonium nitrate, an extremely explosive compound, from the Cobre Panamá mine began.
The Third Administrative and Labor Litigation Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice declared null and void – due to illegality – a ruling by the Integrity and Transparency Tribunal , by which the fifteenth civil judge Lina Castro de León was sanctioned following a complaint filed by former President Ernesto Pérez Balladares , after said judge rejected a lawsuit by the former president against the newspaper La Prensa .
In a ruling dated July 21, Judges Cecilio Cedalise, Carlos Vásquez, and María Cristina Chen Stanziola —unanimously—declared that the sanction imposed by the Integrity and Transparency Tribunal on Judge De León had expired, as the deadline for filing the complaint had expired.
The Integrity and Transparency Tribunal sanctioned Judge Castro, finding that she committed serious misconduct in the processing of the civil lawsuit filed by Pérez Balladares against the newspaper La Prensa for allegedly committing a crime against honor.
The lawsuit filed by Pérez Balladares alleged that Judge Castro unduly delayed the ruling on the lawsuit filed against La Prensa , since it was filed on March 19, 2012, and a ruling was issued in June 2023.
The first-instance ruling sanctioned Judge Castro with a 15-day suspension of salary payments, which was also upheld in the second-instance ruling.
However, in ruling on Judge Castro’s motion for annulment before the Third Chamber, the judges acknowledged that Pérez Balladares’ complaint was time-barred.
According to the ruling of the Third Chamber, Judge Castro had until the end of 2021 to issue a decision in the case proposed by Pérez Balladares against La Prensa , and from that date, the former president’s lawyers had a period of one year to file a complaint against the judge, but said action was filed on June 23, 2023.
The ruling holds that in this case, the Integrity and Transparency Tribunal lacked the authority to investigate the sanctioned judicial official and that a clear violation of criminal procedure had occurred.
Pérez Balladares filed a civil suit against La Prensa for $5.5 million in alleged damages stemming from a series of publications about a money laundering case.
Judge Castro exonerated La Prensa and ordered Pérez Balladares to pay $581,000 for the costs of the case.
Castro was appointed as a substitute judge, Ángela Russo, on November 26, 2024, by President José Raúl Mulino .
The General Management of the Agricultural Development Bank (BDA) ordered the temporary closure and merger of twelve branches nationwide as part of a restructuring process aimed at ensuring the bank’s operational and financial sustainability.
The decision, published in Resolution No. 17-2025 on July 22, is made under Law 17 of April 21, 2015, and in compliance with Cabinet Resolution No. 57 of June 10, 2025, which establishes a plan to adjust the General State Budget . It responds to the need to contain public spending and maximize the use of available resources.
According to the regulations, the branches that will temporarily close are: Aguadulce and Antón (Coclé); Renacimiento and Volcán (Chiriquí); Pedasí and La Villa de Los Santos (Los Santos); Panama (Panama province); and Los Ruices, Soná, San Francisco, Montijo, and Mariato (Veraguas). Additionally, the Panama regional headquarters will be relocated to the Chepo branch.
The acting General Manager of the BDA, Francisco Mejía, emphasized that this measure does not imply a reduction in the bank’s commitment to the country’s producers, but rather seeks to strengthen the bank’s focus on its mission to support micro and small agricultural producers through a more agile and sustainable structure.
The closure and merger of the branches follows President José Raúl Mulino’s announcement on July 1 of a restructuring process for this entity, which will be under the supervision of the National Bank of Panama.
Mulino had warned in February of this year that the BDA was a burden that generated expenses and losses for the State.
Two people were killed, one missing, and several injured after a collision between two boats near San Cristóbal Island, south of Colón Island, in the province of Bocas del Toro.
The accident occurred around 8:00 pm on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, between the boats Niña N°2 and Epic Treap.
According to the National Aeronaval Service (Senan) , this Wednesday they managed to rescue about 18 people, of whom three were rushed to the Guillermo Sánchez Hospital on Isla Colón.
The rescue was carried out aboard the institution’s vessel BPC-3261.
SENAN agents continue their search for the missing foreigner.
The National Energy Secretariat announced the new fuel prices, which will be effective starting this Friday, July 25, until 5:59 a.m. next Friday, August 8.
According to the official statement, 95-octane gasoline remains at 0.92 cents per liter , while 91-octane gasoline remains at 0.87 cents per liter.
On the other hand, low-sulfur diesel increases by one cent, reaching 0.86 cents per liter .
The Ministry of Energy updates these values every two weeks, taking into account fluctuations in the international oil and petroleum products market.