News
Thursday 26th June 2025.
June 25, 2025
An appeals court upheld the precautionary measure of periodic reporting and ordered the withdrawal of the passport of former chief of staff of the Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning (Miviot) José Ruiloba Pineda , nephew of the deputy of the Democratic Revolutionary Party Raúl Pineda , and ordered that the suspect be prohibited from approaching the Comptroller General of the Republic or Miviot within an investigation for the alleged commission of the crime of embezzlement.
The measures were imposed by the Superior Court of Appeals during a hearing held yesterday afternoon, Tuesday, at the request of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which held that Ruiloba Pineda could leave the country and avoid facing the investigation into him for allegedly committing embezzlement against Miviot.
Judges Raúl Leonel Urriola Caballero, Yilis Pittí, and Gustavo De Gracia considered that the measures applied in the first instance by a judge of guarantees are consistent with the needs of the case.
Ruiloba Pineda is subject to a precautionary measure requiring periodic reporting on the 15th and 30th of each month. This measure was imposed by a magistrate on June 17, when charges were brought against him for allegedly committing embezzlement against the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIVIOT).
The investigation began after the detection of duplicate check collections within Miviot related to the Aid Program, which were allegedly used to pay payroll.
In this case, there are 14 other people under investigation who allegedly received checks from that entity, but who did not perform specific functions.
The spreadsheet was directly linked to the Aid Program, which revealed inconsistencies involving large sums of money. Some of those implicated appeared as MIVIOT officials, but worked on community councils.
Ruiloba was also denounced in 2024 by former PRD representative Zulay Rodríguez for alleged irregularities in the handling of funds from the Techos de Esperanza Program, within which $2.5 million were handled and in which 2,288 people were named.
In 2020, Ruiloba was also sanctioned by the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (ANTAI) for engaging in conduct that affected the proper functioning of public services.
The Comptroller General’s Office and the Ministry of Education (Meduca) announced this Tuesday that they have begun a joint review of the records of unpaid leave granted to teachers who, according to reports, continued to work regularly during the recent teachers’ strike.
Comptroller General Anel Flores and Education Minister Lucy Molinar held a meeting to coordinate actions after detecting cases in which teachers appear in the system as beneficiaries of “unpaid leave due to investigation,” despite continuing to provide their services.
Both institutions explained that verification is based on official lists that Meduca progressively submits, which certify which educators remained in their positions. With this validated information, the payroll system is updated, and any corresponding payments or adjustments are made.
The Comptroller’s Office clarified that, due to technical limitations, the system summarizes all unpaid leave categories under a single heading on the public consultation platform. However, its internal system details the specific type of leave assigned to each teacher.
“This display difference does not represent a lack of transparency, but rather a technical limitation of the public consultation system,” the two organizations stated in a joint statement.
Both the Ministry of Education and the Comptroller’s Office reiterated that all teachers who have completed their workday will receive their salary in accordance with the law, and that any inconsistencies detected will be corrected, respecting the labor rights of educational staff.
Teachers have been on an indefinite strike since April 23 in protest of Law 462, which made changes to the Social Security Fund’s retirement system.
Since Donald Trump ‘s return to the White House on January 20, 2025, Panama has become a key focus of U.S. foreign policy. In just six months, three of the new Republican administration’s top officials have visited the country, demonstrating Washington’s renewed strategic interest in the region and, particularly, the Panama Canal .
The most recent arrival was Kristi Noem , Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security, who met with President José Raúl Mulino on Tuesday, June 24 , and participated in a public event with Security Minister Frank Ábrego . Her agenda in Panama focused on security and migration.
“The repatriation agreement we have with Panama is incredibly important. I want everyone to realize that this can be an example for other countries as well. That what Panama is doing here, with these flights and returning individuals to their home countries, can be perpetuated with other countries as well,” Noem stated.
According to official data, since July 1, 2024 , the date Mulino took office and the agreement was signed, 2,346 people have been deported. In fact , Noem, along with Minister Ábrego, witnessed the departure of a new group of deportees.
The Secretary of Security described Panama as “a key ally” in the “drastic” reduction in illegal immigration through the Darien Gap. However, she took advantage of her visit to the isthmus to insist on the need for the Canal to guarantee the free passage of US warships and auxiliary vessels. This message was not transmitted directly to Panamanian authorities, but rather posted on the X account of the US Embassy.
In April, it was Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ‘s turn , whose visit sparked a political storm. Hegseth signed a security memorandum of understanding with the Panamanian government that allows for a U.S. military presence in Panama, sparking a wave of criticism. Politicians, internationalists, and civil society organizations maintain that the document violates national sovereignty.
“This is an affront to sovereignty,” denounced former presidential candidate Ricardo Lombana . Former President Martín Torrijos was equally forceful: “No one denies that there can be fluid cooperation with the United States. What we refuse is to hand over Panamanian territory again for joint military installations, which is nothing more than accepting a foreign military presence in this country, which is prohibited.”
Both had their US visas revoked. Hegseth’s visit also prompted the resignation of Carlos Ruiz-Hernández as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, amid speculation that was interpreted according to various political interests.
The Land Transit and Transportation Authority (ATTT) issued a warning to the public about the circulation of fraudulent emails that appear to be traffic violation notifications, seeking personal information.
According to the organization, these messages could be a case of phishing , a type of digital fraud in which scammers impersonate public or private institutions to obtain confidential information.
The 311 User Protection Department has received multiple complaints about these emails, which mimic official ATTT notifications. In response, the agency urged citizens not to trust these messages and to report them immediately.
“If you receive one, report it immediately!” ATTT posted on its social media.
There are also text messages sent to cell phones asking the user to click on a link.
ATTT recommended paying attention to the following details to avoid falling for scams:
- Verify that the email is from an official domain ending in .gob.pa . The ATTT only uses official email addresses with this ending .
- Be suspicious of messages that insist on urgent action, such as clicking a link to bypass having your account locked.
- Be wary of suspicious links, spelling mistakes, or generic greetings like “Dear user.”
- What to do if you receive one?
- Do not click on the links or reply to the message.
- Delete it immediately.
- Report it to the official ATTT channel or 311.
- The entity reiterated its commitment to user digital security and urged them to remain vigilant against possible fraud attempts.
The Honduras national soccer team will be Panama’s next opponent in the 2025 Gold Cup quarterfinals . Honduras head coach Reinaldo Rueda , Colombian , described this match as a “great test,” believing they will face a well-established team.
Rueda made these statements after qualifying for the quarterfinals after beating Curaçao 2-1 on Tuesday night in the third matchday of Group B.
“It’s going to be difficult for everything. We know we’re facing a rival with a lot of respect and standing. One that has been on an upward trend for five years, with a potential for growth that the entire region and the whole world recognizes,” said Rueda , who is in his second stint with Honduras after qualifying for the 2010 World Cup .
“That motivates us to play a game with the same tactical intensity and intelligence to overcome them,” he added.
The Hondurans finished second in Group B with six points, trailing Canada by just one point, which remains at the top. Meanwhile, La Roja finished top of Group C, unbeaten in three matches and with a perfect record (9 points).
“It’s going to be a great test for us, facing an opponent with that maturity, that solidity, and that game concept,” Rueda reiterated.
“We’ve proven ourselves in qualifying, in the last Copa América. We’ve been very competitive and have made some very interesting tactical changes, with players who have matured significantly in international football. That’s going to be the big test for us, and hopefully we’ll have the wisdom and clear thinking to overcome them,” he added.
The National Energy Secretariat announced that, starting Friday, June 27 at 6:00 a.m. , new price caps for liquid fuels will apply throughout the country.
According to the agency, in the provinces of Panama and Colón, 95 and 91 octane gasoline will increase by $0.14 per gallon, costing $3.55 and $3.33 per gallon, respectively.
Diesel, meanwhile, will rise by $0.29 per gallon, reaching a price of $3.17.
These prices will be on the market until next Friday, July 11 at 5:59 am
This change, according to the entity in a press release, is due to the behavior of the international market over the past two weeks, marked by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that have driven up the prices of crude oil and its derivatives, particularly due to the risks associated with transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, they noted that the announcement of a partial cessation of hostilities caused a significant drop on June 23 and 24, which moderated the rise in final prices.