News
Thursday 29th May 2025.
May 28, 2025
The Cabinet Council set a maximum amount that institutions can use during the state of emergency declared Tuesday in the province of Bocas del Toro.
The established amount is up to $10 million, allowing ministries and institutions to enter into special contracts for the execution of works, acquisition of goods, and provision of services, at “duly justified” market prices.
“Each legal representative of the corresponding ministry or public entity shall be responsible for their actions or omissions,” states Cabinet Resolution No. 48 of May 27, published this Wednesday in the Official Gazette .
Entities have until December 31st to make use of these special contracts, the date on which the state of emergency expires.
The High-Level Commission will be responsible for coordinating the requesting ministries and entities, with the support of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
This commission is made up of the following ministers: Juan Carlos Orillac, of the Presidency; Jackeline Muñóz, of Labor; Julio Moltó, of Commerce and Industry; Roberto Linares, of Agricultural Development; Fernando Boyd, of Health; Frank Alexis Ábrego, of Public Security; and Gloria de León Zubieta, administrator of the Panama Tourism Authority.
The commission will address the crisis in Bocas del Toro following the strike by the Banana Industry Workers Union (Sitraibana), protesting Law 462, which reforms the Social Security Fund, arguing that it conflicts with Law 45, which governs its social security system. The strike was declared illegal by a labor court on May 16, a decision currently under appeal. Meanwhile, the banana company Chiquita Panama announced it will lay off nearly 5,000 workers and the temporary suspension of its operations in the country.
A group of police officers arrived at noon on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at the Bolivian embassy in Panama, where the general secretary of the Single Union of Construction Workers (Suntracs) , Saúl Méndez , is currently taking refuge .
The police officers arrived on an institution bus and immediately positioned themselves around the diplomatic headquarters.
“He’s doing quite well, waiting for his situation to be finally decided, and that’s what we’re working on,” said Yamir Córdoba, the union’s organizing secretary, who visited the leader earlier.
Méndez took refuge in the Bolivian embassy in Panama in the early hours of Wednesday, May 21. He jumped the fence, knocked on the door, and handed a note to the diplomatic chargé d’affaires, Carlos Javier Suárez Cornejo .
On the same day, the Second Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime issued arrest warrants for Méndez. They also issued arrest warrants for another group of Suntracs leaders, including Genaro López, the organization’s former secretary general.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the arrest warrants are for alleged crimes of aggravated fraud, money laundering, criminal association, document forgery, and malfeasance.
The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) directly contracted the U.S. firm Checkmate Government Relations , which is linked to Donald Trump Jr.’s entourage, for a total of $1.2 million.
The six-month contract aims to facilitate negotiations with U.S. officials and decision-makers at a time when Panama has been repeatedly questioned by the White House and other authorities, alleging alleged Chinese control of Canal operations and violations of the canal’s neutrality treaty.
The contract was arranged directly with Charles Ches McDowell IV, manager of Checkmate Government Relations and a personal friend of Don Jr., the personal son of President Donald Trump.
U.S. lobbyists are required to register with the Department of Justice any representation, public relations, propaganda, or lobbying they carry out on behalf of a foreign government, in compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
According to FARA records located by La Prensa , the firm reported that it officially represents the AMP and will receive $195,000 per month for six months.
According to the FARA filing, Ches McDowell’s firm will provide consulting services on government communications and advocacy strategies, focusing on key stakeholders in the U.S. Congress and the executive branch, particularly on maritime and logistics issues.
Luis Roquebert , the AMP administrator, confirmed the hiring in Washington to La Prensa , but did not specify what criteria were used to select the firm or the scope of the work assigned to Checkmate.
It is unknown when this contract was signed, but documents show that contacts between McDowell and Roquebert had already taken place on April 6, 2025.
The following day, April 7, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth landed in Panama for a visit that took him to tour the Miraflores Locks and the former Sherman Air Force Base, and to sign a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation.
And 22 days earlier, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) , chaired by Louis Sola , opened a consultation period among users of the Panama Canal and six other major shipping routes to determine whether there are restrictions, practices, or regulations that create unfavorable conditions for international trade. The outcome of this consultation could lead to sanctions.
Sola, the FMC president, has echoed the White House narrative about Chinese dominance in the Panama Canal and Panamanian ports. Sola also has economic interests in Panama, as he intends to develop a private marina on lands granted by the Panamanian state on Perico Island, Amador.
American media outlets highlight that McDowell has managed to expand his political influence at the federal level thanks to his closeness to the Trump family.
His relationship with Don Jr. dates back to the months leading up to the November 2016 election (which Trump won), and they have maintained personal and political ties ever since, particularly through sport hunting.
McDowell presents himself as a far-reaching political operator in North Carolina, where he was a key figure in the local legislature.
In his new role in Washington, he has recruited as partners Chris LaCivita Jr. , son of a top Trump campaign strategist, and Jackson Hines, nephew of the wife of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The San Miguelito Superior Prosecutor’s Office continued this Wednesday, May 28, with the presentation of evidence linking Samuel Hudson to the disappearance of Aderlyn Llerena, whose whereabouts have been unknown since September 13, 2022.
During the trial, which is taking place at the facilities of the Plaza Fortuna Accusatory Criminal System, prosecutors Moisés Tuñón and Humberto Rodríguez presented as evidence the testimony of expert Arsenico Barrios , who prepared a planimetric report of the route taken by Aderlyn and some of her schoolmates on the day she disappeared.
Barrios reported that on the morning of September 13, the minor left her residence with another student and took the route they usually used to go to Gabriel Lewis Galindo School.
The forensic expert traced the location of a witness who, that morning, claimed to have seen Hudson near the spot where the girl disappeared.
Barrios explained that the witness, Virgilio Caisamo, managed to spot Hudson on two occasions as he walked along the sidewalk where Aderlyn disappeared.
Prosecutor Humberto Rodríguez noted that the expert’s testimony shows that the witness was able to locate Hudson at the location where she disappeared.
Another witness presented by the Prosecutor’s Office was Yuleidis Mudarra, the defendant’s partner, who explained that, in a video, she was able to identify Hudson as the person who allegedly detained the victim on her way to school.
The Prosecutor’s Office has planned to present 100 additional witnesses and experts to bolster the charges against Hudson.
Hudson attended the trial via videoconference, as he is being held in the Chiriquí public prison for security reasons.
The growth in air traffic and the flow of air passengers, both in Panama and throughout the region, will require the country to increase the number of active air traffic controllers and strengthen its equipment.
From June 1st to June 30th, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will open the registration period for interested applicants to apply for the Air Traffic Controller course.
Rafael Bárcenas Chiari, director of the AAC, explained that more personnel are needed in this area, as the shortage of air traffic controllers is a long-standing problem. However, he emphasized that applicants must be conversationally proficient in English.
He explained that the course is free and that it is a demanding and demanding profession, but highly rewarding and well-paid.
“Controllers are professionals who coordinate airspace and even traffic with pilots traveling from Argentina to Canada and through Panamanian airspace, 365 days a year, on rotating schedules.”
The institution currently has 64 controllers in training, so they’ve decided to open a new call for applications for a basic training course. The course will select approximately 60 new candidates, and they will even admit all young people who pass.
Requirements:
- Be of Panamanian nationality.
- Be under 35 years old.
- Having obtained a bachelor’s degree in Science or Industrial Engineering.
- Possess conversational command of the English language.
- Demonstrate teamwork skills, logical-spatial and analytical thinking skills, and effective communication.
He explained that applicants must undergo a series of evaluations, including psychological tests, English language tests, and reaction-under-pressure tests, among others.
“The basic training course lasts two years at the Higher Institute of Aeronautical Professional Training (ISFPA).
In Panama, there are 178 air traffic controllers operating throughout the country, 48 of whom are at the Marcos A. Gelabert International Airport control center.
“Once they complete the required specializations and certifications, students will be able to work in the dynamic world of aviation as Air Traffic Controllers in airfield control towers or radar control centers.”