News
Thursday 30th March 2023.
March 29, 2023
Ecolimpia will be the new company that will operate the Cerro Patacón sanitary landfill, in the town of Ancón, replacing Urbalia Panama.
This occurs after the Cabinet Council authorized the Home Cleaning Authority (AAUD) to enter into a 2-year transitional contract with the company with a 3-month trial period for the management of the sanitary landfill.
In a statement, the Presidency reported that Ecolimpia was selected through the online quotation procedure and satisfactorily completed 30 points of compliance with environmental and labor actions that it must execute to operate the 160 hectares of the landfill.
It was also detailed that while the company operates Cerro Patacón for two years, the tender documents will be prepared for an international tender that includes the processing of solid waste with the “latest technology” in the management of this type of landfill.
The new hiring occurs after the end of the contract with the Urbalia company, on March 26, which, according to reports presented by the AAUD and the Ministry of the Environment, “failed” to comply with the current environmental provisions in the management of the padding, which earned them the imposition of more than 105 sanctions for almost $1 million.
The finalization of the concession generated a public act in which Consorcio Ecolimpia participated, which presented an offer of $10.78 per ton, and UPSA Interaseo of $10.70 per ton handled in the sanitary landfill. In this last consortium was Urbalia Panama.
According to the Presidency, Ecolimpia has experience in managing other sanitary landfills in Ecuador and Colombia, with a disposal of 2,500 tons per day, a similar amount to that is deposited in Cerro Patacón.
The new contract with Minera Panamá would restrict the flight of aircraft through the airspace where the project is being developed in Donoso, Colón, denounced the International Aircraft Owner Council and Pilot Associations.
In a statement, the union is requesting the elimination of clause 3, number 9, which establishes that the mining company may request the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) to issue temporary or permanent flight restrictions to third parties over the area of concession up to 9,840 feet or 3,000 meters above sea level.
“The fact of such a request implies that there will be blasting up to that height that puts the lives of people who live or work in the surrounding areas at risk, as well as all animal and wildlife,” the statement stated.
Similarly, it is noted that this airspace is part of a route to fly from Panama City to Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro province, and that this airway has a minimum flight height of 4,100 feet or 1,250 meters above sea level. In addition, that at the time the CAA took the measures and forecasts so that the aircraft will use the route.
It is argued that this was done in order for the ships to have sufficient separation from natural and man-made obstacles.
It also stands out that the aircraft that use this airway are mostly powered with a piston or turbine engine, single engines, whose maximum flight height does not exceed 8,000 feet or 2,400 meters above sea level.
“Accepting what is embodied in the general provisions, clause 3, numeral 9, requested by the concessionaire seriously jeopardizes the operations of aircraft that fly the Q6 route,” the statement highlighted.
The Superior Court of Appeals of the First Judicial District maintained the preventive detention measure for Nancy Abigaíl Góngora, partner of Jorge Rubén Camargo Clark, alias Cholo Chorrillo, who is charged with the alleged commission of the crime of money laundering.
The court made up of magistrates Marlene Morais, José Felix Sánchez and Adilio González, dismissed the petition presented by Alfredo González, Abigaíl Góngora’s lawyer, who argued that there were no indications against his client of connection to the crime of money laundering.
While the drug prosecutor, Gleisi Hernández, stated that the accused is linked to the commission of serious crimes and that it was also necessary to extradite her from Costa Rica to get her to appear in the process.
The prosecution alleges that Góngora was part of the scheme used by the network led by Cholo Chorrillo to launder the money from the sale of drugs, through the purchase of real estate, such as a residence in Eco Gardens, in the district of Arraiján, and the opening of “front” businesses.
This investigation began in 2017 and the authorities have information that the network introduced drugs into the country from Colombia, through El Chorrillo, Boca La Caja, West Panama and the island of San Miguel. In addition, its members were linked to several homicides.
Cholo Chorrillo was extradited to the United States by the Costa Rican authorities on February 3. In California, he faces drug conspiracy charges.
A West Panama Guarantees judge endorsed the imputation of charges against a man who assaulted a traffic agent in an incident that occurred Monday, at the height of El Carrizal in Arraiján.
The regional circuit prosecutor of that province, Vivian Rodríguez, explained that they had requested the imputation of charges for crimes against life and personal integrity to the detriment of a public servant and for the crime against public administration.
She indicated that his arrest was additionally legalized. However, the judge imposed the precautionary measure of reporting once a week and the prohibition to approach the victim.
Rodríguez indicated that they had requested the provisional detention of the driver, for which they filed an appeal. The hearing for this appeal will be on April 5 at 10:00 am
As reported, the police officer, who suffered a fractured right hand, had stopped the citizen involved in this event for driving on the shoulder of the road.
In a statement, the Police explained that the agent reaches him up the ramp of the Perurena bridge, in Arraiján, proceeding to apply the ticket.
“It is at that moment that the citizen attacked the police unit, with blows and kicks, for which repellent gas was initially sprayed on him, but when the attacker insisted and grabbed the unit by the neck, this motivated that, in his defense, the officer took out the his regulation weapon and shot him in one of his legs,” the entity specified.
The investigative authorities have ruled out the robbery as the motive for the double crime against two elderly adults, perpetrated in the town of Superación Campesina in Chepo, in the east of the province of Panama.
The bodies of Abel González Frías, 79 years old, and José Gil De León, 69, had bullet holes in their heads, which leads the authorities to assume that it was a personal action against both victims.
The victims were located on Tuesday morning by officials of the National Border Service (Senafront), after their relatives reported their disappearance.
According to the investigations carried out by the researchers, the older adults were well-known ranchers in the region and sold cattle as part of their economic activities.
Yesterday morning, the Public Ministry carried out some procedures in the town where the victims were found in search of evidence to locate the possible perpetrators of the crime.
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported this Wednesday that on the occasion of the commemoration of Holy Week, a Blue Alert is declared in all facilities in the country, which will be in force from Wednesday, April 5 to Sunday, April 9.
The Minsa stressed that the measure is for all health regions, given the possibility of adverse events, to update emergency response programs.
In a statement from the institution, the regional offices are asked to prepare the contingency plan for a Blue Alert, on the occasion of Easter and that, if necessary, the hours of operation are extended.
“It is also established to monitor events that occur in coverage areas and prepare the expansion of spaces and services due to a potential increase in patients, if necessary,” the statement stated.
Similarly, it is recommended to alert the risk management and emergency response committee. Likewise, reinforce the inventory of necessary supplies and medicines, with a reserve for three months.
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported this Wednesday, March 29, that in the last week (March 19 to 25) no deaths from covid-19 were reported.
However, 842 new positive cases were registered after the application of 16,114 tests. The weekly average positivity percentage is 5.2%. The previous week it was 4.4%.
To date, the accumulated number of deaths from this respiratory virus remains at 8,612, highlights the epidemiology report.
There are 1,043 people in home isolation and 48 hospitalized. There is one person in intensive care units.
The ministry explained that the five corregimientos that presented the most cases as of Saturday, March 25, are: Pacora with 5 cases; David with 5 cases; Betania, 5 confirmed cases; Juan Díaz with 5 cases and Volcán with 4 cases.
Meanwhile, the Expanded Immunization Program reported that from January 21, 2021 to March 26, 2023, 8 million 862 thousand 649 doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been applied.
Of that amount, 3 million 531 thousand 123 are first doses; 3 million 172 thousand 967 are second doses; 1 million 756 thousand 666 are first booster and 258 thousand 673 are second booster doses.