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Tuesday 14th January 2025.

January 13, 2025

 

Several young people participating in the My First Job program , promoted by the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development (Mitradel) since September, have expressed their concern about the lack of payment.

Despite having completed the assigned work days, some beneficiaries say that, to date, they have not received the promised compensation. Several of the young people who participated in the program spoke with La Prensa to explain how the process has been, including the non-payment by the Government.

As you may recall, through My First Job, Panamanians between 17 and 24 years of age gained access to the labor market by joining the staff of 75 prestigious locally established companies.

In the initial phase, 1,058 high school graduates, university students, and students or graduates of vocational schools or with technical training from the National Institute for Professional Training and Capacity Building for Human Development (Inadeh) are participating.

The Ministry of Labor and Labor Development (Mitradel) will contribute $300 per month for three months from the salary they receive during their internships, and the respective employer will cover the difference in the minimum wage, determined by region, economic activity and company size.

“I am clear that it is better to do than to promise, and that is why today we are beginning to make a personal wish of this president who believes, trusts and wants the best for our youth come true,” said President José Raúl Mulino at the launching ceremony, before a group of 20 young Panamanians who began their paid internships on August 12.

Young people say they are owed up to $900 in three payments corresponding to months of work.


A civil court has ordered the company Decameron Hotels to pay $2.6 million in compensation for moral damages to young women Alyssa Jaime Wingrove and Carley Emma Gail Beers, after both were raped by a security guard from that hotel chain in 2018.

The Fifth Civil Court of Panama , under the direction of Judge Maritza Dixon de Coteau, sanctioned the hotel company, considering that it should ensure the comprehensive safety of the plaintiffs, that is, ensuring that they did not suffer any harm, especially emotional effects, as in the case of Alyssa Wingrove, who experienced suicidal desires.

The ruling, dated December 30, 2024, was issued following a lawsuit filed by the girls after they were sexually abused in March 2018, while they were on vacation at the hotel.

The ruling states that each of the young women must receive compensation of one million dollars for moral damages. In addition, in terms of material damages, the hotel must pay Alyssa Wingrove the sum of $327,709 and Carley Emma Gail Beers the sum of $316,609.

The court also found that the plaintiffs incurred a number of expenses as a result of the damage suffered and that the act committed against them continues to have latent effects that cannot be ignored. Both young women suffer from depressive disorders, panic attacks and other emotional problems.

The decision was based on Article 1645 of the Civil Code, which establishes that the owners or directors of an establishment or company are jointly liable for damages caused by their employees in the exercise of their duties.


The National Police requested the collaboration of the public to locate the former presidential candidate Dimitri Flores, sentenced to 60 months for the crime of fraud.

The Second Liquidation Court of Criminal Cases sentenced Flores to 60 months in prison and also sanctioned him with disqualification from exercising public functions for a period of three years, once the prison sentence has been served.

In its ruling, the court also ordered Flores to pay $63,657 to the company Expotenerife.

Flores was investigated for the crime of fraud against the companies Expotenerife and Distribuciones Secois, S. LL. Following the decision of the first and second instance, Flores filed an appeal in 2023 before the Criminal Chamber of the Court.

In 2019, when questioned by La Prensa about this criminal process, Flores stated that he would resort to legal means to prove his innocence. He also noted that, at that time, the process was not final.


Personnel from the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama (ARAP), Herrera’s Ministry of the Environment and agents from the National Aeronaval Service (Senan) recently carried out an operation against fishing in protected maritime areas.

The BAD-3011 vessel of Senan set sail from the Mensabé port, located in the province of Los Santos, bound for the protected areas. First, it visited key points such as the La Zona port and the Santa María River. Later, it moved to the protected areas of the Sarigua National Park and Cenegón del Mangle.

The patrol included the area from the port of Parita to the mouth of the river. According to ARAP, no illegal activities were detected during the operation.


Tocumen International Airport, SA (Aitsa), handled 19.25 million passengers during 2024 , marking an 8% growth compared to 2023, when it handled just over 17 million travelers.

Regarding operations and freight transport, 152,813 air operations were managed during 2024 , which represents an increase of 7% compared to 2023.

In addition, 216,653 metric tons of goods and mail were transported, representing an increase of 4%.

Among the most frequented destinations in 2024, Bogotá stood out , with 1.042 million passengers, followed by Miami (903,995) and Medellín (730,314).

More than two million passengers disembarked in Panama , while 2.83 million travelers used Tocumen as a starting point to various destinations.

Starting June 11, 2025, German airline Condor will connect Frankfurt and Panama City with two weekly flights, while United Airlines will begin direct operations between San Francisco and Panama on May 22, 2025.

Global consulting firm Cirium recognized Tocumen as the most punctual medium-sized airport in the world in 2024 , with an on-time performance index of 90.34% , highlighting it as one of the most efficient airports internationally.

With 13 commercial airlines and 16 cargo airlines operating at its facilities, Tocumen carries out 435 daily flight operations.


Following an inspection at the Cobre Panamá mine this weekend, Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro confirmed that there are 7,960 tons of ammonium nitrate in one of the deposits.

The minister said that this is an explosive material that must be immediately exported and removed from Panama for the sake of the environment and the country’s security. “It must be removed as soon as possible,” he said on his X account.

He recommended that such exports be carried out in the presence of the media, so that they are carried out with “total transparency.”

Navarro recalled that a few years ago, in a port in Lebanon, where “there was one sixth of the amount of ammonium nitrate that there is here, there was a massive explosion.” At least 220 people died in that explosion and more than 6,500 were injured.

The minister, who was accompanied by the head of Public Security, Frank Ábrego, said that the product stored in the mine belongs to the specialized company Austin Powder .

The mine, which was operated by Minera Panamá , is located in the district of Donoso, province of Colón, and has been closed since November 2023 as a result of a ruling by the Supreme Court of Justice that declared the contract unconstitutional.


If we want to know how a country’s economy is performing, it is valid to look at the performance of credit, considered a thermometer that reflects the level of productive activity, consumer confidence and the solidity of the financial system. What do Panama’s figures say and how will it have closed 2024?

The Superintendency of Banks of Panama (SBP) revealed that the national banking system’s credit portfolio reached $64,183 million as of November 2024. This indicates a year-on-year growth of 5.3%, equivalent to an additional $3,237 million.

However, this increase reflects a mixed performance across economic sectors.

The banking regulator notes that, although current performance shows a sustained recovery in lending activity, the levels reached are still slightly below the $22,985 million recorded in 2019, before the effects of the pandemic were felt.

However, the analysis of the monthly evolution indicates that, considering the typical seasonality of the year-end, it is possible that the performance in 2024 will be even closer to the levels of 2019.

The household loan portfolio reached $ 34 billion , with an increase of 3.7% (1,226 million) . This includes mortgages, personal loans, car loans and credit cards.

Residential mortgage loans grew by 3.2% ($621 million) , although there is a slowdown in the pace of growth, suggesting caution in housing demand.

This could be linked to changes in the rules of preferential interest and the solidarity bonus program, the latter suspended by the government of José Raúl Mulino.

Consumer credit grew by 4.4% ( $604 million), with an 8% ($152 million) increase in vehicle financing and an 11.6% ( $267 million) increase in credit cards. The latter product stands out for its flexibility in payments, although it presents a higher risk of default due to its sensitivity to economic conditions and interest rates.

The regulator warns that while these figures reflect an increase in demand for financing, it is crucial to monitor the sustainability of growth in high-risk segments such as credit cards and personal loans, given their short-term nature and exposure to credit risk


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