News
Tuesday 25th March 2025.
March 24, 2025
Dayra Caicedo, who was found alive on Monday, March 24, after being deprived of her liberty for more than a month, received medical attention while authorities continue their investigation into the case.
Public Prosecutor’s Office officials and National Police authorities confirmed that Caicedo returned home after being released and that several lines of investigation are being pursued.
Anilú Batista, undersecretary of the Attorney General’s Office, confirmed that there are arrest warrants for two people apparently linked to this incident.
Batista stated that further details cannot be provided because the investigation is confidential, while reiterating that two people have been arrested.
Public Prosecutor’s Office personnel arrived at Caicedo’s home in Vista Alegre de Arraiján and confirmed that he was in good health.
Caicedo was initially taken to a medical center and later to the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences for evaluation.
The young woman was intercepted by a group of hooded and armed men last Wednesday, February 19, at the door of her residence in Vista Alegre, Arraiján district.
A joint operation between officials from the Public Ministry and the National Police dismantled an illegal mining network operating in the vicinity of the Panama Canal Watershed .
In the operation known as Caribe Verde 3 , authorities located a total of 16 illegal camps that were used for illegal mining in the Cuango and Culebra river basins, near the town of Santa Isabel, Colón.
In the camps, which covered approximately 34 kilometers, a total of nine motor pumps and a power plant were found , used to extract materials from rivers for the purpose of searching for gold.
Five people were also arrested, including a Colombian citizen. They will be brought before a magistrate in the coming hours for charges and precautionary measures.
Investigations conducted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office reveal that these camps could serve as resting and supply sites for drug trafficking networks .
Police Director Jaime Fernández detailed that police officers have dismantled 53 illegal mining camps through 11 operations.
He also indicated that these operations have resulted in the arrest of 18 people, who are currently facing legal proceedings for environmental crimes.
Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro warned that illegal mining causes severe damage to the ecosystem, especially through river pollution.
Navarro reported that sampling has been ordered from the affected rivers to determine if there is contamination by mercury or other heavy metals.
He emphasized that this illegal activity could cause serious damage to the Panama Canal watershed, making it necessary to take measures to prevent its spread and apply the full force of the law to those responsible.
The operation began after Panama Canal officials, during patrols in the Canal Basin, detected the devastation of the waterways in Chagres National Park.
Last Thursday, through Operation Piedra Amarilla (Yellow Stone) by the National Aeronaval Service, an illegal mining camp was dismantled in the Coclé del Norte area, on the Costa Abajo coast of Colón. During the operation, 14 motor pumps, cash, and small amounts of gold were found.
On January 30, another 10 people were apprehended by the National Border Service (Senafront) in the Mangle River area, Paya district, Pinogana district, Darién province. In that operation, authorities destroyed a camp and equipment used for illegal gold mining.
In the Darien region, this activity is attributed to the Gulf Clan , an organization that also promotes drug smuggling, migrant trafficking, and illegal mining in the area.
Authorities have indicated that this group is responsible for financing illegal mining activities in the Darien region.
National Assembly officials were asked for their names, IDs, positions, and other information so the Comptroller General’s Office could conduct verifications as part of a special audit on Monday, March 24.
The lawsuit initiated by the Comptroller’s Office arose after a scandal involving payments to alternate deputies and other officials through the Assembly’s payrolls 001 and 002 , despite a Supreme Court ruling that emoluments should only be granted to alternate deputies when they occupy the seat in lieu of the principal.
At the Legislature, a large number of officials were seen being verified on Monday morning, while in the afternoon, most were at their posts while the Comptroller’s Office staff continued with the process.
The leader of the Vamos coalition, Janine Prado , stated that in the offices of the deputies of her party “there were no complaints about delays in entering, or about having been exposed to the sun.”
However, the Comptroller’s Office’s decision was not without criticism. National Assembly President Dana Castañeda stated on social media that legislative officials were “mistreated” during the verification process.
Prado also emphasized the importance of the audit and requested that it be extended to other institutions. Specifically, the Vamos coalition recently expelled three alternate deputies who were receiving payments for serving as “parliamentary technical assistants” within the legislature.
On this matter, Prado told the media that the Vamos ethics committee will be in charge of determining further sanctions for the substitutes, who, despite Vamos’ expulsion, retain their positions as “substitute deputies.”
Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha will meet with the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) , António Guterres, this Monday, March 24, at the international organization’s headquarters in New York, United States.
The Foreign Ministry also confirmed that the chancellor will meet with his Danish counterpart , Lars Løkke Rasmussen. No details of the meeting’s agenda were given.
The bilateral meeting between Panama and the United States takes place within the framework of Martínez-Acha’s intervention in a United Nations Security Council debate on the adaptability and future of UN peacekeeping operations.
During his remarks, Martínez-Acha emphasized the importance of UN missions around the world ensuring territorial integrity and sovereignty , in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter.
The chancellor added: “We are committed to defending the order we have built together, whose guiding principle must always be the pursuit of the common good , with respect for and adherence to the principles of international and humanitarian law.”
Martínez-Acha ‘s participation in the Security Council debate comes amid diplomatic tensions fueled by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump , who has threatened to reclaim the Panama Canal from the U.S.
The chancellor was accompanied in New York by senior Panamanian diplomats, including Eloy Alfaro , Panama’s ambassador to the UN, and José Miguel Alemán , Panama’s ambassador to Washington.
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) , through its Epidemiology Department, reported that as of epidemiological week 11 (March 9-15), a total of 243 cases of the oropouche virus have been confirmed in the Darién and eastern Panama regions. Darién has the highest number of infections, with 224 cases, while 19 have been reported in eastern Panama.
In epidemiological week 10 (March 2-8), a total of 230 cumulative cases were recorded in these regions, indicating an increase in infections.
The affected districts and townships include Pinogana, with 151 cases; Santa Fe, with 45; Cémaco, with 15; Chepigana, with 13; Chepo, with 18; and Pacora, with one case. Additionally, one death remains in epidemiological week 9 (February 24-28).
The victim, an 82-year-old man with a history of high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus, presented symptoms of neurological deterioration and was hospitalized with an initial diagnosis of neuroinfection.
Subsequently, a cerebrospinal fluid analysis confirmed the oropouche virus infection . According to the epidemiological investigation, the location of cases is determined by the place of infection. In this context, a case of Acute Neurological Febrile Syndrome, initially reported in the metropolitan region, was reassigned to East Panama.
The highest number of infections has been reported in people aged 35 to 49, with 56 cases, of which 30 are men and 26 are women.
In response to the increase in cases, the Ministry of Health (MINSA) has strengthened epidemiological surveillance and is urging the population to use insect repellents, mosquito nets, long-sleeved clothing, and to eliminate weeds and stagnant water to reduce the spread of vectors.
Oropouche fever is a febrile infection caused by the bite of Culicoides (known as midges) and Culex insects, which live in jungle areas. Its symptoms are similar to those of dengue fever and include high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, chills, and general malaise.
These signs usually appear between three and eight days after the bite and may recur after apparent recovery.
Currently, there are no vaccines or specific antiviral treatments for this disease, so management is symptomatic, focusing on pain relief and rehydration.
The Ministry of Health recommends that people go to health centers if they experience fever and severe headaches.
You can’t hide the sun with a finger, nor can a hand obscure the present that José Córdoba is experiencing at just 23 years of age.
The Panamanian defender, trained at CAI La Chorrera , is going through a difficult week following the penalty that condemned the Panama national team to the runner-up spot in the Concacaf Nations League.
Córdoba, who plays for Norwich City in England, confessed 10 days ago that he dreamed and longed to win the Final Four with the Panamanian national team. However, his infraction prevented overtime at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The match against Mexico ended in a 2-1 defeat for Panama, with Raúl Jiménez scoring twice , including the penalty awarded for Córdoba’s handball. Adalberto Carrasquilla made it 1-1, and that was Panama’s first goal in a CONCACAF tournament final, having played three previous finals without scoring.
Córdoba has been the target of heavy criticism on social media, where fans have unleashed a wave of negative comments against him. He has even been accused of bribery, without foundation. However, the young defender is not the first to face this type of situation. Before him, players such as Cecilio Waterman, Gabriel Gómez, Aníbal Godoy, Valentín Pimentel, Harold Cummings, and José Fajardo have also been singled out for actions in matches that resulted in Panamanian defeats.
Faced with a barrage of criticism, Córdoba opted to disable comments on his Instagram account on Monday.
The confusion over his identity also reached Omar Córdoba , a footballer from Plaza Amador, who received an avalanche of messages from fans who thought he was the Norwich defender.
“It’s incredible how many messages I’ve received on live television thinking I’m José Córdoba,” he commented. “But beyond that, seeing people treat each other with disrespect is unconscionable. Let’s remember that we are all Panama.”
For his part, Panamanian national team coach Thomas Christiansen expressed his support for Córdoba, stating that the action was accidental and that the player is visibly affected.
“He’s hurt, but these are also the times when people look for someone to blame. I didn’t mean to touch her; it was bad luck, and it can happen to anyone,” he declared. “He’s a player with a lot of character, and we’re not going to knock him down. We’re going to support him and lift him up because it’s absolutely necessary.”