News
Tuesday 9th November 2021.
November 9, 2021
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported Monday, that in the last 24 hours there were 6 deaths, caused by Covid-19 , so the accumulated total of deaths rises to 7,335. The epidemiological report of the Minsa also revealed that 106 was the number of new cases of the disease, caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. With this figure, the accumulated number of infections increased to 473,522. To ascertain the number of new cases, 2,796 tests were applied, which yielded a positivity of 3.7%. There were 93 new recovered for a cumulative 464,546 people who survived Covid-19. There are 1,641 active cases, of which 1,501 are in home isolation and 140 remain hospitalized. Those who are in home isolation are divided into 1,425 at home and 76 in hospital hotels. While there are 114 people hospitalized in wards and 26 in intensive care units.
A Guatemalan court authorized the extradition to the United States of Ricardo Alberto Martinelli Linares, after he communicated (verbally and in writing) his desire to be sent “as soon as possible” to the US, where he is accused of allegedly conspiring to launder the bribes paid by Odebrecht. “I wish to express my willingness to acquiesce in the extradition process and I ask that actions be taken to leave as soon as possible,” Martinelli Linares asked the judges of the Third Court of Criminal Sentencing, Drug Trafficking and Environmental Crimes, in a hearing held this Monday. The judges ordered that he be kept in custody in the Mariscal Zavala military prison, until his surrender to the US authorities is completed.
The law that reformed the Old Quarter of Colón was sanctioned and published this Monday, November 8, in the Official Gazette . This is Law 249 of November 5, which modifies Law 47 of 2002, which regulates the historical monumental complex of the Colonense province. Organizations such as the International Council of Monuments and Sites and the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects had called on the President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo, to veto it. But it didn’t happen “Now, if someone thinks of demolishing a historical monument, all they have to do is present a law. What happened with the approval of this bill leaves a bad precedent in the country ”, lamented at the time Sebastián Paniza, former director of Historical Heritage of the now defunct National Institute of Culture, now the Ministry of Culture.
The Third Criminal Liquidation Court set from July 18 to August 5, 2022, the preliminary hearing against 62 people accused of the alleged commission of the crimes of money laundering, embezzlement, and corruption through the payment of bribes from the Brazilian company Odebrecht. Judge Baloisa Marquínez also set an alternate date for holding the aforementioned hearing from September 12 to 30, 2022, in case it could not be held on the first date.
During the operation that was deployed last week for the national holidays, the National Directorate of Traffic Operations registered the passage into the interior of the country of at least 129 thousand vehicles. Major Luis Hernández, from Traffic Operations of the National Police, specified that 129 thousand 289 vehicles were counted that passed the traffic registration point (gauge) located in Capira. Regarding the infractions registered by the traffic agents during this year’s operation, Hernández highlighted that the figure reached 10,205, of that total 2,730 were for speeding and 304 for proven drunkenness. In addition, 363 accidents were attended with 74 injuries and 2 fatalities. Two years ago, more than 14 thousand infractions were placed, of this number about 5,000 were for speeding and 310 for proven drunkenness. In 2019, there were 552 accidents, 130 injuries and 5 fatalities.
Between Wednesday 3 and Sunday 7 November, the movement of passengers by sea nationwide exceeded 67 thousand people, authorities reported.According to a report from the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP), during this first week of national holidays, places in the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Panama and Colón, were among the most visited. The AMP explained that 6,907 trips were registered with a total of 67,665 passengers and happily that no incidents were reported.
The oral trial of former President Ricardo Martinelli for the alleged telecommunications interception entered the final stretch. At 4:00 pm, the Office of the Prosecutor against Organized Crime concluded its final arguments in this process. This Monday, November 8, the pleadings phase begins. The first shift is held by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime and the lawyers of the two complainant victims (Balbina Herrera and Mitchell Doens). Then follows the defense. Each one will have one hour.
The Global Forum, to establish an international tax reform, must begin to apply it from that date. Panama was one of the countries that accepted this agreement, so it will have to propose in a very short term a roadmap to fulfill this commitment. The OECD ensures that international tax reform will guarantee (1) that technology giants pay income tax in the markets in which they operate and (2) that multinational companies pay a minimum tax rate of 15%. The first initiative will reallocate more than 125 billion dollars in profits or profits annually, which come from the 100 largest and most profitable transnational technology and consumer services, to countries around the world and the second initiative would generate about 150 billion in revenue additional.
A collapse, which occurred in October 2019, on a road that connects two districts of the Coclé province, remains unresolved. The company Equibal, SA . was hired by the Minister of Public Works, Rafael Sabonge, in an abbreviated public act, plagued with irregularities. The company presented Sabonge with an offer to repair the landslide on Cerro San Pablo for $ 1.3 million, but then Equibal alleged a second landslide in the same area and, therefore, presented a new price, which represented an exorbitant increase, that made its offer increase almost 400% more than the original agreed price.