News
Wednesday 26th March 2025.
March 25, 2025
During his confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kevin Cabrera , President Donald Trump ‘s nominee to be ambassador to Panama , expressed concern about Chinese technology used in Panamanian infrastructure.
Cabrera cited the implementation of security cameras in the city of Colón and the use of Chinese-made cranes at the port of Manzanillo, managed by SSA Marine MIT , a privately held company with American and Panamanian capital, affiliated with Carrix, Inc., whose main division is SSA Marine, the largest operator of marine, stevedoring and rail terminals in the United States.
According to Cabrera, these elements could compromise cybersecurity and access to sensitive information.
“We’ve seen how Chinese state-owned companies can offer significantly lower prices in tenders to ensure governments buy their technology. This raises questions about who controls information and whether these infrastructures can be manipulated,” Cabrera warned.
He also stated that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have identified potential violations of the Panama Canal Neutrality Treaty , specifically Article IV.
However, the last two US ambassadors to Panama, John D. Feeley and Mari Carmen Aponte , assured that they do not see a Chinese naval threat to the sea route.
“None of us sees a plausible, near-term Chinese naval threat to the Canal, nor can the Hutchinson-operated ports block or sabotage Canal operations any more than the other three ports in the Canal, which are operated respectively by a U.S. company, a Singaporean company, and a Taiwanese company,” they noted in a letter to Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, where the hearing on China’s potential influence on Canal operations was held, on January 28, 2025.
During his appearance, Cabrera emphasized that Panama was the first Central American country to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative and also the first to leave it, which he described as an achievement of Rubio’s visit to Panama last February.
He also cited the ongoing sale of Chinese company CK Hutchison ‘s stake in port operations to US companies as a positive step in reducing Chinese influence.
At the end of the appearance, Cabrera emphasized that, if confirmed, he would work closely with President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and the Panamanian government to reduce alleged Chinese influence over the Canal.
Asked by Jeanne Shaheen , the top Democratic U.S. senator from New Hampshire, whether reclaiming the canal would involve military intervention or a purchase, Cabrera said the details of such options remain uncertain.
“The president has made it clear that all options are on the table regarding Chinese influence in Panama, but I want to emphasize that diplomacy is key in these first 60 days of progress,” Cabrera said.
Shaheen, for his part, expressed his opposition to “coercing Panamanians” to return the maritime route to U.S. hands.
“Let me register my opposition to sending the military to retake the Canal, both by force, and also my opposition to buying it back and coercing the Panamanians in ways that would force them to give it back to us. So I appreciate your focus on diplomacy,” Shaheen concluded.
Since December 2024, Trump has expressed his intention to reclaim the Canal, citing alleged Chinese influence over the maritime route.
Both President Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha have denied this alleged influence and have made it clear that the Canal is managed entirely by Panamanians, under the umbrella of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) .
Gang violence in San Miguelito and Colón has escalated in recent days, leaving several fatalities and creating a climate of insecurity among the population. Last weekend, at least eight people were killed in various incidents, most of them the result of clashes between criminal groups seeking to control territory.
The diagnosis is from the director of the National Police, Jaime Fernández.
“We’re facing a complex situation. There are gangs trying to gain ground, and that has increased the violence in San Miguelito and Colón. In the events from Saturday to Sunday, we observed disputes even among members of the same gangs,” Fernández explained.
The police chief also added that “crime changes daily,” so public security forces must change their dynamics daily.
“The truth is that we have already gathered a lot of information about gangs,” added Fernández.
On Friday, March 15, a crime that shocked public opinion occurred: the murder of a nine-year-old girl during a shootout between rival gangs. According to Fernández, the National Police arrested several people involved and provided the Public Prosecutor’s Office with the necessary information to continue the investigation.
According to official data from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, 94 homicides had been committed as of last February. Last year, during the same period, 103 were recorded. San Miguelito and Colón continue to be the most affected areas.
At the opening of Expocomer 2025, President José Raúl Mulino acknowledged the need to reduce state bureaucracy, while also advancing several initiatives to encourage marine tourism.
The Panama Convention Center in Amador is the venue for the 41st Expocomer event , organized by the Panamanian Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (CCIAP). The event featured the keynote speaker, the Panamanian president.
Highlighting the importance of having five major events held simultaneously in the country, which strengthens Panama’s image, Mulino also emphasized the economic benefits of the activity, with a “spillover of income” due to the arrival of visitors who stay in hotels and generate commercial activity.
The president took the opportunity to announce that the Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Eduardo Arango , will be responsible for coordinating with the ministries to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles.
“While we are deeply committed to all aspects of digitalization, automation, and breaking the red tape chain, as experts now call it, there is still much to be done and a lot of work to be done. A lot of red tape has to be done door-to-door, from counter to counter, delaying investment,” Mulino stated in his speech.
Mulino cited delays in procedures at the Panama City Hall as an example , noting that a businessman wrote to the chat and was surprised by the incident, which he reported to Mayor Mayer Mizrachi.
“I told the mayor of Panama: keep an eye on your Engineering Department, which is delaying construction project approvals, and we can’t complain that there isn’t much construction going on when the paperwork is being delayed. He immediately told me he was going to get to work on it. So, Mayer, you have a huge job breaking the bottleneck in your institution .”
On another note, the president announced that he will review a project to establish Duty Free shops on tourist islands, promoting trade and tourism in these areas.
Furthermore, there is an intention to attract boating tourism and facilitate the construction of marinas, generating employment and strengthening the sector. Similarly, measures similar to those in Costa Rica are being considered to attract international yachts to fishing tournaments in Panama, promoting tourism and investment.
Manuel José Paredes, of the CCIAP exhibition organizing committee, emphasized that over the years this event has established itself as the most effective business hub in Latin America.
“Generating significant business opportunities for our exhibitors and buyers. Since our return in 2022, following the pandemic, more than $400 million in commercial transactions have been recorded during the fairs over the past three years,” Paredes said.
The Comptroller General of the Republic, Anel Bolo Flores , emphasized this Tuesday, March 25, that “the Comptroller General’s Office has full authority to investigate public funds,” after an audit of the National Assembly ‘s payroll was conducted this Monday .
Yesterday, Monday, National Assembly officials were asked for their names, ID numbers, positions, and other information so that the Comptroller General’s Office could conduct verifications as part of a special audit that has generated various reactions.
Flores , upon arriving at Expocomer 2025 at the Panama Convention Center , noted that “what everyone wants and clamors for is to know who is getting paid and who is working and getting paid.”
The comptroller did not present preliminary results, as the audit has only been underway “a few hours ago,” and added that his team is seeking “transparency in these spreadsheets” so that they can be published on a public access portal in the future.
The inspection carried out by Comptroller ‘s Office officials on Monday was questioned by the president of the National Assembly, Dana Castañeda , who criticized the way the process is being carried out.
“I respect the role of the @ContraloriaPma, but I cannot allow the mistreatment that Assembly officials are suffering at this time, nor the evident interference in the functioning of this state body,” Castañeda wrote on the social network X.
To this, Flores said: “They say the staff was mistreated, but we don’t see that. We respect their opinions, but we don’t share them.”
Regarding the payment to the alternate deputies, Flores commented: “Look, I prefer not to comment on that. There’s a ruling from the Supreme Court that my lawyers are analyzing. I’d rather wait for my lawyers’ response before I can give a response.”
from Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile, Argentina, the Costa Rican coast, Mexico, and a total of 58 other countries around the world will need to obtain an entry permit for European Union countries known as the Etias (European Travel Information and Authorization System).
This system is not a visa, but rather a pre-authorization to obtain detailed information on all travelers and expedite the registration process for those wishing to travel to Europe.
European Union officials reported that the travel permit, which will be processed digitally and through a mobile app, would go into effect in the last quarter of 2026.
This mechanism, similar to the ETA (recently implemented in the United Kingdom), will apply to travelers from more than 60 countries who are currently eligible for visa-free entry for short stays of up to 90 days.
Travelers must complete a form online or via a mobile app, providing personal details, passport information, place of residence, employment, and answering security questions about criminal records or travel to conflict zones.
Additionally, they must pay a fee of 7 euros ($7.56) if they are between 18 and 70 years old. Payment can be made by credit or debit card.
Once the application is submitted, the information will be checked against the security databases of the European Union and the Schengen system.
In 95% of cases, the authorization will be registered within minutes, and the response can occur within two to three days.
In some cases, the traveler may be asked for additional information, or an in-person interview at a consulate or via videoconference may be required.
The ETIAS is not a visa, but rather a travel authorization valid for multiple entries for a period of three years or until the passport used for the application expires.
It is not necessary to have purchased tickets at the time of application, but the first country of entry into the Schengen Area must be indicated.