By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The government of Panama has coordinated with Copa Airlines to create an "air bridge" to move people between the Enrique Malek International Airport in the city of David in the province of Chiriqui and the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City. According to the Director of the Civil Air Authority of Panama, Rafael Barcenas, the first flight will be arriving at Tocumen this evening at about 8:00 pm with 94 passengers aboard. He said "the public should be aware these flights are for the emergency evacuation of tourists and those who have been stuck in David and who cannot return to Panama City due to the protests. These flights should not be considered as free flights for tourists to travel to Chiriqui." Copa's Embraer 190AR has a capacity to move 84 passengers in coach and 10 in first class.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

The situation in Panama keeps worsening as the Inter American highway of San Felix, Chiriqui, where Ngobe Bugle indigenous people oppose hydroelectric and mining projects, the highway remains blocked for four days now and 270 Costa Ricans are trapped on the Panamanian side of the border. "We have been here for four days and supplies are running low. There are people with diabetes and asthma, the situation is out of control", Allan Roman, one of the Costa Ricans trapped by the blockages, told the press. Roman is part of a group of Costa Ricans who traveled to Panama on an excursion, describing his situation and that of the others to Radio ADN 90.7.

Jorge Medrano, another Tico, told ADN that "they say we are not Panamanians and they cannot do anything about it". The Tico trapped in Panama have to resort to ingenuity and the kindness of Panamanians for help. Some are paying local residents for drinking water and the use of toilets.

The Inter American highway has been closed since Monday and protesters say they will continue blocking the roads until article five of a mining bill that deputies are discussing is restored, according to the Coordinating Committee for the Defense of the Rights of the Ngobe Bugle People. The article excludes indigenous regions from mining and hydroelectric activities, but, apparently, there is a non-agreed extra excerpt that includes them.

Truck drivers and producers asked the government to solve the problem, since they are suffering terrible losses due to the deterioration of perishable products such as vegetables. Hundreds of vehicles are stranded along the highway of San Felix and Remedios. (insidecostarica.com)

Editor's Comment: Late this afternoon the protesting Indians took 42 Costa Rican tourists hostage, saying they would be held as their "guarantee."   

(AP) PANAMA CITY — Members of an Indian tribe in Panama are blocking roads in two provinces on the border with Costa Rica in a dispute over mineral exploitation on their lands. Protesters from the Ngobe-Bugle tribe have been manning roadblocks of stones and branches set up Monday in Bocas del Toro and Chiriqui in western Panama. They have also closed sections of road in Veraguas province. A tribal spokesman told The Associated Press on Thursday that the protesters will not negotiate directly with the government but want discussions with the Central American country's Legislative Assembly. The assembly has taken initial steps toward lifting a mining moratorium in the region where many of the tribe's members live.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The situation in San Felix just changed significantly. According to the Director of Panama's National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC), Arturo Alvarado De Icaza, the protesting indigenous Ngöbe Bugle Indians have kidnapped about 40 Costa Rican citizens who were traveling aboard a "Tica Bus" in the area of the protest. While speaking to the channel 2 TVN evening news broadcast, Alvarado said the Ngöbe Bugle Indians said the Costa Rican tourists would be serving as their "guarantee" and they called them their "hostages."

Provoking A Confrontation: Obviously, the protesters are trying to provoke a confrontation with the authorities of the Panamanian government. They have now taken Costa Rican citizens as hostages. The last time this kind of thing happened, the protesters took police officers as hostages. And now of course the Panamanian government is going to be forced to respond in order to secure and guarantee the safety of the Costa Rican tourists, who have been taken as hostages.

Get The Hell Out Of There! If you are anywhere near any of these protests - MOVE. Go in the other direction. I don't care if you have to abandon your vehicle and walk. Do so, right now. Get to someplace safe, or there's a good chance that you might be the next hostage. There's practically no difference between a Costa Rican tourist and a "gringo" hostage - what's more the protesters would probably rather have a "gringo" than a Costa Rican. So, take action to put as much distance between you and these protesters as possible. Any and all foreigners in the area are now at risk of becoming involved in a bad way.

Could Be Fatal: When a nation's Tier One force (Delta equivalent) is forced to take action in order to liberate hostages, the outcome is never guaranteed. Panama has this kind of a force, and they are relatively capable. However, they have no (zero) practical experience is this kind of a real world situation. I'm trying to remember the last time a Panamanian special forces unit rescued a hostage, and there might have been one or two incidents. But not a bus full of foreign hostages, surrounded by hundreds of pissed off protesting Indians. I don't know how this situation is going to evolve, and I certainly hope it can be negotiated away, but if the authorities are forced to go in hot, the survival of the hostages is not guaranteed. This is not good.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - According to RPC Radio, protesting Indians have closed the bridge over the Changuinola river, and blocked the road going towards Almirante.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

A sedan that as traveling down the Norther Corridor flipped over and ended up in the middle of the road. The accident occurred at about 4:30 pm and the driver is injured. This accident occurred exactly at the exit near the Via Juan Pablo II. The road is paralyzed. (Telemetro)

   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - You might remember that back on 17 January 2012 I posted this video documenting raw sewage that was running down Calle D in El Cangrejo, an area of the city where there are many hotels, restaurants, and rental car companies that cater to international tourists. Panama's National Institute of Water and Sewers came out that same day and cleared the blockage in the line - temporarily. The problem is that the primary sewer line running through this area under the street has collapsed. When the IDAAN comes out they run a sort of "Roto Rooter" kind of thing down the hole to clear the blockage. That works for awhile, but it doesn't last long. In this case they cleared the blockage on 17 January, and by Sunday, 29 January, just 12 days later, it was blocked again. This time it's been blocked for more than five days now. The hotel where the raw sewage is running notified the IDAAN seven times - and they still have not come out to even temporarily clear the blockage, much less actually do anything more substantial like tear up the street and actually replace the collapsed sewage line. I myself have personally notified Ministers - and nada. I guess they want the tourists to spend their dry season dodging balls of crap in the streets...

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama on Friday denied the request for extradition of the former director of Colombia's DAS, Maria del Pilar Hurtado. In a statement, the Panamanian Foreign Ministry ruled on the Colombian request stating that "it has reviewed the documentation submitted, and determined that extradition is not feasible in accordance with national legislation and the Bilateral Agreement on Extradition." The Foreign Ministry of Colombia, through their Minister Maria Angela Holguin, requested the extradition of the former official to the government of Martinelli on 9 December 2011, based on the Extradition Treaty signed between the two countries on 24 December 1927.

On 19 November 2010 the government of Panama granted "territorial asylum" to Hurtado, causing the anger of many of that country's authorities for the crimes alleged against her. Among the grounds for the denial of extradition, Panama indicates that the American Convention on Human Rights (Pact of San José) provides in Article 22 that "everyone has the right to seek and receive asylum in a foreign territory in case of persecution for political or criminal offenses related to politics, and in accordance with the laws of each state and international conventions."

Hurtado is a key part in the investigations into illegal surveillance operations conducted against judges of the Supreme Court, journalists, and opposition politicians in Colombia. Last June, Colombia's Attorney General Vivian Morales confirmed that an international arrest warrant had been issued for Hurtado, when Juan Carlos Varela was serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Now, the Foreign Ministry is headed by Roberto Henriquez.

On 29 April 2011, President Ricardo Martinelli, whose government has defended the asylum granted to the former official from the times of former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, telling reporter Luis Carlos Velez, CNN in Spanish, "I don't plan to extradite the former director of the DAS." (Estrella)

Editor's Comment: Boy, she must have provided some really valuable intelligence information to Ricardo Martinelli during the run-up to the election in May 2009. I don't know what she did, but she's certainly getting paid back now.   

At least 270 Costa Rican tourists are stuck in Panama because of an indigenous protest against mining has been keeping the Inter American highway closed, which connects the two countries, official sources said today. The Costa Rican Foreign Ministry said Friday in a statement that people traveled to Panama, at an unspecified date, excursions aboard 12 buses, and they have not been able to return home due to the road blockade that started last Tuesday. The Costa Rican ambassador in Panama, Melvin Saenz said in the bulletin released in San Jose that their Consul General in the country, Gustavo Zelendon, has moved to the area, and their Consul in the city of David, Chiriquí, Flora Venegas, will remain there "as long as necessary." "This presence will make the necessary efforts to maintain contact with our compatriots in the area, ensuring their physical and emotional well being, and to provide any consular services that might be required," said Saenz.

The Foreign Ministry reported that they sent a note on Thursday to the Government of Panama in which they requested relief for Costa Ricans who are not able to move back to the country.

The government of Panama made a new call for dialog on Friday to the Indians who have blocked the Panamerican Highway for a fourth day, and warned there will be no waiver of the government's obligation to ensure free movement. The blockage of the Inter American Highway, a road linking the country with the rest of Central America, has caused shortages in the capital of many types of fruits and vegetables, which come largely agricultural area of ​​Chiriqui, near Costa Rica.

Indigenous groups of ethnic Ngäbe Bugle have kept the road closed since Tuesday due to a bill being debated in the National Assembly to regulate mining activity in its region that does not meet their aspirations. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: Patience. The government should remain on the sidelines and wait for more and more situations such as this to surface. They should only move in to reopen the roadway when there are screams from the people who are being most affected, demanding the government to "do something, for the love of God..." Then, and only then, should they move in. They should wait for the public perception to completely flip over, until the protesters are seen as the ones responsible for the problem. In the meantime, the protesters will try to incite violence or provoke a reaction, because that's what they've wanted from day one. Steady...   

Penalty - The Comptroller ordered the withholding of paychecks for the second half of Januart 2012 for 42 judges of the judicial branch, for failing to file an affidavit of assets and thereby violating Article 304 of the Constitution and Law 59 of December 29, 1999. The information was disclosed yesterday in a press release stating their salary will be withheld until the judges file the required statements. Among those who were sanction are a mix of civil, criminal, and family judges from across the country. (Prensa)

Editor's Comment: Yeah! Enforcing the law. What a concept...   

Panama is fast becoming retirement hot-spot for thousands of Americans, including Minnesotans. The lure of a less expensive lifestyle is motivating retirees to take a long look at living overseas. From a lower cost of living, to guaranteed discounts for retirees, to medical care at a fraction of the cost of comparable care in the United States, retirement in Panama is a very real option for anyone looking to make their retirement savings work harder.

We traveled to Panama and spend 3 days talking to Minnesotans who have already retired to Panama, we take you to see everything from a grocery store to the inside of a hospital room, so you can decide for yourself if life in Panama could be a right fit for your retirement.

Right now Panama is in the spotlight. Below we've provided links to some of the articles we read as we researched our story.

This is the biggie! The New York Times article says Panama tops the list of places to see in 2012.

Http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/travel/45-places-to-go-in-2012.html?pagewanted=all

This article provides a basic background on retirement issues and questions.

Http://www.businessinsider.com/best-places-in-the-world-to-retire-part-ii-2012-1

This article answers some basic questions on property. We were told that rental property is plentiful. The website below is a wealth of information, you could spend hours searching through this one.

Http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20061001104137881?query=rental+property

Finally: International Living Magazine. We spoke with Panama Editor Jessica Ramesch and she has weekly articles on Panama that provide information and insight into life in Panama. I will warn you, her articles are fun to read, and they will tempt you to sell everything and fly out later in the afternoon. (kstp.com)

Editor's Comment: Hey! Thanks for the mention, guys...   

Panama's Minister of Government Ricardo Fábrega, and the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ricardo Quijano, called upon the protesting Indians to come to speak with them, upon their arrival at the offices of the Governor of the province of Chiriquí. The Ministers are accompanied by National Assembly Deputy Fernando Carrillo, and they repeated that they will not travel to the district of San Felix, but they are willing to meet and talk with the Indians. He said they will remain in the province until 5:30 pm and if there is no dialog they will return to Panama City. The Ministers and the Deputy held a meeting with Monsignor Jose Luis Lacunza, the Bishop of the Diocese of David, who served during the previous protest as a mediator in the conflict. (Dia a Dia)

Editor' s Comment: Well played. The government is saying "we're here to talk, so if you want to talk, come on over. If not, you can stand out there and bake in the sun." Ricardo Fábrega was the Director of the ATTT but when Roxana Mendez stepped up to be the new Mayor of Panama City, Fábrega replaced her as the new Minister of Government. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is there, because they handle issues related to mining. And the Deputy from the National Assembly is on the committee that wrote Bill 415.   

Marked by despair, fatigue and the harsh rays of the sun, but still with the firm intention to defend their position, are more than 800 Indians in San Felix, Chiriqui. They are demanding the National Assembly include the item that was removed (Article 5), concerning a prohibition on mining and exploration in the region. At 5:45 pm truck drivers joined the protest and began blocking the road with their trucks. Earlier, as he rocked in a hammock installed under his truck, driver Miguel Sanchez was concerned. "This is an odyssey, the water is running out, we have no food, no money, because everything has become expensive," he said.

There are trucks parked on both sides of the road that stretch for some seven kilometers. Products such as milk, vegetables and all kinds of food are already in poor condition, coupled with scarce fuel, and a lack of oxygen in the hospitals, both in Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro, where protests also continued. The Union of Banana Industry gave the government 72 hours, they they will start an indefinite strike.

In Veraguas the crisis persists. About 400 commuters who were using the bus from Panama to David not managed to cross to their destination.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama reiterated its rejection of the street closures as a means of protest and asked the Indian community open the Pan American highway.

Late last night the National Assembly appointed a committee to talk with the protesters. Similarly, the Presidency issued a statement stating the Government has complied with the agreement signed in San Felix, but it will not hold talks if the road remains closed. (Mi Diario)   

The Farmers' Market in Curundú (Produce Market) is feeling the consequences of what is happening hundreds of miles away, because there is a shortage of agricultural products coming from the province of Chiriqui. The closing of the Pan American highway has prevented trucks carrying vegetables from reaching the food market. Products such as carrots, cabbage, potatoes, onions, passion fruit, tomatoes, pumpkin and papaya, among others, lie in the trucks that are stuck on the highway. The Food Market vendors fear that if the closure continues, it could create a food crisis, since 70% of the agricultural products consumed in the capital come from the lands of Chiriqui.

TENANTS AFFECTED - Yori Morales, the President of the Confederation of Agricultural Producers in the Market is worried, and said the market can not remain without being restocked for more than 48 hours. Well, as of Thursday, 60% of the vendors that sell agricultural products were closed from the early afternoon and by the weekend there will be no merchandise for sale. The administrator of the Market, Luis Duque, suggested as a palliative to the situation, the cancellation of the cleanup operation that was scheduled for tomorrow.

There Will Be No Dialog - Although the president, Ricardo Martinelli, called for the Indians to sit down and talk, the Ministry of Communication of State issued a statement warning the "administration will not enter into any dialog while measures are being taken to create pressure, such as the closure of the Inter American Highway." The communique states the Government has complied with all agreements with the indigenous groups signed in February 2011 in San Felix. Given the worrying situation being created by the closure of the roads in Chiriqui, President Martinelli called on the protesters to reopen the roads and to accept to sit down and talk.

SIP Makes An Announcement - The Union of Industrialists of Panama, headed by John F. Kiener, through a press release, expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of raw materials for food manufacturers, a situation caused by the closure of the Pan American Highway. (Siglo)

Editor's Comment: You might want to make a trip to the store to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, freeze what you can, and buy canned goods as well. It's not like Panama City is going to starve - most of the food products come in by ship - but fresh produce comes from Chiriqui.   

Customs Director Gloria Moreno de Lopez, said the indigenous protesters are intransigent and protest violently, so it would be justified if the government does not allow them to keep the Inter American Highway closed. Lopez Moreno said the state must guarantee the free movement (for all citizens) and the Inter American Highway is an international route, and the country's image has declined to the point where many people are hesitant to come to Panama for Carnival and Easter. The Director of the Customs Authority said more than $3 million dollars has been lost in products that had to remain refrigerated, while expressing concern for the people who have been stranded on the road. López Moreno believes the protesters are protesting in a violent manner, and are uncompromising in demanding that the development of mining and hydroelectric power be prohibited in the entire country. (TVN)   

Mr. Francisco Salazar, one of the four people who were injured in an gas explosion in the newly constructed "White" apartment building on Ave Balboa, died on Monday due to the severe burns he suffered on 25 January 2012. Salazar, who was hospitalized in the Burn Unit of the Santo Tomas hospital in Panama City, went with this partner David David Velásquez to the 21st floor to install a hot water heater, however luck was not on their side that day. The announcement was made ​​at a news conference by officials from the Santo Tomas hospital, where Velásquez remains hospitalized. The doctors remain hopeful that the second person can recover. (Estrella)

   

Representatives of the District Guna Yala and the Broad Front for Democracy made an announcement on the protest being made by the Indians, and said they would conduct actions next week in support of the members of the Ngabe Bugle region. Juan Jované, leader of the Front, alongside students from the Faculty of Law, and the Deputy Dean of this Department, said they would mobilize the population across the country, as well as against the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Finance to protest the high cost of living. Blas Lopez, representative of the District Guna Yala, said his people are not in agreement with the concessions that have been granted in the comarca and he also said previous governments have also wanted to grant mining concessions in their communities, which they reject. (Telemetro)   

Tourists from Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador, who have not been able to reach their destinations because of the protests on the Inter American Highway, have called on the diplomatic authorities of their countries, which are in Panama, to help them during this crisis. Mr. Omar Andino, a Honduran national, they have been without food or water for days, and only the Embassy of El Salvador provided them with some inputs but they are all gone. He said there are children and sick people with them who need medical attention, adding that the situation has not gotten worse because they received some support from residents of the area and a few ambulances were at the scene for a while. He explained they have not even been able to communicate with their relatives in different countries, a situation that has them desperate. Mr. Andino urgently requested help for him and all those who have been caught in the closing of the Inter American Highway. Some are in the area of ​​Veraguas and others in the province of Cocle. (Telemetro)   

Carlos Argetta, a spokesman for the truck drivers stranded in San Felix, Chiriqui Province, announced they would close the international border crossing between Panama and Costa Rica at Paso Canoas at one o'clock, if the government does not resolve the request of the Indians of the region Ngäbe Bugle. "If the president fails to come to Paso Canoas we will proceed with the closure of Paso Canoas, where there are 50 articulated vehicles that will proceed to close the road," said the driver. Moreover, business groups in Chiriqui have asked the National Government to resolve the conflict. The Ngäbe Bugle Indians have kept the Interamerican Highway closed since Tuesday because of a Bill before the National Assembly that would regulate mining activity in the region which does not meet their aspirations. (Critica)

Editor's Comment: If Paso Canoas was closed, then nothing could get to David from the other side, either. See what the sign in the photo above says? "Mining and Hydroelectric Projects Get Out." There are no mining projects in the comarca. So, what projects are they talking about? Petaquilla and Inmet, even though they are not in the comarca. Nor were they included in the San Felix agreement negotiated last year. This is a politically motivated show, nothing more.   

Government Minister Jorge Ricardo Fabrega said this Friday, February 3, whoever says the agreement signed in San Felix on 27 February 2011 stated they would prohibit the exploitation of water resources is a lie, and he said Article 5 of the bill introduced by the Coalition for the Defense of Natural Resources and People's Rights and the Ngäbe-Bugle to the Committee on Trade and Economic Affairs of the National Assembly exceeds the agreement. Speaking to Telemetro Reports, Fabrega said point number 2 of the agreement says: "Create a law that explicitly prohibits exploration and mining in the Ngäbe-Bugle region protects the water and environmental resources of the Ngäbe-Bugle region and peasants."

This does not say anywhere - argued Fabrega - that they would prohibit the exploitation of water resources, and the agreement is signed by the spokesman for the Coordinator, the Catholic Church and the representative of the national government.

The Bill - The Government Minister also referred to Article 5 of Bill 415 which was presented by representatives of the Coordinating Committee to the Commerce Commission. Article 5 says that they would "cancel all concessions granted and in force, to domestic or foreign companies for the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources and the construction of hydropower projects within the Ngabe Bugle region, surrounding areas, territories, and Ngäbe-Bugle communities outside the area and immediately suspend all work being carried out by such companies."

Put another way, Fabrega said, this wording has two proposals that go well beyond what was agreed in San Felix. "One, including the prohibition on water resources, which was not included in item number two of the agreement, and two, that the application of Article 5 goes beyond the borders and boundaries of the district, which exceeds in an extraordinary way the commitment agreed in San Felix," he reiterated.

Fabrega said the bill approved in the first debate in the Assembly last week has two articles that do adhere to the spirit and letter of the agreement reached in San Felix. "Article number 3 says: prohibits the granting of concessions for the exploration, exploitation and extraction of metal mining, non-metallic and its derivatives in the Ngäbe-Bugle region, and Article number 4 prohibits the alteration of water courses, river heads and private ownership of water sources within the Ngabe Bugle region and its areas, and so on." he said. (Prensa)

Editor's Comment: Ah, OK. So this Article 5 was not included in the negotiations last year, and it was only submitted to the Committee in the National Assembly well after. So, the government never agreed to include this Article 5, anywhere. Got it. More bullshit...   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Received this morning via email: "Is the highway open?.How will we know when it is? We are in David, rtrying to get east. Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android."

Editor's Comment: Nope. The highway is still closed. The government is not "taking the bait" and they are avoiding confrontations with the protesters. When the roadway is eventually reopened, it will be national news. Stay tuned. Follow @Panama_Guide on Twitter for instant updates with English language news about Panama as it happens.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Received this morning via email: "Hi Don, I understand the political football game. Have you heard anything more about them blocking access to Petaquilla Minerals, Ltd.? I know they run everything on diesel and need to bring in about 5000 gal./day for the generators. If that is stopped it would cause a lot of unintended consequences. Martinelli seems to be taking your advice and not talking until they get out of the highway. Good for him! This BS really gives Panama a black eye internationally. Tourists in the States are being warned about travel to Panama. Not a good thing. Saludos, MK."

Editor's Comment: They might have a couple of days reserve fuel in tanks or something, but if they're burning 5,000 gallons a day it won't take long before they would have to shut down operations. Obviously, not a good thing. And do the math. At $3.50 per gallon that's $17,500 per day in fuel, $542,500 per month, or more than $6.3 million dollars per year. The people who sell them the fuel are making money on that activity, as well as the workers who are delivering it, and those who are running the machinery burning the fuel. All of this economic activity is paid for by the gold that's coming out of the ground. Petaquilla's operating expenses for the last three months in their most recent economic report was more than $10 million dollars. The vast majority of that money is staying right here in Panama. Economically speaking, mining is a very good thing for the country. And Petaquilla is peanuts compared to what's going to be happening with the Inmet copper mine. In the entire country there are only about 100,000 Ngöbe-Bugle Indians, compared to more than 3.3 million Panamanians total, which means they represent less than 3% of the people in this country. Why do they think they can dictate national policies for the exploitation of mining and hydro-electrical resources?   

The Deputy and Vice President of the National Assembly, Marcos Gonzalez, said today, Thursday February 2, he has in his possession a video which proves that, apparently, members of the Panameñista caucus offered money to people who staged clashes in the public area of the legislative chamber, while they were debating Bill 402, about the Fifth Chamber, on Monday 30 January 2012. Gonzalez said they are former officials of the Municipality of Panama, who were working for the opposition Deputies from the Panameñista party, who were paid to be "rebels". "There are even Panameñista party members," said the Vice President of the National Assembly. "You can't be playing with public opinion, making accusations that do not conform to reality," said Gonzalez. The Vice President said the video is being presented to the public, because there have been allegations that the ruling bloc led to the payment of money to people, "when it's not true, putting the lives of the other Panamanians in danger, who were there that day." (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: This is an old tactic in Panama. If you have a fist full of $20 bills, you can get a crowd who will protest for or against anything, anywhere, anytime.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - About a year ago the primary cable television provider in Panama City removed CBS from their lineup. As such, I have to go out somewhere to catch the CBS 48 Hours Mystery program "The Dark Side of Paradise" which will be airing on Saturday, 4 February 2012, at 10:00 pm local Panama time. I spoke to Chip, who recently took over management of the Balboa Yacht Club on Amador, and they have the necessary satellite feeds to watch CBS live. So, I'm inviting anyone who wants to watch this program to join me at the Yacht Club on Saturday night to see the program as it airs. I suspect they might make it available via the Internet later, but I want to see it as soon as possible.

Superbowl Sunday: There will be a World Class Chili Challenge & 46th Super Bowl Extravaganza on Sunday, 5 February 2012 at the Balboa Yacht Club. Chili Challenge: $25 entry fee, cooking begins at 11:00 am, judging at 5:00 pm. All cooking must me done on-site. Deadline for registration is 5:00 pm Friday, February 3rd. Registration forms will be available at the Balboa Yacht Club or at the VFW Post 3835 Service Office, Santa Fe Consultorio, room 210. There will be prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, as well as Showmanship, Cash, trophies, etc. Super Bowl: Happy Hour prices, Appetizers, Games.

This event will help support VFW Post 3835 and its Ladies Auxiliary with their on-going charitable activities (Escuela Nuevo Progreso, Catherine Brown Home, Ollas Community and distressed veterans and/or family members) POC’s: Chip Pickard: 6674-0437 , chip@bocasdeltoro.net or Anita Littesy: 6616-0043/6490-2567, alittesy@yahoo.com.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Received today via email: "Hi Don, I heard a very disturbing(-i hope rumor) the other day. That Ms. Piggy was let out of jail because she is pregnant? I asked how could this happen, if she is in an all womens facility? A guard perhaps? Is this another way to get her out? I was told panamanian law forbids women to be in prison if pregnant. I hope you can clear this up for me. I was unable to find anything on your posts to say otherwise. I trust this will be kept confidential. Warmly, M."

Editor's Comment: This is the second time someone has approached me with this "rumor." No folks, Panama does not release accused serial killers because they might find a way to get themselves pregnant. Laura Michelle Reese is still tucked away in the Woman's Prison in Panama City, where she will remain for a very long time.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

First The Bachelor's Courtney Robertson stripped down to skinny dip with Ben Flajnik in Puerto Rico, and now TV's most hated bachelorette is taking her skin-flashing to Panama. When Robertson, Flajnik and the remaining bachelorettes trek to Panama to meet with locals, the women go on a date that requires them to dress in traditional garb -- including a skimpy see-through bikini top made of beads.

Clearly never one for discretion, Robertson opts to let it all hang out by wearing the skimpy outer layer without her bra underneath, shocking her local hosts. "We're getting dressed up and these girls are so prude. Why be modest? We're one with nature, it's raining, let's go bikini-less," she argues, as bachelorettes Emily and Lindzi look on in horror. "I'm bare-chesting it. I wanted to do the local flavor. It's fun."

For more of Robertson's wacky antics -- and her fellow competitors' reactions -- check out the wild clip above before the full episode of The Bachelor airs Monday at 8 p.m.(EST) on ABC.   

BP has started shipping crude oil westward on the trans-Panama pipeline, the company said in an e-mailed statement. BP will ship 100,000 barrels a day to Panama’s Pacific Coast port of Charco Azul, where it will be loaded on tankers bound for U.S. West Coast refineries. Crude oil tankers too large to traverse the Panama Canal usually go around Cape Horn, according to the statement. BP also leased 5.4 million barrels of storage on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts from the pipeline operator, Petroterminal de Panama, the company said.

The storage on both coasts and the westward flow of oil “will provide U.S. West Coast refiners with more diverse and flexible supply options,” Paul Reed, chief executive of BP’s integrated supply and trading organization, said in the statement. “This overland route greatly reduces transit times and lowers freight costs for many of our customers.” The trans-Panama pipeline’s capacity is 600,000 barrels a day, the company said.

The pipeline was built in 1982 to ship Alaska North Slope crude to refineries in U.S. Gulf Coast and the Caribbean, according to the Energy Department. The pipeline was shut down in 1996, and the flow reversal was completed in 2009.   

The Bridge of the Americas could be closed to vehicular traffic, after having suffered damages similar to what happened at the Centennial Bridge. This was announced on Thursday, 2 February 2012, by the Minister of Public Works, Federico Suarez, who said there was a landslide under the roadway near the Scenic Overlook. However, he said as work progresses, they will be able to determine if they will have to close the bridge. (Estrella)

   

The gas stations in the province of Chiriqui are crowded with the drivers of private vehicles and trucks, who are filling up their tanks in order to avoid running out of petrol and diesel, following the closing of the Inter American Highway in the districts of San Felix and Tole. Gas stations in the districts of David, Boquete, and Bugaba are presenting a shortage in fuel supply. Some stations only have 95 octane gasoline, because they have sold out of 91 octane and diesel. Already it is estimated that today eight gas stations will have run out of fuel to sell. Yira Tobar de Alvarado, of the company Mareasa, fuel distributors in Chiriqui, confirmed their reserves are being depleted and there is concern that the closure prevents the transfer of fuel from Colon to the province. (Panama America)

Editor's Comment: The protesters are demanding that government representatives go to the scene of their roadblock to negotiate with them. In my opinion the government should politely decline, based on fears for the safety and security of the officials. By now it's perfectly clear this "protest" is politically motivated. The indigenous people have been infiltrated by political operatives from the PRD and Panameñista political parties, who are trying to cause problems for Martinelli. Their demands are ridiculous - they want all mining and hydroelectric activities in the entire country shut down - and obviously that's not going to happen. They know their demands are never going to be met, and they are trying to provoke confrontations. In my opinion the government should just continue to wait them out, and insist that they reopen the roads before they will even speak with them. Why negotiate with a terrorist? The government is making the case that these protests are politically motivated and they refuse to fall into the trap. Eventually the public will turn against the protesters and demand they withdraw, right about the time the food and fuel runs out. I bet all those truck drivers could reopen the road if they really wanted to.