(CP) VANCOUVER, B.C. — Junior gold producer Petaquilla Minerals Ltd. (TSX:PTQ) plans to raise $11.9 million in a private placement to repay debt and complete development of its Molejon gold project in Panama. The company said Monday it will issue 19.75 million units at 60 cents each, consisting of one common share and one-half of one common share purchase warrant. The warrants entitle the holder to purchase an additional share for two years from closing at 85 cents each. Funds from the financing will also be used for exploration of the company's Oro del Norte mineral concession in Panama and for working capital. Shares in the company were down one cent at 59 cents in afternoon trading after being halted on the Toronto Stock Exchange.   

President Ricardo Martinelli said this afternoon he would sign the tax reform package recently passed by the National Assembly, and he made his remarks as he went to the General Tax Division (DGI) to make a payment on his taxes, which he admitted he made belatedly. At the same time he spoke about the concessions held by the companies PYCSA and ICA for the Northern and Souther Corridors, in which he said he does not understand what happened in these negotiations which are not correct, which harmed the country, because these companies will continue to manage the highways and they will never return to national control. With respect to the tax reforms Martinelli said that now big businesses will pay more, and he also said they just ordered the placement of "cell phone blockers" around the prisons in the country, and he also reiterated his unconditional support for the Director of National Police (PN), Gustavo Perez. (Source - La Estrella)

Editor's Comment: The "cell phone blocker" thing - prisoners in Panamanian prisons are not allowed to have or use cell phones. However, they are smuggled in so frequently that the government has basically given up trying to find them and confiscate them. They are now going to install these "cell phone blockers" - technology that will jam the frequencies and render cell phones useless. Martinelli also expressed his "unconditional support" for Gustavo Perez, so he's indicating that he doesn't think this whole issue is all that important, politically speaking, and he's willing to stick with Gustavo Perez for now. File? What file? Just like I thought, the whole thing is going to get swept under the rug, and the "investigation" is apparently for show only. Funny how the PRD is not calling for Gustavo Perez's head (because he's a PRD guy.) This Martinelli administration is a weird cocktail, that's for sure.    

The former Director of the National Police, Ebrahim Asvat, testified under oath on Monday before the Public Prosecutor as part of the official investigation opened against the current director of the PN, Gustavo Perez, for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of American civilians in 1989. Asvat said the record or history of Gustavo Perez did not appear in the archives of the National Police. In this investigation the former Director of the Judicial Technical Police, Jaime Abad, former police director Oswaldo Fernandez, and former Attorney General Rogelio Cruz have all made sworn statements under oath, as well as journalist Santiago Cumbrera, who wrote the article saying that after having received a dishonorable discharge, Perez returned to occupy his position as the Director of the National Police. For his part, the Director of Legal Services of the National Police, Jasmine Ramirez, said there are no records of any disciplinary proceedings against Perez in the files of the institution. "We do not know if they were taken or not," but we cannot say that there was ever any disciplinary process. Ramirez also denied that the files have been moved or removed from their records and in order to prove it they invited a group of journalists to show them the area where all of the files of the institution are kept. With information from Juan Diaz and Georgina Damian.

Editor's Comment: They took journalists to show them a dusty file archive room? I hope someone asked why all of the employees who used to work in those spaces were suddenly transferred to Colon. When I see these "nothing up my sleeve" maneuvers, it just makes me even more suspicious. And now the file is missing. How convenient. I hope they know that nobody is buying this stuff.   

About 200 striking union workers of the Colon Container Terminal (CCT) are keeping the entrance to the port closed, demanding improvements to their collective bargaining agreement, compliance with the Labor Code, and changes to internal rules. Felix Ross, the union's finance secretary, said they continue this fight to the bitter end, despite threats made against them. Meanwhile officials from the Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development, the Trade Union of CCT Workers, and representatives from the company continue to meet to discuss labor issues, with a view towards seeking a solution to the work stoppage which began at noon today. (Source - La Prensa)   

"Panama does not seek a fight or a war with the FARC, we only guard our own territory to ensure drugs do not enter the country and continue to affect public safety," said the Minister of Government and Justice Jose Raul Mulino on the TVN Channel 2 television program "Diálogo." Mulino said clashes with FARC guerrillas in Panama have been based on constitutional principles and the goal of the Government to prevent drugs from entering the country which then end up in the urban areas. According to Mulino, part of the government's strategy is the creation of the Naval Air Stations which are nothing more than an extension of a shield out to sea, to prevent the entry of drugs, especially along the Pacific coast that is connected to the Inter-American highway that reaches the United States. "This country has between the Atlantic and Pacific approximately 2,500 kilometers of coastline, making it impossible that with our manpower and forces to guard the entire coast," said Mulino, who at the same time invited any foreign state to provide logistical support to Panama as assistance in the fight against drug trafficking. Mulino said they have opened the Naval Air Station on Isla Chapera and Quebrada de Piedra. He said that by 15 April 2010 they could be opening the new Naval Air Station in Piña, and that in Punta de Coco they are building an airport that will provide logistical support, and that they will be reconditioning the old installations of the Coiba island prison. (Source - La Critica)

Editor's Comment: The FARC lost any pretext of being a legitimate revolutionary movement years ago, and they are now nothing more than the guns for the drug trafficking cartels of Colombia. Panama's message is easy and clear - we don't want a war with anyone, but if you get caught bringing drugs into the country, then you're nothing more than a drug trafficker. No need to get into the whole rhetoric game of the Colombian internal insurgency conflict.   

While insecurity in the country is still growing, politicians from the PRD political party and officials from the current administration exchanged barbs. The top leadership of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) says that while insecurity is taking over the country, the government is only concerned with seeing how National Assembly Deputies and local Representatives are switching to the ranks of the Democratic Change (CD) political party. Francisco Sanchez Cardenas, the President of the PRD, said President Ricardo Martinelli is wasting his time by focusing his attention on plans to destroy the PRD, rather than trying to find ways to cope with the increasing crime and drug trafficking in the country. He said it is necessary to analyze the issues involved and to get to the roots of the problem, which he says are education and family values. The Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, Frank de Lima, responded to these criticisms, stating the frustration felt by President Ricardo Martinelli, with the criminal acts occurring in the country, has a solution and the government is making the issue a priority. de Lima said in the next five years the government plans to invest more than $600 million dollars to combat crime and to shore up law enforcement and the judicial system. This investment will be distributed in the "construction of prisons, to provide better equipment to the National Police officers, and to improve the judicial system," said de Lima. Another person defending the current administration was the Director of the National Customs Authority, Gloria Moreno de Lopez, who attacked the PRD, arguing that they failed to meet the promises they made during the 2004 political campaign, when their slogan was "more security, more jobs, and zero corruption." Her statements came during an interview on the Open Debate program on Channel 4. (Source - El Siglo)

Editor's Comment: Family values? This statement shows how Francisco Sanchez Cardenas has no strategic understanding of the problem being faced by Panama. Over the weekend in Mexico 27 people were murdered in a 24 hour period in an explosion of violence related to drug trafficking. Family values and education? A line from "That 70's Show" has no use now. The murders in Panama are a reflection of international drug trafficking organized crime cartels who are killing one another over the multi billion dollar cocaine business. "Kumbaya" doesn't stop AK-47 rounds. The message from the Martinelli administration is a good one - that they are making this their #1 priority. It's about time, because it's been everyone else's #1 priority for a long time now. Weapons free - crack the whip, choke-point strategy, execute. There will be no complaints, and the ACLU doesn't give a crap about Panama. The US needs to pony up some serious money to help as well. It would help if the Panamanian government and authorities could start classifying murders as "drug and organized crime related" for statistical purposes. Bean counters can only count beans if you're willing to give them beans to count. When they can count the friggin' beans, then that turns into money. Ain't government wunderful. So, make more beans to get more means - oldest trick in the book.   

Panama's Minister of Economy and Finance, Alberto Vallarino, announced today on TVN Channel 2 morning news the payment of increased taxes will be retroactive, once President Ricardo Martinelli signs the Tax Reform Act passed by the National Assembly last week into law, expected either today or tomorrow. Vallarino also said both of the Corridors have a "birthday", while announcing the government will adopt an administrative rescue for the project for the section of road from Brisas del Golf and the resurfacing from Villa Lucre to Los Pueblos, because they will not put one additional dollar into those contracts. He also said the government would pay to complete the section of the Northern Corridor in Quebrada López, in Colón. Other issues, Vallarino said, would be discussed during the meeting of the Cabinet Council this week. (Source - TVN Noticias)

Editor's Comment: When Vallarino said "the payment of the taxes will be retroactive" that's actually good news for most poor people in Panama, because for many people tax exclusions and limits have increased, and those exclusions will also be implemented retroactively.   

This morning on the AM News, it was learned a nephew of the President of the Republic, Ricardo Martinelli and a nephew of the Director of the National Police, Gustavo Perez, are both involved in a theft reported to the police station in the area of San Francisco. The names of those involved in this case were not disclosed, however it was learned that a nephew of the president was discovered to be in possession of an accessory of a luxury BMW automobile, whose theft was reported by the nephew of the chief of police. The president's nephew was given until today to show a receipt for the luxury accessory, and if he fails to do so then the authorities will act accordingly. (Source - La Estrella)   

A group of criminals assaulted the private yacht named "Mr. Bull" owned by former Panamanian president Ernesto Perez Balladares, where it was tied up to a private dock in Puerto Pedregal in the province of Chiriqui. Reportedly, it was not until last night until the security guard who works at the dock noticed one of the yacht's windows was broken. Apparently the criminals used a small boat to approach the side of the private yacht and broke one of the windows to gain access, and they took several articles from the inside of the yacht. (Source - Panama America)   

There's no positive outcome of negotiations between representatives of the Colon Container Terminal, S. A. and port workers on the Atlantic coast. The workers of the port, located in Coco Solo, have called for a work stoppage to start today, Monday, 15 March 2010, at 12:00 noon. Ricardo Brenes, a spokesman for the workers, said they were meeting through last night, but the company is still not yielding to their demands. The decision to go on strike, which was announced several days ago, could be suspended if an agreement is reached before 11:00 am this morning. (Source - La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: This will be a very important international story if the strike actually materializes today.    

Posted by Scott Lush - Do you prefer whole bean Ethiopian Organic Sidamo light roast, or Candy Cane Flavored Decaf ground? To purists, they're at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Ethiopian Organic Sidamo should brew a classic cup with floral aromatics and essenses of citrus, berry, and nut. It's brewed light in order to preserve the origin character of an Ethiopian Sidamo. Maybe it's dry processed to add some earthiness and wildness to the cup to complement the other flavors. It drives like a Lexus. The Candy Cane flavored coffee ought to taste like...well...something hanging on a branch of the Christmas tree next to the flashing lights. It drives like a Mini Cooper S. Ethiopian Organic Sidamo appeals to experienced drinkers with a catalog of coffee tastes in their mind, Candy Cane decaf appeals to everyone ages 10 and up!

Backstory: This is the reason that purists raved over and gave awards to the Panama Hacienda Esmeraldo Gesha Varietal. It gave them the unexpected flavor of a classic Ethiopian coffee from Central America. It's what an Ethipian Gesha coffee plant tastes like when it's grown in Central American soil. It's like Opera fans seeing a new interpretation of the Barbier of Seville. To most everybody else, it has all the appeal of....opera. Or it's like Miles Davis fans finding a lost studio recording from the 1960s. To everyone else, it just sounds like Jazz. But to the purist, it's nirvana.

A lot of coffee purists say that coffee should be purchased whole bean, single origin, and ground in small quantities for each brew. On the other hand, everyday coffee drinkers purchase blends and flavored coffee, ground for convenience. One is brewing coffee to build up their catalog of knowledge and experience, the other is trying to get in the car by 6am to drive to the office.

Some terrific roasters on our site appeal to the coffee cognoscenti and have never carried flavored coffee, like Ecco Caffe, Chazzano Coffee and Kickapoo. Other terrific roasters carry flavored coffee in more flavors than Baskin and Robbins like Latitude 32.5 Roasters, Higher Ground and IronBrew.

Can both kinds of coffees exist on the same website? I've sampled hundreds of coffees and have an opinion.

I love both single-origin gourmet coffee and flavored ones. It's wonderful to listen to John Coltrane jazz with audiophile headphones, and then other times I like to crank up some Britney Spears from my car radio. It would be fun to drive a Lexus (if I had one!) with burled wood interior but also nice to hug the curves with a Mini Cooper S-series. It's nice to drink a rare Bordeaux wine but other times I like 3-Buck Chuck wine from Trader Joe's.

Flavored coffees allow a variety of flavors not available naturally in coffee of course, including Hazelnut, Banana Creme, Irish Coffee, and Kona Coconut. The more I try single-origins the more I love variety in my coffee and new tastes. How can you resist flavors like that!

Editor's Comment: Pardon me for pointing out the glaring error in the article - it's Hacienda La Esmeralda. "Esmeraldo?" Obviously, the author has a clue... Stick to the candy canes, they're sticky anyway.   

By Greg Vincent, AgWeb Editor - A container ship full of grain moving through the Panama Canal today will hold about 200 million bushels. When the massive Panama Canal expansion project is complete in 2014, that number will more than double, and potential efficiencies for moving U.S. agricultural products overseas will be astounding. Maria Sanchez, International Trade Specialist and leader of the dry bulk segment at the Panama Canal Authority, says the relationship between the two countries is strengthened because of the dependency each country has on the Canal. About 6% of the Panamanian GPD is derived directly from the canal. With 40% of ships moving through the man-made waterway originating in the United States and 27% being destined there, interest in the canal from both countries is easy to understand.

   

By PHILIP ELLIOTT (AP) – 39 minutes ago WASHINGTON — Three people with ties to the American consulate in a drug-plagued Mexican city were killed in a drive-by shooting, a U.S. official said Sunday. Two American citizens and a spouse of a Mexican employee were killed Saturday afternoon, a U.S. official said. The official spoke only on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information. The White House said President Barack Obama was "deeply saddened and outraged" by the killings of those linked to the U.S. mission in Ciudad Juarez. "He extends his condolences to the families and condemns these attacks on consular and diplomatic personnel serving at our foreign missions," the White House said in a statement. "In concert with Mexican authorities, we will work tirelessly to bring their killers to justice." The State Department authorized U.S. government employees at six U.S. consulates in northern Mexico to send their family members out of the area because of concerns about rising drug-related violence. At least 18,000 people have been killed since Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against drug traffickers in December 2006. The State Department said it would allow family members of diplomatic staff to leave border cities of Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo, Monterrey and Matamoros. The department noted the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City has advised American citizens to delay unnecessary travel to parts of the Mexican states of Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua. The bloody drug war in has plagued the 200-mile U.S.-Mexican border for years, and once-busy streets are empty after dark. More than 45,000 soldiers have been dispatched to fight cartels since Calderon took office in late 2006, but the U.S. has been critical of Mexican efforts to fight the drug trade amid complaints of human rights abuses.   

By Jay Heflin - thehill.com - A free trade agreement with Panama won’t happen until the nation’s leaders raise tax and labor standards, Democrats and watchdogs say. The tough talk comes even as President Barack Obama reiterated his support this week for the trade agreement. The Central American nation is a noted tax haven and it has failed to follow through on its promise to clean up its tax act. In 2002, Panama said it would abide by tax rules championed by the international watchdog Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), but has yet to make good on that promise. “They’re one of the only countries on the OECD watch list that has not implemented one of the eleven international standards,” said Lori Wallach, Director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch division, a group opposed the Panama free trade agreement as it is currently written. Fixing its lackluster tax code must happen before the U.S. would even consider enacting the pact, according to several sources. “Until Panama has agreed to be part of a tax agreement and until it changes its laws to implement that tax agreement, it is 100 percent wrong to have a Panama FTA,” Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), a senior member on the tax-writing Ways and Means committee, told The Hill. (more)   Click Here To Read The Full Article (1,057 words)

Defense lawyers representing former Education Minister Salvador Rodriguez submitted an appeal against a recent ruling handed down by the Eleventh Circuit Court in an attempt to show their client's innocence. The Eleventh Court ruling denied a request made by Rodriguez's defense lawyers, asking for a judicial inspection of several schools in the province of Colon, where supposedly there were irregularities in the performance of companies contracted to remove fiberglass insulation from public schools. Victor Almengor, Rodriguez's lawyer, told RPC Radio this inspection is necessary to demonstrate that the Comptroller's report is full of mistakes, which is affecting his client's innocence. The appeal will be presented at the Second Superior Tribunal of Justice.

Editor's Comment: Much of the case against Salvador Rodriguez is apparently based on the audit and inspection conducted by the office of the Comptroller. And, since the contents of that report are apparently very damaging to Rodriguez, they are asking the court to conduct their own inspection, hoping for a different result. Whatever, the case is moving forward, slowly but surely.   

The Pangea restaurant in Panama City is holding a St Patrick's Day Benefit for Fundcaion Guyacan on Wednesday, 17 March 2010, at 7:00 pm. The menu will feature all of the traditional Irish fare, to include Corned Beef, cabbage, potatoes, dessert and one Guinness. The cost is $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Entertainment will be Irish folk songs by Michael Taylor at 8:00 pm. Proceeds from this event will be used to buy school supplies for the children in Parita. Gary Doherty, www.PangeaPanama.com, Panama 6675-4210, US 608-386-4412, Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/ybtg8mz

   

Update: The action starts about about 7:00 pm Looking for something to do tonight? "GRAPEVINE, Texas -- They say everything is bigger in Texas, and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum thinks big. So it seemed only natural that Arum, along with his new best buddy, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, would get together to put on a fight at Jones' spectacular $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. That is where welterweight titleholder and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will face former titleholder Joshua Clottey on Saturday night in a fight that Arum considers one of the crowning achievements of his storied 44-year career as a boxing promoter." If you're here in Panama City you should come watch the fight, live and in English at the Superbook VIP Sports Club. There will be drink specials, such as all national (Panamanian) beer 6 for $7, Miller, Miller Chill, Budweiser, and Heineken all 6 for $11 bucks. And new for the Superbook, there are now video slot and poker machines available, and of course only at Superbook you can bet on the fight and get paid on the spot if your guy wins. If you're hungry you can satisfy that growling stomach with something from our ever-expanding menu. Boxing, drink specials, food, zooks of huge-screen TV's, and slots at the Superbook - what more could you ask for? And remember at Superbook - Bet Today Get Paid Today. Hey, I'm bettin' on the guy with the Panama hat...



   

The President of Panama's National Assembly, Jose Luis Varela, said he would be willing to debate the idea of allowing for life imprisonment, but the idea of implementing the death penalty in Panama is not a viable solution to crime in the country. Varela thinks prison sentences are long, but what is needed is "more street work" to combat crime. However, he said the work being done by the police is better and more effective than in the past administration. Varela said this is because the government of President Ricardo Martinelli has motivated law enforcement agents with better working conditions. "I understand the frustration of the president in facing the violent events experienced by the country," he added. Despite everything he said he could not support the death penalty, stating it is contrary to Christian principles and that of being a human being. He argued that capital punishment is prohibited by the Constitution. "Increasing prison sentences might be good, but it must be mixed at the street level with very harsh measures against criminals. We have to give more money to the DIJ and police," he added. Varela said in the past the Panameñistas voted against including the DIJ in the structure of the police, but added that any changes to the existing structure should be proposed by experts in the field of security. He felt that more resources should be assigned to the DIJ, the DIIP, and the National Police so they can better perform their work against crime. He said next week the National Assembly will debate the proposal for a new law that would regulate the "criminal record" which would allow employers who are thinking about hiring someone to find out if the applicant has committed any crime. (Source - La Critica)

Editor's Comment: Some research in the United States has shown murder rates in death penalty states are not generally reduced thanks to the existence of the death penalty. (Source) However the death penalty is a hot-button issue and there's a tendency to twist the math and science on all sides. The counter argument is made well in this article - highlighting the difficulties in comparing jurisdictions with and without the death penalty in an attempt to say if it works or not.

However the situation is different in Panama. Most of the murders in Panama are not "crimes of passion" in which a jealous husband walks in to find his wife bonking the neighbor, but rather executions or assassinations conducted by hardened criminals associated with organized crime and drug traffickers. These are exactly the right people to target with a potential death penalty. They don't kill because they are suddenly angry, they plan to kill and execute their victim in retaliation for business gone bad. If someone is arrested, charged, tried, and convicted of assassinating someone to settle a score for drug traffickers, then I have no problems turning the lights out on that guy. None whatsoever. I support the death penalty and in Panama it is my humble opinion the courts should have it as an option for the worst offenders. But, I don't get a vote. Anyway, it's being discussed but I don't think it will ever actually happen. In this article Varela is signaling he would block any attempt in the National Assembly on moral grounds, so the issue is a non-starter. Whatever - life with no parole in a hell-hole works just as well...   

The employees of the Colon Container Terminal (CCT) plan to walk off the job and go on a general strike on Monday, 15 March 2010, at 12:00 noon, for alleged violations of their rights as dockworkers. Ricardo Brenes, the General Secretary CCT Workers Union, listed a number of irregularities such as the failure to pay benefits, anomalies in work schedules, and the handling of toxic materials without adequate security measures in place to guarantee the health and safety of the port workers. He said they have been negotiating for two weeks with company executives and representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development, because the workers are also owed the payment of Christmas bonuses and pay for good performance in their work areas. Yesterday, CCT worker's representatives met with the Deputy Minister of Labor, Luis Ernesto Carles, who who said he hoped that in the talks they would be able to reach an agreement with both sides so that this important port would not be paralyzed by a strike. In discussing the situation, Raul Villalobos, the Assistant Personnel Manager of the CCT declined to make a statement because it is Evergreen's position to not make statements, while they are trying to resolve the conflict between the port's workers and company managers at the negotiation table. Meanwhile, the Labor Union maintains the call to strike for Monday even though they will continue to negotiate in an attempt to achieve most of their demands, especially with regards to higher salaries. IMPORTANCE - If work at the port is stopped, then the ships arriving cannot be unloaded. (Source - El Siglo)

Editor's Comment: Chances are very good that both sides will reach an agreement before Monday at high noon, and that his strike will never actually materialize. This sounds to me like posturing in order to improve their negotiating position.    

The clash between the Minister of Interior and Justice, Jose Raul Mulino and the Sole Union of Construction Workers and Similar (SUNTRACS), is expanding. Today there were additional reactions from both sides, and it appears that neither side will budge. The incident occurred yesterday when Minister Mulino reiterated to protesting SUNTRACS members he will not allow them to close streets. His warning came a day after clashing with them. Mulino said he recognized the right of people to protest, but reminds them the right to protest ends when they damage the rights of others to use the streets. The reaction from SUNTRACS was swift, from both workers and union leaders, who say they will continue to protest, but the police warned they would act. In recent weeks the SUNTRACS has closed some streets with protests against government measures such as the tax reforms. (Source - TVN Noticias)

Editor's Comment: Practically every member of the Panamanian security services who carry a gun work for the Minister of Government and Justice. When it comes to street protests and the government's policy on either letting it ride or breaking it up with riot police - that decision generally comes from the Minister of Government and Justice, together with the current president. All of the administrations from the modern post-dictatorship era have had to deal with the SUNTRACS sooner or later. The difference is, the SUNTRACS leadership has been in place for decades and they have a lot of experience, while Jose Raul Mulino is still in his rookie year. The SUNTRACS has been pulling little "lunch time" protests - the workers come down out of the building they are working on during their 20 minute lunch break and they block traffic and wave flags for awhile. By the time the police show up to break it up, the workers have already returned to work and traffic is flowing like nothing happened. The SUNTRACS guys get their picture in the paper, they made their point, and Jose Raul Mulino is left looking like a man who wants to start a fight with a ghost. Anyway, SUNTRACS is always a problem, for whoever is in charge this year.   

With 40 votes in favor and 15 against, the full session of the National Assembly approved a tax reform package in the third and final vote. As expected, Law No. 119 which amends the tax code, adopts fiscal measures and creates an administrative tax tribunal. During the debate the Deputies to the National Assembly expressed their positions on the bill. Elías Castillo of the PRD political party said he was surprised by the speed at which the project came to the third and final debate. Castillo added this tax reform will increase the cost of living for Panamanians. He also said he was surprised by the content, quality, performance and purpose of the bill. Law Number 119 was approved under much criticism, especially over the 2% increase in the ITBMS sales tax. The main objective of the law is to raise $200 million dollars to pay for social programs the government of Ricardo Martinelli wants to implement. (Source - Telemetro Reporta)

Editor's Comment: This tax reform package basically increases the tax burden on those Panamanians who make more money, and reduces the tax burden on those who make less. The really poor people of Panama - for example a single mother working a minimum wage job - might take home less than $400 dollars a month. The vast majority of that money is spent on things that don't pay the ITBMS sales tax, so the real tax increase on this person would be negligible. They also reduced income taxes on the lowest earning Panamanians, while increasing it on those who make more. In the final analysis this tax reform measure will indeed generate more money for government coffers, but the money will be coming from those who have more, and the money raised will be spent on social programs to help the poor. This is a "Robin Hood" law at heart - which fits because Ricardo Martinelli is a Robin Hood kind of guy. Hey wait a minute - this thing passed with "40 votes in favor and 15 against." That's 55 votes. I thought there's like 72 guys in the National Assembly. Where were the other 17 dudes? I'll bet many of the PRD guys stayed home.   

The Department of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) dismantled a network of credit card cloners operating in Bethania. DIJ Director Javier Carrillo said one of the members of this network managed to leave Panama prior to the raid, but the remainder are still in the country. The network is composed of Venezuelans who were using two machines to illegally copy credit card numbers from a card reader belonging to a local bank. They had two apartments rented in El Cangrejo. During the raid authorities seized 43 credit cards from local and foreign banks, 121 blank cards, and 342 sales slips with different name and account information from one local bank, as well as a check book and a USB memory stick containing information important to the investigation. (Source - Panama America)    

The Ninth Criminal Court asked the Tax Office of the Ministry of Finance to conduct an appraisal of farm number 50728, used as collateral for the payment of a bail bond to secure the release of former Education Ministers Belgis Castro and Salvador Rodriguez as well as former Municipal Engineer Jaime Chambers, and ten other people. Judicial sources reported the request from judge Edgar López - sent on 2 March 2010 through a letter addressed to the Director of the Tax office Publio Cortés - is designed to access information to decide if those released on bail should remain free or not. The same day he received the letter, Cortes responded to Lopez saying his office ordered an evaluation on 26 February 2010 which will be conducted on 24 March 2010. These actions are the product of an investigation opened by Attorney General Giuseppe Bonissi into farm number 50728 after it was learned the property had been used to secure the release on bail of the three former PRD politicians for a combined value of $800,000 dollars. The farm is owned by Rodrigo Muñoz Sánchez, who bought it on 12 November 2009 with a tax value of $18 dollars. This property, located in the village of El Potrero in the district of La Pintada, Cocle Province, is only one hectare and on 24 November 2009 the tax value of this property was changed to $3 million dollars. In his note, Cortes informed Lopez they will also perform an appraisal of farm 50740, inscribed by Muñoz Sanchez to the Public Registry on 30 November 2009, which also measures just one hectare and that also has a registered tax value of $3 million dollars. Both properties are at the same location and were segregated from the primary property identified as farm number 20202, according to research by the Directorate of Land Registry. Cortes reported they have not been able to physically locate Muñoz Sánchez, so therefore he will be notified of this judicial proceed through a publicly published edict. The director of Land Registry said that on this case the have only received the judge's request. The other eleven bail bonds being investigated whose revocations were requested by the Public Ministry to the various courts and judges involved remain pending to be resolved. (Source - La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: If this trick was being used by one slick lawyer to obtain bail for inmates, that means there are more. I wonder how many people are walking around right now, free on bail, who used the same stunt. This scam was only uncovered because the three former PRD politicians are high profile cases. I would hope the Panamanian government, to include the judicial system and the public ministry, would conduct a complete review of every inmate currently on bail who used this kind of land guarantee to obtain bail. It wouldn't take to much for the Tax Office to hire an additional ten or fifteen auditors (or even better, to contract out the work) to conduct a detailed review. It would be a time consuming task which would require painstaking coordination between the Tax Office, the Public Ministry, and the various courts and judges, but hey - what's the cost of not doing it? This loophole exists in the first place precisely because the Tax Office, Public Registry, Public Ministry, and the courts of the Judicial branch can't talk to one another quickly and efficiently, and there's no requirement in law for them to do so, prior to bail being granted and an inmate being released. Now that the problem has been identified of course they will enact new laws and take action to close the loophole, however this entire evolution is perfectly indicative of the types of problems making the Panamanian judicial system weak and ineffective.

Look At What's Going On Right Now: Even through everyone in the world already knows what happened, the "system" requires that protocol be followed, an audit be conducted, and official reports be written, before any judge has the legal right to revoke bail and to return these thirteen suspects to prison. There apparently is no "wiggle room" to allow the judges to simply say "screw it, I'm convinced" and to revoke bail right now while the review and audits are being conducted, which will almost certainly serve to paper over their asses and to keep them from getting in trouble. And that's my point. Much of the judicial system is designed to allow slick defense attorneys to exploit the millions of weaknesses in the system to their client's benefit. I suspect that if this kind of crap was pulled in the US, the judges who granted bail would be so pissed off they would revoke bail instantly and return everyone to prison (just to be on the safe side) while the audits and reviews are being conducted. Here, the shoe doing the kicking sometimes seems to be on the wrong foot.

Want To Crack Down On Crime? If so, then the judges and the judicial system as a whole are going to require greater leeway, flexibility, and powers to shut crap like this down, right now. And there should be hard-hitting and stinging negative repercussions for everyone involved. Like, are the people who put this whole thing together going to go to prison themselves? The Panamanian justice system is weak when it works and flat-out broke in many respects. This story serves to highlight many of those systemic weaknesses in a very public manner. It remains to be seen what will be done to shore-up the judicial system in the coming years. The country of Panama is currently engaged in a hot-war against crime - murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, graft and corruption, embezzlement, assassinations related to drug trafficking, robberies, and gang related street crime of every flavor. The executive branch can run around and arrest the bad guys all day long, but if the judicial branch can't convict the criminals, administer justice, and create a real and significant deterrent, then the government of Panama is fighting with one hand tied behind their backs. Real and significant changes are going to have to be made, and so far all of the suggestions I've heard are little more than band-aids being applied to what amounts to arterial bleeding.   

By Sean Mattson PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - As investors fret about sovereign debt credibility around the world, tiny Panama could soon win a coveted investment-grade rating to reward years of rapid economic growth and trim budgets. The Central American nation of 3.4 million people, which has cashed in on its busy transoceanic canal, is on deck for a possible upgrade from all three major rating agencies, meaning it would join the club of other Latin American investment-grade economies: Chile, Mexico, Brazil and Peru. Investors are betting the move is on the horizon, with one agency saying its debt review could conclude as early as May. In the last two months, the difference in costs between insuring against defaults from Panama and Brazil has sunk to record lows. "They are going to achieve investment grade," said Boris Segura, senior economist for Latin America at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut. Panama, which straddles a narrow strip between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, has emerged as one of the biggest winners in the last decade's growth in global trade. About four percent of international commerce flows through the Panama Canal, and the country also ships goods by rail from ports on one coast to another. Shipping prowess helped Panama average 8 percent annual growth between 2000 and 2009 -- the fastest pace in Latin America. Panama even grew during the global recession, and a $5.25 billion project under way to expand the canal bodes well for future growth. "The advantageous geographical position of Panama will only get better," said IDEAglobal economist Enrique Alvarez, though he warned Panama would suffer if international commerce turned more protectionist. (more)   Click Here To Read The Full Article (413 words)

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Cristian Riveros' header in the 69th minute earned Mexico's Cruz Azul a 1-0 victory over Arabe Unido of Panama in the first-leg quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday. After a slow first half, the Panama team attacked more in the second but it was the Mexican club which took advantage of the few scant chances in the match. The return leg is Wednesday in Mexico City. Cruz Azul played without some of its top players, including Gerardo Torrado and Argentines Emanuel Villa and Maximiliano Biancucchi, who were rested for league play this weekend. In the three other first-leg quarterfinals earlier in the week, Mexico's Toluca and Columbus Crew drew 2-2 in Ohio, Marathon defeated Mexico's Pumas 2-0 in Honduras, and Comunicaciones of Guatemala had a 1-1 draw at home to Mexico's Pachuca. In the semifinals, the Columbus-Toluca winner faces the winner between Comunicaciones-Pachuca. Marathon or Pumas will face Arabe Unido or Cruz Azul. It is possible for all four Mexican teams to reach the semifinals.   

(AFP) PANAMA CITY — Illegal fishing and climate change are decimating shrimp and lobster populations in Central America, threatening a two-billion-dollar industry and 136,000 jobs, regional experts said Thursday. "Pollution and warmer waters are impacting our species," especially shrimp and lobster, said Central American Organization of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sectors (OSPESCA) regional director Mario Gonzalez. "The Pacific shrimp population, Panama excluded, has fallen dramatically" because of overexploitation and decreasing rainfall in Central America over the past decade, "which depletes the nutrients they feed on," the expert said. The lobster population is also in jeopardy of disappearing altogether, he added. Illegal fishing is also taking its toll, Gonzalez said. "Of the total amount delivered to fish processing plants, approximately 20 to 30 percent is illegal or undersized," said the OSPESCA official. Underreported catches compound the problem, Gonzalez said. "You can say that in Central America 50 percent of our (fishing) production goes undeclared or not reported, not only by private fishermen but also by large fisheries," the expert said. The dire situation has been brought to the attention of regional governments. "There's a regional policy (on fishing), but it's just included in documents which have to be turned into action in order to better manage our fish stocks," OSPESCA interim president Diana Arauz told AFP. As a first step, officials said, Central American Integration System members -- El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama -- have recently banned lobster fishing from March 1 to June 30 in hopes the species can make a comeback. Lobster and shrimp fishing in Central America employs some 136,000 people and brings in 1.985 billion dollars a year -- 4.1 percent of the regional gross domestic product, OSPESCA and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report.   

Mets GM Omar Minaya suggested Thursday that 20-year-old Ruben Tejada could open the 2010 season as the Mets' starting shortstop. The Panama native hit .289 with five homers and 46 RBI in 488 at-bats with Double-A Binghamton last season and told the New York Daily News that he won't be overwhelmed by the bright lights of the big leagues. "It's baseball," Tejada said. "Everywhere I play the game normal. I'm ready for everything." Alex Cora is another option to fill in for injured starter Jose Reyes, but Mets manager Jerry Manuel seems keen on giving the rookie a shot. Source: New York Daily News   

Ana Matilde Gomez, who was suspended from the position of Attorney General by the Supreme Court, returned to ask permission to travel to Washington DC in the United States in order to present her case before the Human Rights Commission of the Organization of American States. According to Gomez, her's is the most emblematic case in Panama in the material of the administration of justice to be presented to the Organization of American States, for the speed, lack of responsiveness, and other elements that have not been attended. She said that in case her request to be able to travel is denied, she would submit a letter through her attorneys explaining how the political situation has impacted her case through a statement. The Citizens' Alliance for Justice is helping to give the opportunity to Gomez to take her case to the Organization of American States, after her separation on 5 February 2010 over the alleged abuse of authority.

Editor's Comment: Maybe while in DC she could also get copies of any old intelligence reports that might exist from 1989 and 1990 detailing the possible participation of Gustavo Perez in the kidnapping of US civilians during the Just Cause invasion. Just a thought...   

Two men, who are suspected to be foreigners, pulled off an armed robbery of a house in broad daylight yesterday, in the Industrial Los Ángeles neighborhood of Betania. The criminals gagged the employees of the residence and took a safe the owners say contained about $8,000 dollars in cash. The house is owned by a businessman. The robbers also stole a blue Mitsubishi Pajero pickup truck with license plate number 252425 which was later abandoned in El Cangrejo, in Bella Vista. Apparently the villains fled in another car that was waiting for them. (Source - La Critica)