World Cup Fever in Panama
Business leaders recently reported a drop in productivity due to the start of the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany. Even though the Panamanian national team didn't qualify, people are following the games closely and those who can are taking time off to watch their favorite teams on big-screens in places like the Tavern in Bennigans. You know things are reaching a fever pitch when the street vendors drop the avacados and begin to hawk soccer team shirts on street corners. Brazil and Argentina are local favorites.
The first efforts to build the Panama canal more than 120 years ago led to about 30 000 deaths, landslides and personal humiliation for the legendary French engineer, Ferdinand de Lesseps. Now an attempt is being made to launch a vast venture which would carve a new lane through the country and catapult Panama from "the Third World to the First" in the space of less than a decade. The expansion is being vigorously promoted by the President of Panama, Martín Torrijos, son of Omar Torrijos, the subject of Graham Greene's book Getting to Know the General. It was Omar Torrijos who, in 1977, successfully negotiated with the United States president Jimmy Carter to transfer control of the canal from America to Panama, which eventually took place in 2000. To its supporters, the expansion is a magical solution to the ills of a country where 40% live below the poverty line. To its detractors, it is a risky venture with unknown environmental, social and economic risks.
PANAMA CITY, Panama--The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) has announced second quarter (Q2) operational metrics for fiscal year 2006. During Q2, there was an increase in net tonnage, total transits and transits of Panamax vessels. Additionally, there was a decrease in official accidents. Canal Waters Time (CWT), the average time it takes a vessel to transit the Canal including waiting time for passage, increased in Q2 and booking slot utilization remained steady. These metrics are based on operations from January through March, the second quarter of the ACP's 2006 fiscal year. Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tonnage increased 5.7 percent - to 75.0 million PC/UMS tons from 70.9 million PC/UMS tons. In addition to a spike in tonnage, the Canal realized an increase in traffic. Total Canal transits increased 3.5 percent - to 3,862 transits from 3,730. Moreover, transits of Panamax vessels (100 feet or more in beam and the largest vessels that can pass through the Canal) increased 7.5 percent - to 1,501 transits from 1,396.
Panama, Jun 13 (Prensa Latina) Without ruling out important internal debates, the issue of a Panama Canal extension received a new government boost in an international tour to promote it. Panamanian Foreign Minister and First Vice President Samuel Lewis Navarro is touring Europe to campaign for the extension plan in Britain and France as he did earlier in Vienna. In the Austrian capital, Lewis Navarro extolled the initiative that includes construction of a third set of locks over seven years to expedite passage through the inter oceanic road. The diplomat and President Martin Torrijos are carrying out similar efforts in other European nations, the US, Mexico, Colombia and members of the Central American Integration System. In addition, the Panama Canal Authority has successfully promoted the project at meetings of the International Consultant Committee. However, the matter continues to receive criticism at home where detractors consider the project absurd as it is beyond the reasonable reach of a small country with an underdeveloped economy.
For the 14 students from St. John’s University who went to Panama in May as part of Campus Ministry’s first overseas plunge, language was not a barrier in communicating with the local people. “We were all surprised to find out that what really creates a bond is generosity of spirit and openness, says Fr. Tri M. Duong, C.M., Campus Ministry Director of Education and Justice. It was Fr. Tri who suggested the plunge, after learning about the housing needs of the people in San Antonio, Panama from a seminary classmate who works there. The plunge took place May 15-27, 2006, drawing 12 female and two male students from St. John’s Queens and Staten Island campuses. To prepare for the trip, Campus Ministry scheduled three special sessions led by ministers who have lived and worked in the region, to help familiarize the volunteers with the culture of Panama. In addition to being Campus Ministry’s first trip abroad, the Panama plunge also marked the first time that volunteers lived with local host families. “It was wonderful getting to live with and learn from and about the people,” says volunteer Gabriela Garcia Juarez, “There was such a feeling of closeness and love. I know it has helped me to grow spiritually. It was a beautiful, life-changing experience.” Gabriela, who is entering her sophomore year and majoring in politics, adds that she was overwhelmed by how happy the villagers are despite their impoverished circumstances.
Panamanian President Martin Torrijos signed a decree outlawing the worst child labor abuses in the country on Monday, which marked the United Nations' anti-child labor day. Torrijos said the decree ratifies the International Labor Organization's Convention 182, which lists the jobs forbidden to be carried out by children. The decree also announced the minimum education, health and recreation rights children are allowed to enjoy. Official figures showed that about 57,000 five to 17-year-old children in Panama were hired, whose education, health and recreation had been affected. (Editor's Comment: ILO Convention 182 covers the "worst" forms of child labor such as slavery, trafficking of children, debt bondage, prostitution, drug trafficking, and pornography. It applies to all those under age 18. There is a "catch all" clause which covers anything "likely to harm the health, safety, or morals of children." Like, maybe, selling stuff in traffic? In case your were wondering, the ILO passed this in 1999. What has Panama been waiting for? Why didn't Mireya ratify this a long time ago?)
MADRID (AFX) - Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas SA, Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA and Grupo Ferrovial SA are in talks with Panama's government over a 5.250 bln usd contract to extend the Panama Canal, Expansion reported, without citing a source. If the extension project goes ahead, the Canal's loading capacity will be increased by 82 pct to 510 mln tonnes by 2025, the newspaper noted. The Panamanian authorities plan to call a referendum this autumn to approve the project, with work likely to start in 2007, Expansion said, adding that completion is seen in seven years.
The National Police are creating a new specialized unit within the Police Directorate of Information and Intelligence (DIIP) charged to investigate organized crime using new technologies. Humberto Brid, director of the DIIP, said they are now in a reorganization process. At least 30 members of the DIIP are studying abroad subjects such as terrorism, computer crime, arms and drug trafficking, and transnational crime. Brid said that with the specialization of DIIP personnel they hope to be better prepared to combat organized crime.
Police have arrested fourteen "mules" who have tried to smuggle drugs through the Tocumen International so far this year. In most of the cases people are either trying to smuggle cocaine in false-bottomed suitcases or in their stomaches. The Judicial Technical Police have seized 284 "capsules" filled with cocaine from the stomaches of three dutchmen and one Dominican. The four "mules" came from Costa Rica and were enroute to Spain. They were acting suspicious which alerted police inspectors who sent them to be x-rayed. The Main Customs Directorate detected ten other smugglers so far this year who were trying to pass drugs through the airport via other means. Of the ten, four were Panamanian, one Mexican, one Spanish, one American and one Irish. The other two are of unknown origin. In all of 2005 only 14 cases were registered.
After filing formal charges accusing two civil employees of using state resources to promote the expansion of the Panama Canal, the Public Prosecutor of the Electoral Office requested the firing of the two, who work for the Panamanian Maritime Authority. Domingo Espino, head of the port of Mensabé, and Isolda Saavedra, coordinator of personnel in that office, used an official computer to make invitations with the logo of the Popular Party, for an event on the expansion. The AMP said that it would take measures but on Friday the employees were still working in their positions.
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters) - Three U.S. students and their teacher are believed to have drowned in swollen seas off Costa Rica's Pacific coast, authorities said on Sunday. The four were part of a group of six -- including another teacher and student -- who chose to go swimming near the town of Parrita on Saturday when strong currents dragged them out to sea, said Carlos Bolanos, a Red Cross official. Two of the swimmers were rescued, but the bodies of Kansas high school students Danielle Tongier, 18, and Andrew Harpstrite, 17, were recovered by local police. The two others are missing and presumed drowned. A group of a dozen students and teachers from a Kansas high school were in Costa Rica for language study, said Bolanos. The names of the two surviving swimmers, who were taken to a nearby hospital and reported to be in good condition, were not immediately available, said Bolanos. Bolanos said the surf in the area was particularly dangerous at the time they chose to go swimming.
Last week Dr. Cheyenne Riera from Laserscope International visited Panama in a trip coordinated by 
The National Assembly is going ahead with plans sell a 15.2 hectare lot on Clayton to the horror of environmentalists who say the land is part of the Camino de Cruces National Park and therefore a protected area. The warnings have not fallen in deaf ears. The Assembly have tried to sell the land twice, on the 11th and 31st of May, but both auctions were declared desert because bidders never appeared. But a third attempt could be announced shortly, since, according to the president of the Assembly, Elías Castillo, "right now there is nothing preventing the sale". The National Environmental Authority (ANAM) seems to support him. A report from the Department of Environmental Protection dated 18 April 2006 certifies that the land is "outside the limits of the Camino de Cruces National Park." Castillo does not know what the potential buyers might do with the land but two companies have expressed interest - Castro and Castro and Royal Development.
Fernando Jara certainly won't forget the Belmont Stakes. The 18-year-old Panamanian jockey took Jazil on the ride of a lifetime, threading his way from last-to-first and winning the final leg of the Triple Crown. The 1 1/2-mile Belmont may yet be remembered for who wasn't in the race than who was, but Jara and Jazil provided plenty of excitement in the absence of injured Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro and Preakness winner Bernardini. "The kid rode a great race," Kiaran McLaughlin said Sunday, a day after Jazil beat Bluegrass Cat by 1 1/4 lengths and gave the trainer his first win in a Triple Crown race. "You can't map it out, and you worry about what's going to happen. But you just have to leave it in their hands." Jara may be a teenager, but was as cool under pressure as any veteran. As Jazil left the gate, he briefly made contact with Bluegrass Cat, knocking Jara's right foot out of the stirrup. But the rider reached down and put his foot back where it belonged, and Jazil was on his merry way, picking off horses along the backstretch and moving into position to make his winning run coming out of the final turn.
The first three of the Clipper fleet arrived in Panama City on a very wet Saturday morning, 24 days after departing on Race 8 from Victoria. The Canadian entry was the first to pull into Flamenco Marina at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal at 0900 local time. After winning into their home port last month, the Ewan Hind and his crew were keen to get in first again despite finishing 6th overall in the last race. Coming alongside in a torrential downpour, the crew were glad to step ashore and taste their first local beer, the aptly named Panama, after over three weeks at sea. Next to pull into the marina was Durban Clipper, who finished in 2nd place in Race 8. The South African entry skippered by Craig Millar was just an hour behind Victoria, but the worst of the rain had cleared by the time they arrived. In Panama, the weather is a real hotch potch, with bright sunshine one moment and bucketing with rain the next. The crews have become accustomed to this tropical weather over the last couple of weeks, and arrived in a mixture of bikinis, shorts and oilskins.
By Robert W. Bone: PANAMA CITY, Panama » Pelicans circled above the bay with the cool deliberation of master marksmen. When one spotted a fish, he snapped his wings into a sort of sharp-angled italicized Z and power-dived into the water. Returning to the surface with his prey, he would slide his prize smoothly into his gullet with a proud shake of his ample beak. I admired these deft acrobatics for an hour or two one sunny day in June 1963, in front of my hotel, the kind of marginal establishment that a nearly broke young vagabond could afford in those days. I can no longer name the hotel, but the pelican scene was firmly fixed in my memory by the time I flew home to the U.S. the following day. Returning to Panama City after more than 42 years, I again found myself overlooking the same shoreline. My previous modest accommodations were long gone. But from the balcony attached to a snazzy air-conditioned room in the Intercontinental Hotel Miramar, I saw that the pelicans had managed to remain on duty. And their aim was as good as ever.
Liverpool 08 and Cardiff arrived in Panama City on Sunday afternoon, joining New York, Victoria, Uniquely Singapore and Durban. Glasgow is expected at around 5pm local time and westernaustralia.com, Qingdao and Jersey are expected later today. The prizegiving party for Race 8 from Victoria starts at 6pm tonight on the stunning terrace at the Flamenco Marina. Traditional Panamanian snacks and drinks will be served overlooking the entrance to the Panama Canal. The first batch of five boats is scheduled to transit the Canal tomorrow. It is likely to be an early start for the crews but they will be glad to get a daytime slot so that they can appreciate the spectacular scenery. The journey through the Canal takes approximately 8 hours and each boat will have an official Panama Canal pilot on board. For more information about the Panama Canal and to view photo gallery, log onto their excellent website at 
Chef Willy Diggelmann presents his 5 Restaurants in Panama: the 
Panama is going nuts over the start of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, which started yesterday. All of the bars and taverns are opening up very early in the morning to cater to patrons who want to see the games on big-screen TVs. Places like Bennigan's on Balboa Ave and Bolas (the old Shula's) in El Dorado are always favorites. At least the games are not at 3:00 am like last time... Panamanians tend to favor Brazil, Argentina, and other regional teams from Latin America. Maybe one of these decades the Panamanian national team will qualify. There's always 2010... Argentina vs. Ivory Coast starts in a few minutes.
The increasing value of prime lots along Balboa Avenue in Panama City have taken investors, promoters and government authorities by surprise. Mega-construction projects in Calidonia have shot-up the value of land. "Nobody expected that foreign investors would pay attention to those lands, which has unleashed a transformation in the sector", said Jose Batiste, Director of Development of the Housing Ministry. The Spanish group Olloqui is building the the Palace of the Bay (Palacio de la Bahia), a 97-story steel-framed building that will cost more than $160 million dollars to build. This and other projects have driven up the value of land in the area which now costs more than $1,000 per square meter, more than 10 times what it was worth a year ago. New construction projects will continue to transform the Panama City skyline, and high-rise towers will replace long-standing Balboa Ave. landmarks such as the Boulevard Balboa, La Cascada, and the post office.
With more than 2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) uprooted by Colombia's decades-long civil war and hundreds of thousands more seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, the United Nations refugee agency is calling for more international attention to be paid to the humanitarian crisis. These numbers, which continue to rise, make the Colombian situation not only the largest UNHCR operation in the Americas but also one of the world's biggest and most forgotten humanitarian tragedies,” UN High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR) spokesman Ron Redmond told a news briefing in Geneva today. UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations Judy Cheng-Hopkins has just concluded a four-day mission to neighbouring Ecuador and today is expected to cross the border into Colombia on her way to the city of Pasto in the department of Nariño, which has seen a marked increase in violence and forced displacement since the start of the year.
BY PABLO BACHELET: WASHINGTON - The 1,100-mile natural gas pipeline was supposed to be a jewel of Latin American integration, connecting Peru's massive Camisea deposit with energy-hungry Chile and then on to Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. But after months of talks, the $2.5 billion project was quietly shelved earlier this year because governments feared a future leader could simply shut off supplies and leave a neighbor in the lurch, analysts say -- exactly what Argentina has done with Chile and Uruguay. ''They've stopped talking about it,'' said Jaime Millán, a consultant with the Inter-American Development Bank, which was looking to fund part of the venture and hosted some of the discussions. ``It is a problem of political credibility.'' With gas pipelines often touted as the backbones of Latin America's economic and even political integration, the failure to expand the Camisea project shows just how a region made up of seemingly like-minded governments -- operating in a natural-fit environment of energy surplus countries next to energy-hungry ones -- have so far failed to overcome political volatility and grudges that in some cases go back centuries, experts say.
By Kent Green: ST. CHARLES — A pair of teens from a St. Charles church need to raise $2,000 this weekend, and their church wants to help them do it. Danielle Valdes, 16, and Sarah Ferguson, 19, decided to go on a mission trip to Panama earlier this year. The $2,355 cost for each seemed daunting, but they were sure they could do it. Then they realized the payment schedule required them to have the money in much sooner than they had thought. They have been rushing to raise funds, but so far have only come up with about $2,500 total. Now, their church, St. Charles-based HELPS, is rallying around them with two fundraisers: a car wash that was held on Friday and a donation sale today at Ragamuffin Coffee House in St. Charles today. Church member Steve Bowen said that, when Valdes and Ferguson came to the church for help, he and other members rushed to assist them. "I think it's wonderful. They're so young, and they're doing such positive things with their lives," Bowen said. "We're putting a heartfelt plea to everybody to help."
