
Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado on Monday closed her visit to Panama with a tribute to the more than half a million Venezuelan migrants who over the past decade crossed the Darién jungle on their way to North America, in a speech before the National Assembly of Panama and during the presentation of the key to Panama City by the municipal authorities. The visit was also marked by the confirmation of her presidential candidacy as part of the democratic transition plan set out by the United States following the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro on 3 January.
1 comment
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Chile’s president-elect José Antonio Kast held their first bilateral meeting in Panama on Tuesday, shortly after arriving for the International Economic Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean — an event promoted by organizers and regional media as a “Latin Davos.”

The Government of Panama will take disciplinary action against several oil tankers registered under its flag targeted by the United States for alleged irregularities, Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha announced Friday. These vessels failed to respect Panamanian maritime legislation, he explained.

In a move to preserve international connectivity amid escalating regional tensions, Venezuelan carrier Rutaca Airlines officially resumed commercial service between the city of Barquisimeto and Panama City on Sunday.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his Panamanian colleague José Raúl Mulino met in Brasilia to advance the Central American country's accession to the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). In addition, the two leaders instructed their teams to begin negotiations aimed at addressing the existing trade imbalance, as Brazil's exports far outweigh Panama's exports.

Panama has officially opened its market to beef from Paraguay, a decision announced by the National Animal Health and Quality Service (Senacsa) in Asunción. This authorization allows Paraguay to begin exporting boneless beef products to the Central American country. This authorization is another significant step in the expansion of national livestock products into Central American markets, Senacsa said in a statement.

Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), sentenced to over 10 years in prison for money laundering and bribery in the Odebrecht case, was granted political asylum by Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday.

The Government of Panama has extended a safe-conduct for former President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), currently sheltering in the Nicaraguan Embassy since Feb. 2024 after being sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined US$ 19.2 million for money laundering.

The Panama Canal Authority Wednesday denied an earlier announcement by the U.S. State Department that ships flying its flag would pass through the iconic interoceanic waterway toll-free.

Panamian President José Raúl Mulino Friday signed his country's accession to the Southern Common Market as an associate State during the bloc's 65th Leaders Summit in Montevideo, on the sidelines of which the finalization of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) was also announced.