Full steam ahead for Panama Canal expansion

http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Shipping/10319447.html

Los Angeles Times-Washington Post

Published: June 03, 2009, 23:36

The economic downturn has stalled big construction projects across the globe, but in Panama, smoke-belching steam shovels and dredges work around the clock on what people here call simply "la ampliacion" or the expansion.

As soon as this month, officials will award the principal contract for the $5.25-billion (Dh19.27 billion) expansion of the landmark Panama Canal, a project that will probably alter global shipping patterns and cement this Central American nation's place as a centre of global logistics.

"This is a financial crisis, and there has been a decline in ship traffic, but we are very much on time and on target," said Panama Canal Authority chief executive Alberto Aleman, addressing rumours that the global recession could cause the project to miss its 2014 scheduled completion date.

The authority is on the verge of choosing among three international consortiums, including one led by San Francisco-based Bechtel, to build two sets of locks to accommodate massive container cargo ships. Dubbed post-Panamax, the super-sized vessels are capable of carrying three times more cargo than ships now transiting the canal.

The construction of the two new locks - one at the waterway's Caribbean entrance, the other on the Pacific Ocean - will cost $3 billion or more, take five years to complete and require an army of 5,000 construction workers.

The winning consortium is expected to use the contract's marquee value as one of the world's highest-profile construction endeavours as a calling card to bid on other major infrastructure projects around the globe.

The canal authority maintains the expanded canal will make Panama an even more important transit hub by attracting a bigger share of Asian container freight destined for the eastern US Currently, 70 per cent of that cargo is offloaded at Los Angeles, Long Beach, California, and other North American ports and moved by rail or truck across the country.

"There will be a migration of freight to the canal, the implication being that Los Angeles and Long Beach ports will take the hit," said Mark Page of Drewry Shipping Consultants in London. "The US rail lines will also suffer."

Despite the recession gripping the US and other destination countries, the 9 per cent drop in global container traffic forecast for 2009, and a financing scheme that assumes rising traffic and tolls, Panama's Aleman said the expansion project is moving forward and will not be deterred.

"We factored in a margin of error and we are ahead of the projections," he said.

A new four-mile access channel on the Pacific side is 85 per cent excavated and dredging is under way. The new segment will be much deeper than the existing canal, allowing passage of 402-metre long ships carrying 14,000 cargo containers, compared with maximum 4,500-container ships that now transit the 80-kilometre waterway.

The winning contractor will be awarded a $50 million bonus if the expansion is done by 2014, the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal's completion by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

The canal expansion project is already having a ripple effect in Southern California. The Los Angeles and Long Beach ports each have launched expansion and streamlining projects valued at hundreds of millions of dollars to improve their competitiveness with an expanded Panama Canal.

"We're using the down time to improve our infrastructure," said Los Angeles port marketing director Mike DiBernardo, referring to his facility's 16 per cent decline in container traffic over the first three months of 2009. The port's plans include the expansion of three terminals and improved wharf access for rail lines.

Long Beach port spokesman Art Wong said his facility has put in motion a 10-year plan to invest $1.6 billion in upgrades of piers and rail access, a response he attributes partly to the tougher competition the port expects from the Panama Canal, as well as from port projects in Mexico and Canada.

But global shipping companies are wary of the rising tolls the canal is charging to fund the expansion. Michael Kristiansen, Latin America operations chief for Danish shipping giant Maersk, said the expanded canal will divert some US freight away from US West Coast ports, but how much will depend on transit times and the impact of the canal's toll hikes.

Another factor is whether US ports on the Eastern Seaboard make changes to accommodate the biggest ships. Ports including Savannah, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, and Miami are currently too shallow, and the Bayonne Bridge currently blocks their access to the Newark, New Jersey, port, the most important in the New York area.

As a defensive measure, Maersk and other shipping lines serving the Asia to eastern US routes are taking a close look at westward routes through the Suez Canal. Although Maersk is not yet diverting traffic away from Panama, it plans to open a Suez route for post-Panamax ships in the near future, Kristiansen said.

In addition to the Bechtel-led consortium that includes Japanese partners Taisei Corp and Mitsubishi Corp, two other groups also placed bids in March for the contract. They include teams led by Grupo ACS of Spain and another led by Sacyr Vallehermoso of Spain and Impregilo of Italy.

The locks will employ a "water savings basin" that will allow recycling of 60 per cent of the water used to fill them. Canals in Germany currently use the system, said Jorge de la Guardia, the canal authority's locks project manager.

He said the project so far has not experienced serious set-backs such as those faced by original canal builders. Those included malaria and yellow fever that killed thousands and the difficulties of digging through highly unstable "cockroach shale", which kept sliding into the excavations.

Still, rumours that the canal project might face delays gained momentum when the authority extended the deadline for proposals to March from December and when a fourth bidder, a French-Brazilian consortium, dropped out of the bidding.

"You have to look at the long term," Aleman, of the canal authority, said. "Yes we're in a financial crisis but there have been others in the past. And Panama still has the best route for Asian traffic."

Panama Real Estate: Hopes Run High for the New President

Published on:

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Written by: Yemi Kifle

Panama's most recent election was full of surprises. For one thing, Ricardo Martinelli, who in his first presidential bid in 2004 only got 5.3 percent of the vote, won the contest. Equally striking is the fact that Mr. Martinelli won 61 percent of the votes, making him the first president in the country's modern history to be elected into office with an absolute majority.

So, who is this man that has caught Panama's ruling party, the PRD (Revolutionary Democratic Party), by complete surprise? The 57 year old Ricardo Martinelli is a conservative tycoon who owns a spectrum of businesses including supermarkets, banks, and agricultural companies, according to Time magazine. The U.S. educated candidate campaigned promising change and voters decided he is the man that can deliver. "The Martinelli victory breaks the Latin Left’s 2009 electoral winning streak of Venezuela, El Salvador, and Ecuador," said Ray Walser, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative American think tank.

The fact that the ruling party's candidate had to fight accusations of corruption during the campaign is sure to have helped Martinelli. It probably also made a difference that he was once the chairman of the board of directors at the Panama Canal. The Canal is often cited as an example of the kind of efficiency Panamaians want from their government. Martinelli was also the Minister of Canal Affairs when, in 2006, voters said yes to a $5.25 billion investment into the sector. This canal expansion project, which will be finished in 2014, has generated over 2,000 new jobs with many more expected to follow.

Martinelli and his party, Democratic Change, hold the majority of seats in the National Assembly. This puts him in a position where he can implement his reforms, including budget cuts and business friendly regulations regarding taxes and labor, once he takes office on July 1. If he carries though, international investors, real estate or otherwise, will likely give Panama an even closer look. He is also expected to push for the passing of a bi-lateral trade agreement between the U.S. and Panama. "The average voter in Panama is betting on a dynamic and productive relationship with the U.S. and has demonstrated confidence in continued strong ties between the two nations," said Walser.

Real Estate in Panama City and beyond

The current state of the property market in Panama City is nothing to envy. The city's real estate sector is in crisis. Sales have practically ground to a halt, according to Sam Taliaferro, who was recently interviewed by the New York Times. Mr. Taliaferro, who is the author of the widely read Panama Investor Blog, said he has yet been able to sell properties he bought on speculation. Prices in the capital are also dropping. "In a building in Punta Pacifica that I happen to own property in, they were selling at $2,400 a square meter as of, say, six or eight months ago. Now I can’t sell it at $1,300 a square meter," Taliaferro told the Times. Anyone who is interested in buying in Panama City should have plenty of options and opportunities to negotiate the purchase price. In fact, for those willing to look and haggle with developers, there are a lot of choices. In addition, the $200,000 to $400,000 market that was popular over the past five years has disappeared, according to Mr. Taliaferro. That market, he argues, was highly dependent on the abundant credit conditions that existed before the subprime mortgage crisis. The new market that is now emerging in Panama's real estate sector is one that is made up of well-heeled clients in search of a safe place to park their money.

Looking ahead

Panama's president "happens to own the largest supermarket chain in the country. But he’s also a businessman and has a number of buildings and towers that he has under construction. So he will do everything, obviously, to keep that machine going as long as possible," Taliaferro told the times. In addition, the finishing of the Panama Canal will mean it can process large ships that can carry up to 12,000 20 feet long containers, according to Time magazine. There is a lot of hope that with the help of an efficient and trustworthy government in place, Panama will become the regional Singapore.

Alcatel-Lucent to deploy all IP network for Claro Panama

http://www.telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=28722&email=html

Hot on the heels of its March 2009 commercial launch, Panamanian mobile operator Claro Panama has contracted French-US hardware vendor Alcatel-Lucent to build its all-IP nationwide mobile backhaul network.

Claro claims that the new network will enable it to expand the range of multimedia services it offers, as well as increase the quality of its high speed internet service.

Under the terms of the deal Alca-Lu will provide its IP/MPLS solution, rolling out a full IP backhaul network designed for optimised costs and scalability. Additionally, the vendor will also be responsible for the design, installation and maintenance of the infrastructure.

Commenting on the deal Victor Agnellini president of Alca-Lu’s activities in the Caribbean and Latin American regions said: ‘By converging all services on a full IP mobile network Claro Panama will reduce its transport infrastructure costs while maintaining the reliability and quality of service necessary for delivering premium multimedia services to its mobile users.’

Panama: Graffiti on wheels

http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/06/03/panama-graffiti-on-wheels/

A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.

PANAMA CITY – Liriola Miranda, a college statistics professor, steps aboard Mr. Chiriqui, an old school bus blazing with splashes of red and green that give homage to the owner’s home province, Chiriqui, in Panama.

“The buses are an expression of identity,” she says of Panama City’s main transport system – a fleet of US hand-me-downs known affectionately in Panama as “red devils,” both for their hues and their hastiness as they fly down the capital’s roads, honking in search of passengers.

Sometimes the colorful expressions are patriotic, other times it’s something entirely different, Ms. Miranda explains, shaking her head as another “red devil” passes by, decorated with images of bikini-clad women in both back windows.

The “red devils,” painted down to the hubcaps, have turned Panama City’s streets into a whirl of bright reds and oranges and blues. Some are emblazoned with superheroes and saints, pictures of Colombian singer Shakira, or epic scenes of warriors fighting off lions.

Bus décor is a mixture of romanticism and manliness. Many are named after the owner’s girlfriend or wife – but they are also painted with macho slogans that shout “force,” “power,” and “thunder” or instructions like “If you don’t know the rules, I’ll teach them to you.”

But now the transport system, which is both ridiculed as anachronistic and celebrated (like the privately owned taxis called “tap-taps” that crowd Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince) as a form of public urban art, faces an uncertain fate.

The winner in Panama’s presidential election early in May, supermarket tycoon and right-leaning Ricardo Martinelli, made modernizing the public transportation system a main campaign pledge – calling for a Panama City subway to alleviate the traffic jams that have become chronic throughout the capital.

Carlos Diaz, a bus driver for 18 years, says he supports a new fleet of buses. “Let the new ones come,” says Mr. Diaz, behind the wheel of Mr. Chiriqui, his friend’s bus. “We’ll paint the new ones!” he says, smiling, before closing his doors and driving off.

For Miranda, it’s a mixed bag. “On one hand it is primitive. Panama is a city with money, and we deserve a good public transportation system,” she says, adding that her cellphone was stolen from her on her commute back from work recently.

Transportation consistently ranked as one of voters’ top concerns, and helped knock out the incumbent party. On the other hand, a new fleet will replace one of the last remaining idiosyncrasies of Panama City – not unlike the way a chain store drives out the local mom-and-pop shop.

“There is nowhere else in the world you can find these [buses],” says Miranda wistfully, but then perks up. “When they get rid of them, I’ll try to buy one as a souvenir,” she says. Or better yet, she brainstorms later, she can transport one to her home province and start a mini-tourist operation. “That way their memory will live on.”

Maryland Port Administration inks deal with Panama Canal Authority

Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 2:32pm EDT

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2009/06/01/daily28.html

Baltimore Business Journal - by Scott Dance Staff

The Panama Canal Authority has signed an agreement with the Maryland Port Administration to encourage shippers to visit Baltimore and other East Coast ports via the canal.

The deal could bring more business from Asia to Maryland ports. Meanwhile, Port of Baltimore officials are working to prepare the region’s terminals for an uptick in business that could come when the canal is widened in 2014.

“With the current economic climate, it has never been more important to provide optimal customer service, and this agreement will enable us to fully cooperate and work together for continued trade between Latin America, Asia and United States,” canal authority CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta said in a statement.

The MPA is currently shopping for a private-sector partner to enter a long-term lease at Seagirt Marine Terminal, the state’s main container cargo terminal handler. MPA leaders say a public-private partnership would help boost business at the port. It’s the fastest way to pay for a 50-foot berth needed to accommodate larger ships that will come through the widened canal, MPA Executive Director James J. White has said.

The Port of Baltimore is one of two East Coast ports with a 50-foot channel, according to the MPA.

Eco-luxury at Cala Mia, Panama

Solar-powered luxury is available in one of eleven bungalows in this eco-lodge on the island of Boca Brava

Richard Holledge

Surprising place, Panama. A few minutes down the road from the airport at David, Panama’s second city, a fifty minute flight west from the capital, there’s a small marina where the fishermen gather – no posh yachts here.

From the jetty you can hire a boat to wend through the muddy waters of a bay, past mangroves and mysterious inlets and islands where there are few signs of life – just the occasional curl of smoke from a house hidden by the trees or cowboys rounding up their cattle.

Come market time, like a scene from the Wild West, the herd is forced to swim across the sea at a narrow point to the mainland where they are loaded up on lorries and taken away.

The sea gets bluer, the horizon opens up, as the boat sails around Boca Brava, one of the biggest islands, to tie up at the small resort of Cala Mia. There are only eleven thatched bungalows, each with a terrace, where you can sit and watch the gentle ebb and flow of the tide.

This is the kind of place where you swiftly lose the will to move. Maybe some light kayaking, a swim, perhaps a walk in the woods to a hill top to gaze over the islands which stretch to the horizon.

It’s hard to beat the mindless pleasure of watching the fishermen failing to net a single fish, the pelicans patrolling the calm sea and waiting for the iguanas to pop out of the undergrowth and scuttle up a tree. Occasionally the howler monkeys let rip with their discordant bellow as if providing the sound effect for a part in a horror film.

The furniture, materials and woodwork of the bungalows are made locally and unlike the rudimentary cabins of Kuna Yala these are nicely decorated with local art and rugs, tiled floors, glass walled bathrooms and lots of water and electricity. Simple, but sophisticated enough.

You get the gist from the hotel publicity which boasts that Cala Mia is ‘an entirely solar powered resort … catering to an ecologically and socially aware clientele, we here in Cala Mia realize there are certain responsibilities towards the earth and its people.'

Five per cent of the price of the room goes to support the indigenous people many of whom work at the resort. So Cala Mia is not designed and made to become a “hot spot” for George W Bush-lovers.

Bizarrely it is another US President which has the place abuzz as we discover once we have teetered up the jetty and adjourned to the little terrace bar and restaurant to toast the soothing views of the Pacific.

Cala Mia’s owner, Vittoria Ghini, is expecting, well, who? She is agog. She has been given no name and is instructed not to ask for one when her guest arrives. All she knows is that she is a woman and that she requires an extra boat to carry not just an array of suitcase but her entourage.

Who is this mystery woman? Who would be so grand? Madonna? Nicole Kidman?

No such luck.

She turns out to be a glamorous woman in her Forties, maybe Fifties, trailed by two aides who stayed glued to their mobiles arranging the next stage of their journey, a local guide, her mother and her rather odd son of about ten who had a pony tail.

Despite the discretion of her guide but with the assistance of Google we discover she is called Sheila Davis Lawrence. She’s the widow of Larry Lawrence, former US ambassador to Switzerland and big Democratic Party donor. Her claim to fame – or infamy – is that she was accused of having an affair with Bill Clinton some years ago. She denied all and threatened to sue.

In a macabre twist the body of her late husband was exhumed from Arlington National Cemetery because he had claimed he warranted a military burial for serving in the merchant marines in World War II and sustained a serious head injury when his vessel was torpedoed by a German submarine. Lies, all lies.

To be fair, she didn’t seem that grand, but she did hire someone from the hotel to accompany her on a trip to a beach with the sole job of walking in front of her sprinkling cooling water on the hot sand. After two nights, she set off for a cruise on the Canal where Panama’s top chef, Charlie Collins was to prepare an on board feast.

That was the about as exciting as it got. Phew, thank goodness. The days returned to the demanding routine of getting up as the sun struck the terrace, breakfast of omelettes and fruit, lunch and a supper of fresh fish and locally grown vegetables. Not many visitors to disturb the tranquillity.

There was a rather flushed honeymoon couple from Chicago, another couple of newlyweds from Dublin (looking rather flushed) and a howler monkey who took such exception at the invasion of humans he aimed a rain of pee from the safety of his tree. Paradise comes at prices per room £110 (plus 10 per cent tax) in the low season to £275 for a bungalow suite in the high. Breakfast is included.

One feels the owners, Vittoria, who is from Italy and her Dutch husband Max Van Keeken are on a never-ending quest to find their own private paradise. Like so many ex-pats in Panama they have that restless sense of adventure.

They met in Antigua when she was working on a hotel development and he was a yachtsman with an unquenchable desire to seek new horizons.

They owned a hotel in Costa Rica before embarking on Cala Mia and live in a beautiful villa a boat ride away with glorious views of the ocean and its little archipelago of islands. Here they breed cows and make cheese, helped by indigenous Indians who they helped settle on the island.

Already there are signs of civilisation encroaching – a small resort of lodges has sprung up on the ocean side, there is a deep sea fishing club and talk of a major hotel being built. So get there soon.

Go gourmet in Boquete, Panama

Dirk van der Made

From Times Online
May 26, 2009

Richard Holledge found a superb tasting menu by the country's top chef in a Panamanian highlands restaurant

Surprising place, Panama. In the middle of the day in the highland town of Boquete a misty rain descends from the skies. It’s as slight as a hand held atomiser and it drops gently from the heavens just as the day threatens to become too warm.

Boquete is a charming two horse town of low buildings with tin roofs in blues, reds and rust. Set along the banks of the turbulent River Caldera it is surrounded by mountains whose flanks are lined with the straight lines of coffee plantations and peaks permanently wreathed in light clouds.

It’s quite easy to get to – a fifty minute flight from Panama City to the town of David and a forty minute drive in gentle scenery punctuated with real estate signs advertising land for sale and des reses in gated communities.

Fortune magazine’s Retirement Guide selected Boquete in 2005 as one of the five best places in the world to retire to along with Dubrovnik in Croatia, Bariloche in Argentina, Merida in Mexico and Phuket, Thailand

So that explains why there are so many balding men with pony tails, bleached women heroically squeezed into too-tight jeans and why everyone in Los Amigos cafe is eating burgers and fries, grooving along to a group vaguely reminiscent of an Eagles tribute band.

But don’t be put off. These US retirees are following in the more adventurous footsteps of the Spanish conquistadores and later by ‘49ers who stopped here on their way on their way north to California in search of gold.

Boquete is a mix of the simple and sophisticated – from the indigenous Ngobe Bugle Indian farm workers who earn ten dollars a day picking coffee during the season and live in their shacks, tending their smallholdings, to the gringos who venture from their gated security in their 4x4s to meet fellow retirees and rub shoulders with wealthy Panamanians who have fled the heat of Panama City for the calming luxury of hotels such as the Panamonte Inn or Los Establos.

We probably wouldn’t have made the detour on the way to the Pacific had it not been for Chris Parrott, an old friend who runs Journey Latin America, whose advice is free even if the hotel Panamonte Inn, which he recommended, charges from £63 for a standard room in low season to £315 for a rather splendid honeymoon suite.

The inn, which has a beautiful garden bursting with flowers, is perfect for the more energetic tourists who come to raft, ride and walk or to make the hike to the 3,478 metre peak of Volcan Baru where both the Caribbean and Pacific can be glimpsed in the distance.

Guides guarantee a sighting of the rare Resplendent Quetzal with its green-gold body, red breast and 25-inch tail but you may have to take consolation from the humming birds which whizz around every flower and shrub.

The visitors also come to smell the coffee which was introduced to the area over 100 years ago by a retired English sea captain who had met and married a Panamanian.

The plantations, such as the Finca Lerida, a few kilometres out of town, arrange tours which end with a coffee tasting session. Strange how it never tastes as good as it smells.

With its international population it is not surprising to find foreign restaurants such as the Bistro, run by ‘Loretta’ from Aspen, Colorado, or the Macchu Picchu owned by a Peruvian but to be offered a tasting menu was unexpected – and to be honest a little heart sinking.

After all, many of these bite size multi-course experiences tend to leave the diner as hungry at the end as at the hors d’oeuvres, craving a sustaining bag of chips.

The tasting was the idea of Charlie Collins, the executive chef and owner of the Panamonte Inn to celebrate the New Year.

Amazingly - it does sound a tad patronising - but, amazingly, the food was fantastic.

Okay, the first course of lobster salad parfait, smoked trout foam and quail eggs with caviar might seem a little complicated but it was delicious.

Exotic combinations followed: cappuccino of chanterelle, mushrooms and truffle essence; Patagonian lamb, cabbage and leeks in Riesling with a sherry reduction sauce. By the time the seventh and last course had been despatched – plum pudding with eggnog mousse - even the bulky American couple at the next table had surrendered in ecstasy.

Uncharacteristically, the chef did not appear to garner applause at the end of the feast – no Gordon Ramsay, thank God - but I bumped into him the next day and having enthusiastically congratulated him on his tour de force asked him what constituted true Panamanian cuisine. After all, the country is so multi-national you are just as likely to end up with a Chinese takeaway or a parillada from Argentina.

It was a challenge he couldn’t resist. He worked up another culinary masterpiece. Who could have thought the tamale, steam-cooked corn dough with meat or cheese wrapped in a corn husk could be such a subtle blend of herbs.

Plantain fritter with cassava and cheese beignet, maize pork loin roast – all basically street food – tasted as complex as a dish from Heston Blumenthal. And frankly, if you haven’t tried the tree tomato and syrup you might just as well not have gone to Panama.

Rochard Holledge travelled with Journey Latin America

The Indians of Kuna Yala, Panama

Paradise beaches on the Kuna Yala islands off of Panama

May 26, 2009

An independent island society off the coast of Panama retains its traditional culture in idyllic surroundings

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/destinations/latin_america/article6366147.ece

Richard Holledge

Surprising place, Panama. A few minutes from the city with its shiny new 21st century skyscrapers the plane is flying over empty rainforest.

The only sign of life below is the Trans American Highway, which in various forms starts in Alaska and comes to a stop 110 miles from the border with Colombia before continuing to the tip of the continent.

It’s a cramped, knees-up-to-the-chin, 50-minute flight which ends on a grass strip right on the water’s edge. A short walk and a boat trip to the island of Uaguinega and the tourist finds he has taken a journey into the past.

This is Kuna Yala, an autonomous state of Indians who originally settled in the Darien area of Panama after fleeing Colombia in the 1600s and then left the disease of the jungle for the sea and the islands in the 18th century. Life has been carefully - and tenaciously - frozen in time. It’s as much of a contrast with Panama City as you could imagine.

Kuna Yala is a strip of land and string of 365 islands that stretch 200 miles along the Caribbean coast. For the tourist the lure of the islands is irresistible, particularly as there are few places to stay, keeping it untouched, uncommercial and as soothing as you could hope with clear seas and palm-lined beaches and always in the distance the misty ridge of the mainland mountains like a barrier to the outside world.

Anyone expecting the bland luxury of a Four Seasons-style resort will be disappointed. The few lodges on the islands are made of the local materials, thatched in palm with walls of bamboo and shutters which are simply planks of wood.

When the winds gets up at night the cabin creaks and billows like a yacht under full sail. The electricity – in the form of a 40 watt bulb - is switched on at six and off at eleven, the facilities are simple with water warmed by solar power.

Food is invariably fish or lobster with tamales and plantain. And don’t expect anything as 20th century as a television. But that’s the appeal, even if Dolphin Lodge, which is one of the biggest resorts with 11 cabins, costs £194 a night per person.

Tour operator Journey Latin America offer a two-night three-day package from Panama City including flights and transfers for £372 per person.

The Kuna have fought, literally, to keep things simple. In 1925 an armed group attacked the Panamanian police who had been involved in the violent suppression of Kuna cultural practices by the government and in 1930 they were granted their independence rather in the way Scotland has its own administration.

Ever since, the Kunu Yala – 72,000 of them - have been determined to preserve their traditional life. The islands are tightly packed with one-roomed houses of bamboo, smoke spiralling from an open fire. Small shops sell crisps, biscuits, washing powder and tins of meat. Simple cafes serve Coke to the few tourists, each island has a school and a square for basketball.

The men work on their fishing nets, the waters alive with boats struggling against the waves with outboard engines, paddles and scrawny sails. One of their biggest catches is lobsters, most of which end up on tables in Colombia and Panama City.

Each island has its own identity. Utupu a stomach–turning one and a half hours through a heavy swell demands a $4 dollar entry fee and is like a little bamboo Venice with bridges over lagoons and houses built around inlets.

No pictures are allowed unless you pay one dollar – then it’s not a problem. The men of Utupu provided a spectacular side show. Our guide took us to a yard where a tapir – a sort of pig with a long nose - had been caught. Its head sat in a washing up bowl while the hunters enthusiastically hacked its body to bloody pieces in a dug out canoe. Well, that was the village’s supper looked after.

It seems a civilised and gentle society (unless you are a tapir) though it is hard to tell after only a few days. Co-operative labour is still the norm - they all take it in turns to sweep the dusty lanes, for example - but there is no escaping the fact that they are poor, relying on the 30,000 plus who live in Panama City to send home money.

They have over-fished their waters and increasingly have to turn to tourism to make a living. The biggest source of income, after the few lodges, is the sale of the traditional embroidery which enlivens the costumes of Kuna women.

Known as molas, they consist of a patterned blue cotton wrapped skirt, red and yellow headscarf, arm and leg beads, gold nose rings and earrings and the many layered and finely sewn blouses with patterns of flowers, sea animals and birds. Brightly-coloured leggings complete the ensemble. It is striking how few dress in western style even when they move to Panama City.

As the tourists stroll on the island of Achutupu, right across the water from Dolphin Lodge, they are soon caught up in a non stop display of wares. It’s all very gentle with women, grannies and children gathering outside their houses holding up their embroidery. There is no attempt to haggle or harass and everything seems to cost five dollars.

Our guide took us to meet his family, as he probably does with every group of tourists, to entice us to buy molas and good luck charms. His young bride and new baby lolled on a hammock, a talking doll beside her, still in its wrapping. It was her christening present, reciting, at a push of its stomach, 'Have a Nice Day' in an American accent.

The mola is the most striking symbol of the Kuna’s independent spirit but maybe the most admirable feature of their society is simply that it has survived with much of its unique cultural identity intact. Despite the talking doll.

Richard Holledge travelled with Journey Latin America

Caterpillar CEO says Panama trade pact would be good for his business

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2341773/

Fri. May 22, 2009; Posted: 10:29 AM

Caterpillar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Owens testified Thursday before the U.S. Senate finance committee in support of the Trade Promotion Agreement between the United States and Panama.

"Time and time again, we have seen the benefits of expanding our opportunities for trade," Owens said.

"In 2008 alone, Caterpillar exported more than $16 billion in products from the U.S., supporting tens of thousands of jobs."

Some senators are unhappy, however. Before there can be trade talk, they insist Panama clean up its bank secrecy laws which have turned it into a tax haven said to be robbing the United States of billions in tax revenues.

But Caterpillar said there is plenty of legitimate business to be done in Panama, only right now, company equipment sold to Panamanian companies carries up to a 10 percent sales tariff.

Caterpillar said tacking 10 percent on to the multi-million cost of the world's biggest off-road trucks built in Decatur hurts sales.

"Look at it this way," said Caterpillar spokesman Jim Dugan."If you were going to buy a new car, are choosing between two relatively identical vehicles, but one of them costs 10 percent less right off the bat, well, that is going to get your attention.

If this agreement passes, that 10 percent tariff goes away."

Dugan said Panama will definitely be in the market for the monster trucks and road graders built in Decatur.

The Panama Canal, the 95-year-old water bridge between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, is due for a massive upgrade to expand its capacity to handle the giant cargo ships plying the seas today.

"Caterpillar customers who buy and use our machines built in Decatur will be bidding on this work," Dugan added.

And Caterpillar said that history shows every time a trade agreement is concluded, sales shoot up.

After the North American Free Trade Agreement, for example, Caterpillar exports to Canada and Mexico quadrupled. After a free trade agreement was signed with Chile, Caterpillar exports to that country tripled.

"A lot of those exports to Chile are mining trucks built in Decatur," said Dugan. "A lot of those exports to Canada are mining trucks built in Decatur. Those agreements are good for customers, good for Caterpillar and good for our employees."

treid@herald-review.com421-7977

Hilton Hotels Corporation Announces Return to Panama with Four Properties

http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4041418.search?query=hospitality+net+panama

New Hotels in Panama City Reinforce Company’s Commitment to Grow in Central America

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. Hilton Hotels Corporation announces its return to Panama with the signing of four multi-year agreements in Panama City, Panama: two management agreements for a brand-new Hilton and new build Embassy Suites by Hilton hotel, one franchise agreement for a Doubletree by Hilton™ conversion and one franchise agreement for a newly built Hilton Garden Inn. Each hotel will represent the first in the country for each brand.

“We are truly excited about these developments in Panama City and being back in such a great city,” commented Daniel Hughes, senior vice president of operations, Caribbean, Mexico, and Latin America, for Hilton Hotels Corporation. “These newest additions reinforce our commitment to add a number of properties to our Central America portfolio and to have a presence in one of the region’s fastest growing destinations. We’re looking forward to being part of a thriving city that continues to offer some of the best tourist attractions in the region.”

The 351-room Hilton Panama will be a first class property developed by Star Bay Group, Inc., and Hilton Hotels Corporation will operate the hotel under the terms of a multi-year management agreement.

Led by F&F Properties and its president Saul Faskha, construction of the Hilton Panama has begun and completion is scheduled for 2011. Located in Panama City’s financial district, the hotel marks the Hilton brand’s return to the capital.

Just 13 miles from Tocumen International Airport and five miles from the Panama Canal, the Hilton Panama will boast an array of recreational facilities including an 8,200 square-foot fitness center, a 10,750 square-foot world-class spa, outdoor terrace swimming pool, and a Las Vegas-style casino.

The property will have more than 22,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 7,500 square-foot ballroom. Dining options will include an upscale specialty restaurant, a three-meal restaurant with outdoor terrace and ocean views, and lobby bar. The 27-floor hotel will form part of a 68-floor mixed-use complex with 650,000 square feet of office space.

The Embassy Suites by Hilton Panama City will be developed by Sabadell Investment Inc. and Hilton Hotels Corporation will operate the hotel under the terms of a multi-year management agreement. Construction of the 306-room upscale, all-suite full service Embassy Suites by Hilton Panama City is scheduled to begin in 2009 with an estimated completion date of October 2011. Located in the prime financial district of Panama City, the hotel is approximately 12 miles from Tocumen International Airport and will feature a number of recreational facilities including fitness center, spa, outdoor swimming pool, gift shops, and casino.

The property will offer a business center and more than 15,500 square feet of meeting space, including a 12,750 square-foot ballroom. Dining options will include a signature restaurant, a lounge bar, complimentary breakfast and evening reception area, and Flying Spoons outlet. The 21-floor hotel will be part of 71-story building with premier office space.

The Doubletree by Hilton Panama City will be developed and operated by Blue Star Hospitality, S.A., under a franchise agreement with Hilton Hotels Corporation. The 213-room property is undergoing an extensive renovation to re-brand as a Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Spring 2010.

The eight-story hotel is strategically located at one of the city’s most important intersections in the business district - Via España and Avenida Federico Boyd - across from the architecturally striking Iglesia del Carmen. The Doubletree by Hilton Panama City will offer a rooftop fitness center, pool and spa, retail outlets, 2,000 square feet of meetings space, and a full-service restaurant.

Developed by Metropolitan Hotels SA, the Hilton Garden Inn Panama will feature 163 spacious guestrooms and seven suites offering the Garden Sleep System® bed; ergonomic Mirra® chair by Herman Miller; complimentary wired and Wi-Fi high speed Internet access; high definition flat screen television; MP3 capable clock radio. The hotel also features a complimentary 24-hour business center; a comfortable lounge area to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning or unwind at the end of the day with a refreshing beverage; and a total of 160 square meters of flexible meeting space -- ideal for business meetings, social events and wedding receptions.

For dining options, the hotel will feature the Great American Grill® restaurant offering freshly prepared breakfast and dinner; evening room service and the 24-hour Pavilion Pantry® convenience mart with a selection of beverages, snacks, and sundries. Recreational facilities at the hotel will include an outdoor rooftop heated whirlpool; complimentary fitness center featuring Precor® cardio and strength equipment; and Stay Fit Kits® that can be checked out from the hotel front desk and enable guests to do yoga, Pilates and core workouts in the privacy of their guestroom or in the workout facility.

All properties will participate in Hilton HHonors®, the only guest rewards program that allows members to earn Points & Miles® for the same stay and redeem points for free nights with No Blackout Dates.

Ted Middleton, senior vice president, development, the Americas, for Hilton Hotels Corporation commented, “Hilton’s expansion in Panama City is part of our overall plan to grow our portfolio of properties in the Caribbean and Latin America. Owners and developers understand the value of our brands and we are very optimistic about our growth opportunities in the region.”

Panama City is the political and cultural center of Panama, and the financial center of Central America. Located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, the city is well known as the home of some of the tallest skyscrapers in Latin America. Tourists can explore a variety of attractions including the famous Bridge of the Americas spanning over the Panama Canal, tropical forests, and the city’s old quarter featuring a waterfront promenade, theaters, museums, restaurants, and the presidential palace.

CONTACT

Karla ViscontiDirector of Communications - Caribbean & Latin AmericaUnited States - Phone: (786) 866-7240Fax: (786) 866-7261Email: karla.visconti@hilton.com

ORGANIZATION

Hilton Hotels Corporationhttp://www.hiltonworldwide.com9336 Civic Center Dr.USA - Beverly Hills, CA 90210Phone: +1 310-278-4321Fax: +1 310-205-4599Email: info@hilton.com

HOLMES: Free trade as a stimulus strategy

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/14/free-trade-as-a-stimulus-strategy/

OPINION/ANALYSIS:

Most people agree that, when it comes to economic recovery, more economic activity is better than less. When companies buy and sell more goods and services, we get more jobs and growth.

Yet, for some reason, this obvious fact eludes those who want to constrain America's access to overseas markets. At a time when government is spending hundreds of billions of dollars it doesn't have on doubtful "stimulus" initiatives, you've got to wonder why some politicians continue to argue against free trade agreements. After all, these pacts have a proven track record. Trade has created millions of jobs and is responsible for almost a third of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP).

Three free trade agreements (FTA) are currently in play in Washington. Two of them - pacts with Colombia and South Korea - are in trouble due to union opposition. Despite claiming to be in favor of free trade, the Obama administration has not been willing to buck big labor and push for these deals. The third pending agreement, with Panama, has brighter prospects. President Obama seems willing to push Congress on this one because it has the least opposition from Democrats and unions, and also because it is an economic "no-brainer."

The U.S. has a huge trade surplus with Panama, which bought almost $5 billion worth of U.S. goods in 2008. For every dollar of Panamanian imports coming to the U.S., American businesses sell $10 worth of goods and services there. Until this year's crisis, Panama's booming banking, insurance and tourism sectors were fueling economic growth of about 6 percent per year. Efforts to improve financial transparency led the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to remove Panama from its blacklist of tax havens and money launderers, making it even more attractive for foreign investment.

But last week, after the White House indicated it could soon send the Panama FTA to Congress for a straight up or down vote, anti-trade House Democrats began mobilizing against it. Panama, they insist, remains a haven for tax evaders. Moreover, they oppose its labor laws, which prevent unions from striking at companies less than 2 years old. These opponents want to use the trade agreement to force a friend to change its laws.

Doubtless to their surprise, 20 members of the New Democrat Coalition in the House disagreed. Led by California's Ellen O. Tauscher, they sent a letter supporting the FTA to Mr. Obama, calling it "economically beneficial for the United States and American businesses."

They are right.

Approving the agreement will give American businesses and farmers greater access to Panama's market. Most Panamanian goods already enter the U.S. duty-free under long-standing trade preference programs, so no U.S. consumer or business would suffer as a result of this agreement.

Almost 90 percent of U.S. manufacturing exports to Panama would immediately become duty-free, and any remaining tariffs would phase out over 10 years. Moreover, more than 60 percent of American agricultural exports to Panama would get duty-free treatment upon the agreement's implementation, and any remaining tariffs in that sector would phase out over the next 15 years.

Similar arguments could be made for the trade deals with Colombia and South Korea. But in the end, the larger case for free trade agreements has to be made on the basis of how they help American families and workers, not on the sometimes fine microeconomic and diplomatic points that are lost on most Americans.

More than 57 million Americans are employed by firms that engage in international trade. Why are the unions not out there fighting for free trade agreements to expand their wages and job security?

What's more, free trade agreements account for more than a third of U.S. trade worldwide. The Obama administration should make FTAs a centerpiece of its stimulus effort. Expanding trade - a sector of the economy that accounts for 30 percent of GDP - should be high on the list of things that need to be done.

So far, however, free trade is not on Mr. Obama's to-do list. Indeed, shortly after taking office, he caved to protectionists' pressure and tightened Buy America provisions in the stimulus bill. The rest of the world, rightly remembering the bad marriage between trade protectionism and the Great Depression, howled. Clearly the embrace of the Panama free trade agreement is meant to counter the image of Mr. Obama as a trade protectionist.

I'm all for presidents correcting their mistakes, but trade policy should be based on substance, not image. If the president wants to be seen as a free trader - and even more important, if he wants to stimulate the economy - he should put the South Korea and Colombia deals on the table as well.

&#8226 Kim R. Holmes, a former assistant secretary of state, is a vice president at the Heritage Foundation (Heritage.org) and co-editor of the "2009 Index of Economic Freedom."

Historic Dredge Mindi to Be Replaced at Panama Canal

http://www.thelog.com/news/logNewsArticle.aspx?x=9444

By: Capt. Pat Rains Friday, May 15, 2009 2:02:00 PM

PANAMA — As the Panama Canal expansion project gains speed, the historic dredge vessel Mindi is proving costly to replace.

The Authority of the Canal of Panama (ACP) announced last week that it had awarded a $95.92 million contract to a Dutch company, IHC Beaver Dredgers B.V., to build a new dredge vessel to replace the elderly Mindi.

“Everyone waves to Mindi in passing,” said Pete Stevens, an agent for yachts in Panama. Well known to mariners who have transited the Panama Canal, the 125-foot-long dredge vessel Mindi has been in active service since 1942, working in the Gaillard Cut — the narrowest stretch in the Panama Canal — and often moored in Gamboa.

Mindi’s submerged drill bit operates off a large crane on the bow, and tailings removed from the bottom are directed to shore in floating pipelines. The two-story cabin houses up to 20 working crewmembers at a time. Tugs are often used to keep Mindi’s dredging end in position, as anchors could be fouled by the dredging process.

Because Mindi’s capacity of 9,000 kw (12,064 hp) isn’t sufficient for widening the Panama Canal for the new generation of post-Panamax vessels, the new Beaver dredge will have a 12,000 kw (16,086 hp) capacity.

To be constructed in the Netherlands, the new dredge vessel will be able to dig down to 25 meters, and it will operate not just in the narrow part of the canal but also in Gatun Lake and both Atlantic and Pacific entrances outside the new locks, according to the ACP.

Meanwhile, pleasureboaters transiting the Panama Canal over the next two years can still wave goodbye to Mindi: The new Beaver dredge vessel isn’t scheduled to arrive in Panama until May 2011. The Panama Canal expansion is scheduled to be finished in 2013.

US Senate panel sets hearing on Panama trade deal

Thu May 14, 2009 6:33pm EDT

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN1451468220090514

By Doug Palmer

WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing next week on a free trade pact with Panama that has been delayed by U.S. concerns over that country's tax and labor laws, the panel said on Thursday.

The agreement is one of three free trade deals negotiated by the administration of former President George W. Bush that have been awaiting congressional action since 2007.
Approval of the Panama agreement is widely seen as clearing the way for action on more controversial trade deals with Colombia and South Korea.

Many U.S. businesses, such as Caterpillar (CAT.N), also want Congress to pass the deal to give them an advantage over foreign competitors in selling goods and equipment needed for a major expansion of the Panama Canal already underway.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk told Reuters last week he saw "a window" to pass the Panama agreement before current Panama President Martin Torrijos step downs on July 1.

But Panama needs to enact a number of labor reforms and address U.S. concerns about its tax haven laws, Kirk said.

U.S. trade officials have been in Panama this week for talks on the issue, which many Democrats want completely resolved before President Barack Obama formally submits the agreement to Congress for a vote.

Everett Eissenstat, assistant U.S. trade representative for Western Hemisphere affairs, is expected to testify on the results of that trip at the Senate hearing next Thursday.

Representative Kevin Brady, a Texas Republican who has pushed for quick action on the Panama deal, said it made sense for lawmakers to begin reviewing the agreement since it appears likely the White House "will send it up soon."

Once a trade pact is formally submitted to Congress, lawmakers have 90 days to approve or reject the agreement without making changes.
(Reporting by Doug Palmer; editing by Alan Elsner)

Panama confirms first case of A/H1N1 flu

www.chinaview.cn

2009-05-09 03:54:21

PANAMA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Panama's Heath Minister Rosario Turner confirmed on Friday the country's first case of A/H1N1 flu, a young man who traveled to the United States recently.

Turner said at a press conference that the patient was quarantined in his house, so were his relatives and people who had contact with him.

"The patient is in a stable condition and is being treated in his house," she said.

The patient returned from the United States 14 days ago, and developed flu-like symptoms shortly afterwards. The infection was confirmed through laboratory tests, she said.

Turner said the Panamanian sanitary authorities will continue with nationwide contingency measures to keep the virus from spreading.

"We will strengthen the epidemic vigilance, the control at airports and the education of people," she said.

Turner also said that so far, there have been 34 suspected cases, among whom 27 were discarded and seven are waiting for test results.

Meanwhile, Gladis Guerrero, director of Epidemiology Department of the Health Ministry, said it is not necessary to suspend school activities.

The contingency measures adopted by the Panamanian government include the purchase of 70,000 doses of Tamiflu and the establishment of a fund of 5 million U.S. dollars against the disease.

Panama to award USD 5.25 billion expansion contract by July

http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/05/08/OTM2MjA%3D/Panama_to_award_USD_5.25_billion_expansion_contract_by_July.html

Friday, 08 May 2009

The Panama Canal Authority expects to award the biggest contract for its USD 5.25 billion expansion project in June or July 2009.

Mr Alberto Aleman president said that experts are reviewing the technical aspects of the bids of three consortia received in April before the bid prices are formally unsealed.He added that "The bids are in a vault in a bank and we expect that some time in June or July when we are finished with all the technical analysis we will have a public opening of the bids. By the end of the year we should have around 96% of the contracts awarded and working. The expansion is proceeding very well, very much in the time that we intended."

Mr Aleman said that the canal expects shipping volumes to decline by 5% this year due to the global economic slowdown but an increase in transit fees imposed on May 1st 2009 should keep revenue flat at USD 2 billion as compared with 2008.

The Authority last week reached out to the troubled container shipment sector, charging ships carrying cargoes of 30 percent or less than their rated capacity as if they were empty, and relaxing reservation system penalties.

Mr Aleman said that grain traffic is up this year, thanks to more shipments from the Mississippi basin to Asian markets. Auto carrier and container traffic has fallen, forcing shippers to consolidate routes. Cruise ship traffic, which is a small percentage of canal revenue, is up slightly as cruise ships begin spending more time in Panama on a general trend of increased tourism.

(Sourced from Reuters)

Pass Panama FTA

http://www.latinbusinesschronicle.com/app/article.aspx?id=3377

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Questions regarding Panama's labor regulations and status as an offshore financial center are not sufficient to keep the FTA on hold.

BY RAY WALSER

On May 3 Latin America's leftward lurch suffered a setback when Ricardo Martinelli, candidate of the center-right Alliance for Change, swept into the Panamanian presidency with a resounding victory. The 57-year-old Martinelli is a U.S.-educated supermarket entrepreneur who used the acumen and skill that made him one of Panama's wealthier citizens to win the presidential election.

Winning over 60 percent of the vote, Martinelli defeated Balbina Herrea, candidate of the governing center-left Revolutionary Democratic Party (PRD). Unable to shake concerns about her past association with General Manuel Noriega and the voters' suspicion of her links to Venezuela's populist president Hugo Chávez. Ms. Herrera received approximately 37 percent of the vote.

ELECTORAL DISCONTENT

Although the outgoing government of PDR President Martin Torrijos was marked by a reduction in poverty and economic growth, electoral discontent rose as Panama's economy began to contract following the 2008 slowdown in global trade and a slump in the construction boom.

The modest success of poverty reduction under the PRD, from 35 percent to about 28 percent of Panama's population, appeared to falter in 2008 as food prices rose swiftly and income inequality remained a sensitive political issue.

Panamanian voters were also troubled by increases in violent crime and a perception that high-level corruption remained endemic within the PRD government. A Martinelli campaign theme charged that, "They [the PRD] enter government empty-handed and leave rich."

As a campaigner Martinelli successfully capitalized on his image as a "doer," a pragmatist, and a potential leader ready to serve the interests of have-nots as well as the haves. Martinelli promises to promote market growth, exercise vigilance against corruption, and to develop Panama's infrastructure with modern ports, highways, and a mass transportation system.

Martinelli faces several challenges including the need to strengthen government institutions; increase government transparency and integrity; and fulfill promises for greater economic prosperity.

CLOSE U.S. LINKS

Martinelli will certainly look to the United States for support. Panama is a vital bridge for east-west commercial movement with increased potential for pipelines and other forms of land-based movement of goods and raw materials. It also sits on the north-south axis of the inter-American drug trade.

Consequently, Panama must work with Colombia to deny territory to guerrillas and paramilitaries and help to stop the flow of cocaine north toward Mexico and the United States. As a member of the Central American Integration System (SICA), Panama is well-positioned to work with its northern neighbors on issues related to security, counter-drug cooperation, trade, and the environment.

In June 2007, the United States and Panama signed a Trade Promotion Agreement. Panama ratified the treaty in July of the same year. If enacted by the U.S. Congress, the agreement will result in significant new market access and lower tariffs for America's businesses and farmers; most Panamanian products already enter the U.S. duty-free under trade preference programs.

Currently, U.S. exports to Panama are ten times greater than imports. Because Panama already has preferential access to U.S. markets, any competitive impact on U.S. industry and jobs has already occurred. Instead, the agreement will result only in new economic opportunities for America's exporters and the U.S. businesses that support them.

Recent questions regarding Panama's labor regulations and status as an offshore financial center are not sufficient to keep the deal on hold: The need to maintain sound labor standards is already addressed and protected appropriately within the agreement and the broader issue of U.S. access to international tax havens is one that is and should be debated by Congress on its own merits.

Finally, Panama has aggressively sought to become a destination for American investors and remains extremely friendly to a growing number of U.S. retirees.

END OF LEFTIST WINS

The Martinelli victory breaks the Latin Left's 2009 electoral winning streak of Venezuela, El Salvador, and Ecuador. The average voter in Panama is betting on a dynamic and productive relationship with the United States and has demonstrated confidence in continued strong ties between the two nations.

It is incumbent on the Obama Administration to reach out quickly to President-elect Martinelli in order to develop an agenda of close cooperation and mutual benefit. Specifically, the Obama Administration should do the following:

Establish a timetable for submitting the 2009 Trade Agenda agreement for Congressional approval;

Act quickly to strengthen regional law enforcement and counter-drug cooperation with Panama and make sure that Panama receives its full share of Merida Initiative funding; and

Embrace President-elect Martinelli's interest in combating corruption and strengthening the effectiveness of government institutions by working with Panama on rule of law and anti-corruption measures.

Panama is an important U.S. ally in the Americas. President-elect Martinelli's victory now offers the opportunity to strengthen this relationship—to the benefit of both countries

Ray Walser, Ph.D., is Senior Policy Analyst for Latin America in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at the Heritage Foundation.

PANAMA'S “LAID-UP” REGISTER

http://www.mgn.com/news/dailystorydetails.cfm?storyid=9891

Friday, 08 May 2009

THE Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has created a special registry for vessels registered under the flag of Panama that are laid up due to the world financial crisis. The measure reduces registry fees by 40% to 50% and the vessels included in the Laid Up Registry need neither full crew manning nor regular inspections.

According to a press statement the special registry will be valid for one-year period, and could be extended by one additional year.

The Resolution 106-09 of February 9, 2009 that creates the Special Registry, warns the owner or ship operators that the vessel, registered under the Lay Up Special Registry Patent cannot be used for navigation and should comply will all the minimum safety and pollution prevention requirements for the purpose of not being a potential danger to the environment or the port where the vessel is laid up.

“If the vessel does not comply with this regulation it could be deleted for our registry, according to the formalities of the law,” says the Merchant Marine Director General Alfonso Castillero.

“We consider it was necessary to take administrative actions to mitigate the crisis and reduce our customers and ship owners’ actual financial load,” adds Mr. Castillero.

“The owner can reactivate the vessel whenever he decides to do it, providing there is an inspection by a Recognized Organization (RO) covering the following conditions: safety, contamination prevention, marine protection and compliance with all national and international regulations applicable to the vessel, after which the RO will certify that the vessel satisfies national and international regulations.”

Panama’s Merchant Marine totalled 8,487 vessels and 180 179m gt at the end of March, keeping its position as the largest register.

Opposition leader wins Panama's presidency

Last update: 12:19 p.m. EDT May 4, 2009

PANAMA CITY, Panama, May 4, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Opposition leader Ricardo Martinelli won Panama's presidential election, the country's election tribunal said.

Martinelli, of the conservative Democratic Change party, defeated former Panamanian Housing Minister Balbina Herrera of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party, CNN reported.

"This is a victory for all the people of Panama," Martinelli said. "And I make a call to all our opposition -- to all the parties that opposed us -- that you all are all Panamanians. ... Tomorrow we have to start a new day."

Panama's electoral tribunal declared Martinelli, a supermarket magnate, the victor after counting 43 percent of the votes cast Sunday, saying he had an insurmountable lead -- 61 percent to 36 percent over Herrera, the Los Angeles Times said.

A sinking economy, rising crime and dissatisfaction with President Martin Torrijos undermined Herrera's campaign, the newspaper said.

"Starting on July 1, a change is coming to Panama," Martinelli told supporters at his headquarters in Panama City.

www.upi.com

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

Supermarket magnate wins Panama presidential vote

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jVmoUid1B9iHGVZKdvHE7IU76BAgD97V368O2

By KATHIA MARTINEZ – 2 hours ago

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Panama's Electoral Tribunal says conservative supermarket magnate Ricardo Martinelli has won the Central American nation's presidential elections.

Tribunal President Erasmo Pinilla says that with 44 percent of the votes counted Martinelli is the "indisputable winner" of Sunday's voting.

Martinelli, of the opposition Alliance for Change, topped former Housing Minister Balbina Herrera of Panama's governing coalition, which is led by the Democratic Revolutionary Party.
Pinilla said he telephoned Martinelli to inform him of his victory.

The winner, whose term ends in 2014, will have to guide Panama through the world economic crisis and the $5.25 billion expansion of the canal to increase its capacity and accommodate larger ships.

Panama elects Martinelli

Panama's presidential candidate Ricardo Martinelli clasps hands with his running mate Juan Carlos Varela during his victory speech in Panama City, Sunday, May 3, 2009. Panama's Electoral Tribunal announced the supermarket magnate Martinelli won the Central American nation's presidential elections.
ARNULFO FRANCO / AP

PANAMA CITY, Panama -- Panamanian supermarket magnate Ricardo Martinelli won Sunday's presidential election after a campaign criticizing the ruling party's performance on crime, living costs and U.S. relations.

Martinelli, the owner of a supermarket chain called Super 99, defeated Balbina Herrera, a former housing minister in the current government, the electoral board announced at a news conference in Panama City. The final results of the vote were not immediately released.

Martinelli, 57, inherits a slowing economy and a free-trade agreement stalled in the U.S. Congress on concerns about Panama's tax and labor laws.

Going into the election Martinelli, of the opposition Alliance for Change, had a double-digit lead in the polls over Herrera, the candidate of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party.

Martinelli, whose term ends in 2014, will have to guide Panama through a $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal to increase its capacity and accommodate larger ships.

Few problems were reported despite heavy turnout at the country's 2,382 voting stations, observers from the Organization of American States said in a preliminary report issued after polls closed.

The candidates cast their ballots and talked of unity, regardless of the outcome.

''I believe in God and the Panamanian people,'' Herrera said at a school in the capital.

''Both winners and losers must work to improve the country,'' Martinelli said. ``Our problems don't end with an election.''

The winner takes office July 1, replacing President Martin Torrijos.

Both Martinelli, 57, and Herrera, 54, supported the canal expansion, but recent world economic woes have generated uncertainty over the project, which is receiving $2.3 billion in international financing.

The canal project, which was approved in a 2006 referendum, is expected to create about 5,000 direct jobs in the small Central American nation between 2010 and 2011, when construction is at its peak, according to authorities.

The project would be ''one of the points most closely attended to'' by a Martinelli government, said Roberto Henriquez, vice president of Martinelli's political party.

Panama's economy grew by an annual average of 8.7 percent over the past five years, and unemployment fell from 12 percent to 5.6 percent. The growth was fueled by foreign and state investment by the outgoing government of President Martin Torrijos. Growth this year is projected to be 3-4 percent.

Also running was Guillermo Endara, a longshot candidate who served as president from 1989-1994.

Panamanians also elected a vice president, members of Congress, mayors and other local officials. More than 2.2 million people were eligible to vote, and the country's Elections Tribunal said it expected turnout of more than 75 percent.