Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.
Evo Morales to open Panama Social Forum
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales speaks Friday at the opening ceremony of the Panama Social Forum, announced its organizers who assured that almost 500 participants were registered to analyze social, economic and political issues.
Morales will speak on the socio-economic crisis and hegemony: an alternative development model for Latin America and the Caribbean, and then Panamanian academics Guillermo Castro and Juan Jovane will give the keynote speeches ‘Crisis of the transit model: Where is Panama going?’ and ‘Towards an alternative development strategy,’ respectively.
Saturday’s agenda is made up of talks and exhibitions on neoliberalism and the structural crisis of the economy in Panama, employment problems due to the economic crisis and the pandemic, social security and pension regime, and the pharmaceutical business and the race for the vaccine to fight the virus causing Covid-19, among others.
Source: Prensa Latina
Desperation and violence in Panama migrant camp.
Desperation is palpable in La Penita, an indigenous community in the Panamanian jungle province of Darien where 1,500 migrants have been blocked by the coronavirus pandemic from heading towards the United States.
“I don’t want to live in Panama, I want to go to Costa Rica and continue to Mexico.”
The migrant camp is full of children, babies and pregnant women.
The lucky ones live in crowded tents, but others sleep outside in the humidity and frequent downpours.
The migrants cook and wash in the open air, and almost no one uses a mask despite the pandemic and the camp’s over-crowding.
“This is not a place for humans,” complained Haitian Thomas Saint Louis, who was visibly angry as he showed the bushes that migrants use as toilets.
“These are bad conditions. Come and look, and help us,” he added.
Source: Tico Times
Innovation ecosystem developer BaseCamp to establish tech park in Panama.
During a speech at the CybertechLive Latin America online conference, Panama’s commerce minister said the park is part of a plan to transform the country into the digital hub of the region.
The Panamanian government and Israel’s Innovation BaseCamp company announced Tuesday they will collaborate on a high-tech park project aimed at transforming Panama into one of Latin America’s leading countries in terms of innovation.
The announcement came during the CybertechLive Latin America online conference, a one-day event by Israel’s Cybertech that brought together government officials, industry experts, academics, companies and startups from around the region.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Retiring in Panama: Expectations vs. Reality
Retiring in Panama has been popular with many North Americans and Europeans for quite some time now. Over the years, the country has offered fantastic options for expats to spend their retirement in comfort, at a great price, with many amenities and activities to make it all worth while. Have you been thinking about retiring in Panama?
With so many options for retirees in Panama, it can be tough to gauge where you fit in, and how you’ll feel once you’re here. Don’t worry! That’s what we’re here for. Here are some basics that you can prepare for and expect as a new arrival, once you’ve taken the leap to make Panama your new retirement home.
