Who’s Stupid?; How to Obtain Legal Eligibility to be a Lawyer in Panama? We Explain; Municipality Announces Moratorium on Fine Payments; Government to Manage Resources to Activate the ‘Amber Alert’; My Favorite Comedians.

Friday, June 23, 2023 “Panamanians are stupid!”, the random newbie expat reported on the Facebook thread.  Man, that got my blood boiling.  I don’t know if his insult was unintentional as he made a poor play at being innocently playful or if this banter was just simply some profound level of ignorance.  I’m leaning towards profound ignorance…  Ironically it came from a U.S. expat.  Ironic, because we all know how us gringos are the best at everything, right?  And where Panama may have a few “stupid people”, the US absolutely excels at stupidity Canada too though, right?  I mean, you’ll note how in Panama, there’ll be that one guy who gets into a heated argument with an unsuspecting telephone pole, but the northern hemisphere seems to consistently elect our village idiots to public office…. …yep, aaaaaall the way to the top… I responded to random newbie expat, rebutting his “Panamanians are stupid!” comment simply pointing out how those types of comments, whilst he probably felt them to be good-natured humor, still insults the locals.  We really need to shy away from insulting the locals – as good-natured as you can be, calling anyone stupid will never come off as humorous by the intended party.  That being said, local politicians are still fair game especially during hunting season (oops, I meant “election season”) and the season is open folks!!  You’ll be getting a few doses of intended insults out of me in the months to come. TOP NEWS and TIDBITS: Yoli’s Wisdom WOMAN WHO STOLE A BABY FROM A SUPERMARKET IS BROUGHT BEFORE A MAGISTRATE JUDGE Woman Who Stole a Baby from a Supermarket is Brought Before a Magistrate The Public Ministry (MP) reported that in the next few hours, they will bring a woman apprehended for her alleged involvement in the deprivation of liberty of a baby before a magistrate judge. The incident occurred yesterday at a commercial establishment located in Penonomé. Apparently, the 24-year-old woman who abducted a minor in a supermarket in Penonomé, Coclé, had deceived her relatives by claiming that the baby was hers after losing her own child. Thanks to the quick action of the National Police and the help of the citizens, the capture was made, and the baby was returned to its parents. The baby\’s aunt received him at the police substation in the province of Panama Oeste, in the city of San Carlos. Upon receiving him, Irasema Gallardo expresses her gratitude to the citizens for recovering the child, who will travel to the province of Coclé, his place of origin. READ HERE: MUJER QUE ROBÓ A BEBÉ DE UN SUPERMERCADO ES LLEVADA ANTE UN JUEZ DE GARANTÍA THEY ANNOUNCE MORATORIUM FOR THE PAYMENT OF FINES, WHAT ARE THEY AND HOW TO APPLY? Municipal Treasury of Panama. The Municipal Treasury of Panama, under the Panama City Municipality, announced that as of June 12th, the moratorium period for the payment of fines related to \”non-submission of the Income Statement\” and \”omission in the Declaration Audit\” has begun. According to the entity, taxpayers who have paid 50% of the overdue taxes will be eligible for a 50% waiver of the remaining amount. To benefit from this moratorium, interested individuals must have submitted the most recent Income Statement (for 2022) and have the documentation related to the inconsistencies in the requested declarations. If unable to pay the full debt, you will have the option to negotiate a payment plan with the Enforcement Department and authorized Execution Courts. Additionally, you may benefit from a 25% discount on the fine, calculated as follows: This benefit is established in Agreement 150, issued on June 6 of the current year, and is based on Article 14 of Law 106 of 1973. The moratorium period will be in effect until July 15. For more information, you can contact the following numbers: 202-9464 and 506-9600, or send an email to contribuyentes@municipio-pma.gob.pa. READ HERE: ANUNCIAN MORATORIA PARA EL PAGO DE MULTAS, ¿CUÁLES SON Y CÓMO APLICAR? THEY WILL HIRE THREE COMPANIES FOR GARBAGE COLLECTION Cabinet Council. The Cabinet Council approved on Tuesday the temporary contracting between the Urban and Domiciliary Cleaning Authority (AAUD) and three companies that will provide the service of collection, transportation, and final disposal of urban, commercial, and residential waste at the Cerro Patacón landfill in three areas of Panama City. The Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, pointed out that the measure seeks to establish the concept of a Clean City developed through Conaseo, which aims to provide a responsible, optimal, and uninterrupted garbage collection service in the 26 districts of the capital. He emphasized that the contracting responds to the high growth in demand from urban, residential, and commercial clients of AAUD, totaling over 1.2 million inhabitants who produce 1,689 tons of waste daily, as a response to the environmental crisis at the Cerro Patacón landfill. According to the contracts authorized by the Cabinet, the Covella Panama Consortium will provide services in Zone 1, which includes the districts of San Felipe, El Chorrillo, Santa Ana, Calidonia, Curundú, Ancón (excluding the Panama Canal Authority), Bella Vista, Betania, and Pueblo Nuevo. It was also reported that the company Metropolitana de Aseo, S.A. E.S.P. EMA will handle the collection, transportation, and final disposal of waste in Zone 2, which includes the districts of Río Abajo, San Francisco, Parque Lefevre, Juan Díaz, and Don Bosco. Meanwhile, the company Pronto Aseo, S.A. will provide the same services in Zone 3, covering the districts of Chilibre, Las Cumbres, Alcalde Díaz, Ernesto Córdoba, and Caimitillo. The AAUD will be responsible for Zone 4, which includes the districts of Pacora, San Martín, Las Mañanitas, 24 de Diciembre, Las Garzas, and Pedregal. A temporary online contract was made for one year for the three collection zones with an investment of $24 million. The start of operations of the companies in their respective zones will be announced. On the other hand, with prior authorization from the Agri-food Chain, composed of producers, input distributors, and importers, the Cabinet approved