November in Panama; Four Malaria Deaths in Panama; “Vishing”; Transparency in International Agreements.

Friday, November 7, 2025. November in Panama: A Month of Independence, Parades, and Peaceful Chaos If you’ve been in Panama for more than five minutes this month, you’ve likely noticed that something’s… different. The streets of Panama City feel eerily calm, restaurants that are normally bustling with chatter have fallen silent, and your favorite barista may have vanished, probably to the interior. Welcome to Panama’s Independence Month, a time when the nation takes well-deserved pride in its history and everyone takes off to celebrate it. The first few days of November mark the separation from Colombia, and the city becomes a ghost town. This year was no exception. For five straight days, Panama City felt almost cinematic in its emptiness. Our family decided to spend a night at one of the city’s hotels, only to find ourselves as the sole diners in the restaurant. The bartender, who looked like he hadn’t seen a customer in days, practically lit up when we walked in for a cocktail to close out the evening. Even restaurants in Casco Viejo, normally teeming with tourists and locals alike, were shutting down for the holidays. “We’re closing for the celebrations,” one manager told us cheerfully, as though this were the most natural thing in the world. And truthfully, in Panama, it can be. But don’t think it’s over just yet. The 10th of November, commemorating the Cry for Independence in Los Santos, and the 28th of November, marking independence from Spain, are still ahead. Each brings its own round of parades, patriotism, and, yes, gridlock. So, what’s the takeaway for those of us who call Panama home but weren’t born here? Simple: embrace it or escape it.  Either join the locals in the joyous celebrations, or plan ahead, stay off the roads, and let the country have its well-earned month of festivity and pride. Whichever route you choose, one thing’s certain: by December, life (and traffic) will be back to normal. OK, just kidding, traffic will actual start getting worse as we celebrate Mother’s Day, decimotercer mes and last minute shopping.  For now, enjoy the quiet, or the chaos, depending on where you stand. Brett Mikkelson Director, B.M. Investigations, Inc. – Private Investigations in Panama TOP NEWS and TIDBITS: Four Malaria Deaths Reported in Panama So Far This Year Four malaria-related deaths have been reported so far in 2025, according to Carmen Pérez, head of the Vector Control Department at the Ministry of Health (Minsa).According to Pérez, two of the deaths occurred in the Panama East region, one in Veraguas, and one in the metropolitan region. As part of Malaria Day in the Americas, Pérez explained on TVN Noticias that malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito, and that its control is particularly challenging in tropical countries like Panama, as humans continue to encroach upon the mosquito’s natural habitat. The official noted that Panama has seen a sustained increase in malaria cases since 2018, a trend also observed in other countries in the region such as Costa Rica, Colombia, Nicaragua, Peru, Brazil, and Venezuela. She recalled that in 2023, Panama declared an epidemiological alert due to an increase in cases beyond expected levels. Among the factors potentially contributing to this rise, she mentioned climate change, increased rainfall, and human mobility. Pérez specified that internal mobility within the country has had a greater impact on the spread of the disease than external mobility associated with foreign nationals. She added that Minsa is strengthening the work of community agents, who are being trained to provide support in areas with limited access to health services. The specialist urged anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, headache, general discomfort, vomiting, or nausea—and living in endemic areas such as Panama East, Darién, Guna Yala, northern Veraguas, or the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca—to visit the nearest health facility or contact vector control technicians or community agents for timely care. READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE Importance of Transparency in the Negotiation of International Trade Agreements In the case of the negotiation with Mercosur, the majority of the population must be fully aware of what is currently being negotiated and of the commitments that will have to be fulfilled later on. The Government of the Republic of Panama has pushed forward our country’s incorporation into economic and commercial agreements such as the OECD and Mercosur at such an impressive speed that, in good Panamanian slang, one could say it is going “like a bullet”—and while this is fine, it may be too fast. When the Canal Treaties were being negotiated, General Torrijos stated that no treaty would be signed unless it first went through a discussion at the University of Panama—and so it was, in a historic session where the negotiators went to the University Auditorium and explained in detail what had been negotiated. This was not the experience with the mining contract, which—due to its broad scope—seemed more like a treaty between Panama and a company. As a consequence of this lack of transparency, the contract was rejected both legally and by the public. Everything seems to indicate that with the current administration, we may face the unfortunate experience of negotiating and approving agreements that very few truly understand. It has been said, regarding Mercosur, that “there is no need to be afraid since what is being negotiated is not a free trade agreement.” In this regard, it must be noted that while it is true that the current negotiation is not about an FTA, those familiar with economic integration frameworks know that these preliminary agreements will later serve as the basis for joining an integration scheme that—much like the European Union—could eventually lead to monetary unions. In other words, they will indeed end up being much more than a Free Trade Agreement. The negotiation of international trade agreements does not always result in a scenario where all parties benefit equally. In some cases, one side may not receive all the benefits it expected. The fundamental mechanism for mitigating the potential negative impacts of these agreements is to conduct negotiations with the highest