El Valle; Copa Airlines Suspends Flights to Venezuela; Comptroller Audits Extraordinary Municipal Funds; Minimum Wage Board Enters Final Phase.

Friday, December 5, 2025. El Valle: Where Rest Becomes Wisdom There is a quiet kind of wisdom in learning to slow down. It’s something we often overlook, especially those of us who live in constant motion, managing businesses, solving problems, carrying responsibilities that seldom sleep. But every human being, no matter how driven, needs a moment to step outside the noise. And sometimes, life gives us the gift of a place that makes slowing down feel natural. For us, that place was El Valle. Tucked inside an ancient volcanic crater, El Valle has a way of easing the tension out of your shoulders the moment you arrive. The air is cooler, the mountains are steadier, and the silence isn’t empty, it’s restorative. Our family trip there became more than just a getaway. It reminded us of a truth that philosophers, doctors, and wise people across generations have all agreed on: rest is not an indulgence; it is a requirement for a healthy, meaningful life. We often think of relaxation as something passive, as if it’s simply the absence of work. But true rest is an activepractice. It is the intentional decision to disconnect from obligations, to silence the internal dialogue that tells us we must always be “on,” and to allow our bodies and minds to reset. Science supports this. When we rest: But beyond the science, there is a philosophical side to rest that resonates more deeply. The Stoics taught that tranquility (ataraxia) is a form of strength. That a person who can quiet his own mind is more powerful than one who conquers cities. Rest, then, is not weakness. It is preparation, a returning to the world with renewed clarity and sharper judgment. In El Valle, we felt that truth firsthand. We savored beautiful meals at Fuego in the Hotel La Compañía and at Las Nubes, where the view alone seems to slow time. We wandered from café to café, enjoying hot chocolates as if they were small celebrations. And sometimes, we simply sat together listening to music, napping, or doing absolutely nothing except being a family with each other, not just near each other. No work talk. No deadlines. Just presence. These moments reminded us that harmony at home is not automatic. It needs space to breathe. It needs silence, laughter, shared meals, and the slow rhythm of time enjoyed intentionally. As we move forward with our busy schedules, it’s worth remembering:Rest is not the opposite of productivity. It is the fuel for it.Relaxation is not the enemy of ambition. It keeps ambition from consuming us.And time with family is not a pause from life, it is life. If El Valle taught us anything, it’s that everyone should step away every now and again. Not to escape the world, but to return to it stronger, calmer, and more aligned with the things that truly matter. Brett Mikkelson Director, B.M. Investigations, Inc. – Private Investigations in Panama TOP NEWS and TIDBITS: New ION Building in the City of Health Will Have an Investment of More Than $95 Million A new building for the National Oncology Institute (ION) will be constructed in the City of Health, with an investment exceeding 95 million dollars, according to the Ministry of Health (MINSA). The project is part of the integration process outlined in the agreement between MINSA and the Social Security Fund (CSS), aimed at optimizing the use of available services in this medical complex and strengthening the quality of care for oncology patients. The entity explained that the project will have an estimated execution period of 18 to 24 months and will feature a 9-story infrastructure designed to expand the country’s capacity for cancer care. MINSA announced the construction of the new ION building. Among the planned services are an outpatient chemotherapy room with 90 chairs, 8 beds for prolonged treatments, a clinical and molecular laboratory specialized in hematology, as well as a 6-story parking facility with 272 spaces. The new ION will also offer 92 outpatient consultation rooms, distributed across more than 15 clinical specialties, within a total construction area of 19,670 square meters. New ION building in the City of Health MINSA also detailed that, in 2024 alone, the National Oncology Institute attended 5,290 first-time patients in Outpatient Consultation. By province, the highest number of cases was recorded in Panama with 2,156 patients, followed by Panama Oeste with 854, and Chiriquí with 629. Regarding gender distribution, 3,224 women and 2,066 men were attended. Of the total number of patients, 71% were insured and 29% uninsured, reflecting the nationwide reach of the public oncology system. READ ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE Panama Canal Defines Prequalification Requirements for Port Projects and the Gas Pipeline The Panama Canal will evaluate financial strength, prior experience, operational capacity, performance in similar projects, and management of cost overruns as the central criteria to determine which companies may prequalify for the port projects and the gas pipeline. Elements such as the operator’s relationship with the host country and other technical factors established in the bidding documents—scheduled to be published between December and January—will also be considered. “The interest is there, and now what we need is to determine how they can get through the prequalification process—that is, how they can participate and which ones do not qualify for technical or financial reasons,” explained the administrator of the Panama Canal, Ricaurte Vásquez. He added that the entity is compiling all the questions received in order to adjust the contracting concept and align it with what the market can finance. “The Canal cannot issue a contract that nobody understands,” Vásquez stated during a meeting with EditoRed, the Association of Media Editors of the European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The Canal has concluded individual meetings with representatives of companies interested in the gas pipeline and is meeting this week with those interested in the ports. The Panama Canal’s plan includes the construction of the new Corozal and Telfers port terminals, with an estimated investment of 2.6 billion dollars. These projects would increase the country’s transshipment capacity by about