Central America

Protesting indigenous people achieve investment in their comarca in Panama

Photo: EFE

August 9|

Indigenous groups unblocked early Tuesday morning points of the Inter-American highway in Panama, after negotiations with a high-level government commission, which agreed to an investment of up to $ 150 million in infrastructure projects in their territories.

The Minister of Public Works, Rafael Sabonge, confirmed that “after 15 hours of conversations with the pro-road groups (…) we have managed to reach an agreement to significantly improve the quality of the roads in the Ngäbe Buglé region and, likewise, improve the quality of life of the residents (…) and as a consequence of this, lift the closure of the road”.

In the agreement it was established to improve the quality of the road network of the region and that the first meeting to follow up on these agreements was to be held this Tuesday.

“We hope that this commitment for the construction of infrastructure in the “most remote areas” of the country will be fulfilled to the letter”, “we trust in God, more than anything else, and again we put our faith in the Government to keep its word in these terms of time”, declared the spokesman of the protesters, Joel Franceschi.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

The Panamanian authorities “have been signing agreements for a long time and they have not complied with them and the population has had to resort to this pressure measure so that the Government pays attention”, declared on Monday another spokesman of the demonstrators in San Juan Oriente, Aquilino Montezuma.

Press media reported that on Tuesday morning there were no longer blockades in one of the protest points set up by the indigenous groups, San Juan Oriente, belonging to the western province of Chiriqui, bordering Costa Rica.

The blockades began at noon on Monday and generated long lines of vehicles on the Interamerican highway, which crosses all of Panama and connects the country with Central America; it is considered a neuralgic route for the transportation of people and merchandise arriving through the Panama Canal and the national ports system.

The demonstration raised fears of food shortages in the Central American country, as occurred a little more than a year ago due to indigenous blockades in the same area of Chiriqui, demanding the high cost of living.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

Related Topics:indigenous people Panamá

Up Next

Nicaraguan President heads anniversary of the Naval Force

Don't Miss

Structure of 49 Mao Mao members face trial for cocaine trafficking and money laundering

20260330_renta_mh_300x250

Central America

Guatemala Court Voids List of Candidates for Top Prosecutor Position

President of Guatemala cannot remove attorney general from office

Constitutional Court of Guatemala on Thursday annulled the shortlist of six candidates for attorney general and head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, ordering authorities to repeat the evaluation phase of the selection process.

The ruling came in response to a legal appeal filed by Raúl Amílcar Falla Ovalle, who challenged the way professional experience had been assessed for some applicants, particularly those with careers in the judiciary.

As a result of the decision, the selection process has been suspended, and the Postulation Commission must return to the stage in which the original 48 applicants were evaluated.

According to the ruling, the commission must reapply the grading criteria without automatically counting years served as judges as equivalent to the professional experience required for the position.

“The Postulation Commission for the election of the Attorney General and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office is ordered to reassess the applicants by strictly applying the approved grading table,” the resolution states.

20260330_renta_mh_728x90

The Constitutional Court also stressed that the process must guarantee merit, competence, and suitability, while ensuring greater transparency in the assignment of scores.

Central America

U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme

The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.

Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.

The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.

According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.

Central America

Bukele administration surpasses 1,100 homicide-free days amid ongoing crackdown

El Salvador's PNC adds 85 days without murders and April is on track to be the safest in Salvadoran history

On Saturday, April 18, the Policía Nacional Civil (PNC) reported that no homicides were recorded in El Salvador, bringing the total to 17 days without murders.

With this update, the country has accumulated 91 homicide-free days so far in 2026. January closed with 27 such days, followed by 24 in February and 23 in March, according to police data.

During the administration of President Nayib Bukele, a total of 1,193 days without homicides have been registered. Of those, 1,079 have occurred since the implementation of the state of exception.

This extraordinary security measure has been extended 49 times by the Asamblea Legislativa de El Salvador, with the latest extension in effect from April 1 to April 30, 2026. Under the measure, more than 91,700 gang members and collaborators have been detained and prosecuted for illicit association.