Former President Martín Torrijos (2004 – 2009) is among the favorites to apply again for the Presidency of Panama, already away from the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) founded by his father, the historic General Omar Torrijos, and sure that his father would have taken the same path.
Omar Torrijos “had the courage to achieve a transformation and I am sure that, a long time ago, he would have made the decision to opt for another political instrument that was based on the economic and social development of Panamanians and not for the benefit of those who today lead that party (PRD),” Torrijos, 60, said in an interview with EFE.
Torrijos, whom a recent poll by the newspaper La Prensa places in second place, equaled with Ricardo Lombana with 10.8% of voting intention, and both removed from the 26% of Raúl Mulino, substitute for the disabled former president Ricardo Martinelli, is now running as a presidential candidate with the minority Popular Party (PP).
Two decades ago Torrijos did rule with the PRD, which is now going through its worst crisis between indications of corruption and dissents within the formation.
“The party moved away from the principles and values with which it was established and ceased to be an option of social transformation towards the future,” says that PRD that 20 years ago brought him to power and from which it officially separated at the beginning of this year after launching into the political campaign.
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Openly “torrijista”, Martín Torrijos alleges that “there is no way” not to feel proud of “what he is”, the surname he bears and the legacy of his father, who led that Panamanian revolution that ruled de facto between 1968 and 1981, the year in which he died in a plane crash.
Despite the distance from the party, he hides behind his father’s ideology, “torrijismo”, that political thought created by the general in the middle of the socialist current of the twentieth century in Latin America but that was never “neither with the left nor with the right, but with Panama,” a phrase frequently used by Omar Torrijos.
“I was born and I will die torrijista. But I think that this election (separating from the PRD) is not about a political party but about solving the problems of the people,” says Torrijos, who also defends that “at the end of the day it is a form of government” and “goes beyond a party.”
“It is the force that allowed the Panamanians to regain their sovereignty, that the country would progress more equitably. That is not in a political party but in that will and ideology,” he says.
The Panama Canal, administered by Panamanian hands since 1999 after the Torrijos-Carter Treaties promoted by General Torrijos, which put an end to the control that the United States maintained since its inauguration in 1914, is going through an unprecedented water crisis due to the prolonged drought, which lowered the water levels of the main lakes and reduced the number of daily transits.
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This situation that drags the way, and for which there is still no long-term solution, could reduce toll revenues by 800 million dollars in this fiscal year, after in 2023 the Canal delivered to the Panamanian Government the historic annual amount of 2,544.59 million dollars.
Torrijos proposes to solve this problem to “expand the basin” of the Panama Canal, following the alternatives identified by the Canal such as the use of the Indian River, the neighboring basin to the west of the road.
“Unquestionably, that decision must be made to guarantee (also) access to water for human consumption and I have proposed that the administration of the Panama Canal assume the administration of water treatment plants, a new role for the Canal in terms of development,” adds Torrijos.
The two artificial lakes Lago Gatún and Alhajuela supply the road and serve for the consumption of drinking water of about 2.5 million inhabitants, out of 4 million in the country.
“There will be other roles that the Panama Canal does not have today that must be achieved (…) because it is not only a channel through which ships pass, but that brings development to the country,” says the candidate.
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That “new role” of the Panama Canal is included in its government plan, which suggests that the administration of the road is “the governing body of all port concessions and or pipelines, gas pipelines, logistics corridors and any other future concession that supports the development” of the country’s position.
“So that we can integrate, with criteria of efficiency and competitiveness, the promotion of the consolidated route of Panama, which takes us to our country in the most important, efficient and competitive ‘hub’ (center) of loading and distribution of all the Americas,” he explains.
Prosecutors Accuse Ex-Defense Minister of Undermining Press Freedom in Honduras
Honduras’ Public Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday filed criminal charges against retired General Roosevelt Hernández, the country’s former defense minister and former chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over his alleged role in actions that prosecutors say undermined press freedom and freedom of expression.
Prosecutors said the case was brought by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Protection of Journalists, Social Communicators, Human Rights Defenders and Justice Officials following an investigation into content published between 2025 and 2026 on a digital media platform operated by the Honduran Armed Forces.
According to the investigation, the publications were reported by journalists and the Honduran Journalists Association (CPH), which described them as part of an alleged campaign to discredit members of the press and media organizations.
The case dates back to May 2025, when the CPH filed complaints with national and international organizations after the Armed Forces referred to three journalists as “hitmen” in an article published by FF.AA. Digital. The association argued that the publication endangered the journalists’ safety and constituted an attack on press freedom.
The journalists identified in the publication as “hitmen of the truth” were Rodrigo Wong Arévalo, director of the television news program Abriendo Brecha; Dagoberto Rodríguez, director of Radio Cadena Voces; and Juan Carlos Sierra, president of the Honduran Journalists Association. The article also included photographs of the three journalists and the CPH’s logo.
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The Public Prosecutor’s Office said the case file includes formal complaints, pretrial investigative proceedings, a specialized forensic analysis of audiovisual and digital material, and witness testimony gathered during the investigation to determine whether the publications violated freedom of expression and the exercise of journalism.
Authorities emphasized that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are protected under the Honduran Constitution as well as international treaties ratified by the country.
EU Urges Nicaragua to Hold Free and Transparent Elections Amid Proposed Electoral Reforms
The European Union on Saturday called on Nicaragua to hold elections “in accordance with international standards” after the country’s co-president, Daniel Ortega, promoted electoral reforms that critics say would prevent opposition groups from participating in future elections.
Nicaragua’s National Assembly, which is controlled by allies of President Ortega and Co-President Rosario Murillo, announced on Wednesday that it would draft a package of constitutional and electoral reforms to be voted on in August. Legislative President Gustavo Porras said the changes are intended to prevent what he described as the “terrible manipulation by empires and their lackeys” in the country’s electoral process, referring to opposition groups.
In a statement issued on behalf of the European Union’s 27 member states, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas urged the Nicaraguan authorities to preserve democratic principles.
“We call on the authorities to convene elections and ensure that they are held as originally scheduled and conducted in a transparent, inclusive, and credible manner, in accordance with international standards,” Kallas said.
The European Union also reiterated its condemnation of what it described as the Nicaraguan government’s “systemic repression.” Kallas called for dialogue between Ortega’s administration and opposition groups before any electoral reforms are implemented.
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Ortega, who has been in power for nearly two decades, has faced repeated criticism from the international community over restrictions on political opponents and civil liberties.
In response to the growing international criticism, the Nicaraguan government announced on Friday that it will brief foreign diplomats on the proposed reforms, seeking to explain the objectives and scope of the legislative package before it is debated in Congress next month.
Honduras Warns of Possible New Dengue Epidemic as Cases Continue to Rise
Honduras could be on the verge of a new dengue epidemic, according to physician and Honduran lawmaker Carlos Umaña, who warned about the sustained increase in cases across the country.
“We are on the verge of a new dengue epidemic because cases have been rising steadily,” Umaña said, urging citizens to take preventive measures. “Let’s eliminate breeding sites so we do not face fatal consequences later,” he added.
According to official data cited by Honduran media, the country had recorded 5,780 dengue cases nationwide through epidemiological week 26, covering the period from June 28 to July 4.
Of that total, 1,362 patients developed dengue with warning signs, while at least 100 cases progressed to severe dengue, increasing pressure on the national healthcare system.
Although current figures represent a decline of nearly 39% compared with the same period in 2025, when more than 9,400 cases had been reported, health authorities continue monitoring the situation due to the risk of a new surge.
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Umaña warned that if the spread of the virus is not contained, Honduras could face an increase in fatalities, particularly among vulnerable groups such as children and adolescents.
Health officials continue urging the population to remove mosquito breeding sites and strengthen prevention measures to reduce transmission of the disease.
