Tropiland

The 32,000 indigenous Kuna on the San Blas archipelago off of Panama´s Caribbean coast will be forced to abandon their communities for the mainland as the rising sea level destroys their lands.

The Kuna General Congress, the indigenous people´s highest administrative body, has drawn up a plan to begin moving communities this year.

The entire relocation will take between five and six years and includes a pilot program to move two communities within the next few months, according to reports.

“We should take the initiative,” said Ariel González, the Congress´ secretary, adding that they cannot wait for the government to act. “What we want to avoid is doing it without planning, en masse and in a disorderly fashion.”

González blamed the sea water levels on climate change.

“If we didn´t cause climate change, if we didn´t burn large quantities of coal and oil, why do we have to move, change our way of life? Who is responsible?,” he asked.

During the first Indigenous Peoples Initiative on Biocultural Evaluation of Climate Change, held in the Kuna village of Ustupu in April, participants from countries from Ethiopia to Ecuador to the United States discussed the Kuna´s predicament.

“The idea is that these communities, by doing their evaluations in a participatory manner, with their experience and traditional knowledge, help determine what would be the best way to adapt to the climate conditions that are changing,” said an indigenous Peruvian Quechua, Alejandro Argumedo, who coordinated the summit. Source:Latinamerica Press.

Here is a great piece of news for all who live, work and have invested in the Los Santos province in Panama (like yours truly), coming straight from the Ministry Of The Presidency web site.

Martinelli’s government will be investing $107.5 million (this year alone) in the province of Los Santos, according to vice Minister of Finance Dulcidio De La Guardia, who made the announcement  during the celebration of the Cabinet Council held in Las Tablas.

Since Los Santos is  a region dedicated to agriculture, the bulk of the investment will be directed to this sector , some $38.3 million, mostly directed to agricultural management, agriculture activities and construction. .

In the transportation sector, projects will be funded with  o$24 million, $5 millions of which  are being devoted to rehabilitation and maintenance of the road between Guarare-Las Tablas, and rehabilitation of a section of the road Macaracas – Sabana Grande, an estimated $4 million.

Amother important project is the expansion to four lanes of the road over the river La Villa. The project  could be completed this year.

The government also plans to build and rehabilitate secondary roads throughout the Los Santos region, so that the province is left with a road network that will lead to effective marketing of all that the area has to offer from a tourism and business perspective.

Regarding education, the Government allocated  $1 million towards implementing  aggressive scholarship programs.

With regard to Social Program investments,  $12 million (representing 13.6% of the total cost) will go towards the completion of  60 housing  projects.

Well…60 housing projects? Really? I am all for development and modernization and especially all for social development, but 60 housing projects in a province (or an area) that represents only 1/15 of Panama’s population sounds a bit of a pipe dream to me.

Anyhow, it looks as though Martinelli’s government is taking some steps in decentralizing Panama and start developing rural areas with long-term rewards in mind.

Panama has officially its very own Ministry of Public Security, created by the  Ricardo Martinelli’s government, making good on a campaign promise to re-think the country’s security issues .
The new  ministry is directly related to U.S. policy to control drug trafficking between Colombia and the U.S. Shakira’s homeland is now the largest producer and exporter of cocaine in the world.  U.S., in turn, consumes more than 50 percent of all drugs produced worldwide.
The new ministry will also have responsibility to facilitate data transmission  and operational support to the US security  forces in Colombia.
The new [...] Continue Reading…

Gasoline and diesel prices will a slight hike  this Saturday, April 24th  as indicate by Panama’s Department Of Energy.

According to the table sent by the Department, 95 octane gas will increase by two cents (3.41 dollars), while that of 91 octane will rise a penny (3.13).  Moreover, regular diesel and low sulfur diesel will rise five (2.82 dollars) and three cents (2.89), respectively.
The energy department attributed the increase in fuel costs to the low demand, and the closure of several refineries in Asia for their annual maintenance.

This  time last year, 95-octane gasoline was [...] Continue Reading…

Panama will begin oil exploration in the province of Darien, close to the Colombia border, where surface oil deposits have been detected, with the aim of studying its commercial exploitation.
This was confirmed on Wednesday by president Martinelli, who is scheduled to travel to the province on April 22nd to tour the areas where the said fossil fuel deposits are.
Martinelli made a speech  last Tuesday night at the opening of the Annual Conference For Business Executives (CADE), in which he shared with former President Tabaré Vázquez a vision for economic and social development [...] Continue Reading…

There is an article in TIME, that I thought may be of interest to all our American readers and visitors.
Hit with double taxation and snubbed by local banks, more and more Americans abroad are choosing to relinquish their citizenship and turn in their passports.
For U.S. citizens, cutting ties with their native land is a drastic and irrevocable step. But as Overseas American Week, a lobbying effort by expatriate-advocacy groups, convenes in Washington this week, it’s one that an increasing number of American expats are willing to take. According to government records, 502 expatriates renounced U.S. [...] Continue Reading…

As expats, foreigners and tourists in Panama we often see (or want to see) the attractive side of this country; the glamorous Panama City skyline, cheap medical tourism, fancy Pacific Ocean resorts, sport fishing etc.
There is also the “other side” of Panama. One that rarely (if ever) makes the front page news or the advertising campaigns or even our very own online forums.
Poverty in Panama affects 1.015.000 persons, who represent 37,1 % of the entire population of the country. Of that number, more than half a million live in conditions of extreme poverty, that is to say they do [...] Continue Reading…

Could rainwater catchment systems become the answer to Panama’s water supply inadequacy?
Water quality and water availability are becoming a big concern for land developers and home owners in Panama. This year’s El Nino effects on panama’s water reserves have forced consumers to look closely and more carefully to alternative water supplies.
Even though a rainwater catchment system by itself is not a viable potable water source, when coupled with a filtration system, it could become a stand-alone household water supply system.
What are the considerations prior to building a rain water catchment system?
Before you take a trip to the hardware store, [...] Continue Reading…

The Panama Tourism Authority is lobbying insurers in order to be able to offer free travel insurance to all tourists entering Panama through Tocumen Airport (PTY) and only through this port.
The proposed term is 30 days from the time of entry and an estimated $4 million are earmarked for this venture.
This project has its origins in…Mexico, the first country to offer free insurance to tourists after the H1N1 explosion.
Of course, many aspects of this project still need to be defined, such as how the tourists will be registered, how they will manage claims or how much will [...] Continue Reading…

The Comarca Kuna Yala — or the San Blas Islands as Panamanians call the islands — might not be as well known as other Caribbean destinations, but these 365 islands offer some of Latin America’s most pristine and unspoiled beaches.
The water here is crystal clear and multi-colored, and palm trees and white sand beaches only add to the allure. Plus, visitors will have the opportunity to interact with the Kuna, Panama’s most traditional indigenous group, who bravely cling to their customs in an ever-globalizing world.
The Kuna Yala Islands may technically be [...] Continue Reading…

Petaquilla Minerals Ltd., the Vancouver Canada based gold mining company, has signed an engagement letter, pursuant to which it will work with a leading financial institution to execute a US$70 million gold linked facility, under which they would be required to deliver 91,710 ounces of gold over a five year term.
The terms of this facility are outlined in an indicative financing term sheet, which includes other price participation terms that enable Petaquilla to participate in gold prices up to US$1,250 per ounce for the committed ounces.
The transaction is subject to structuring and underwriting fees totaling 4% of the facility [...] Continue Reading…

Panama’s Colón and Balboa are first in Central America (2 and 3 in Latin America), followed by Limón in Costa Rica (13), Cortés in Honduras (22), Santo Tomás (29), Puerto Barrios (31) and Quetzal (36) in Guatemala.

The economic crisis in the region last year reduced port activity in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a recent ranking prepared by ECLAC.

The ranking Containerized Port Throughputs 2009 – Latin American and Caribbean Countries, prepared by ECLAC’s Unit of Infrastructure Services, reveals that container movements in 20 of the region’s main ports as [...] Continue Reading…