Authorities in Panama say there are no immediate reports of injuries or damages in the wake of a 5.9-magnitude quake and a 4.9-magnitude aftershock. Panama's National Civil Defense System says it is monitoring the situation but has received no damage or injury reports. The U.S. Geological Survey says the first quake Monday was centered in the Pacific, well off the … [Read more...]
Panama whale watching: Humpbacks get close to visitors
(Charlotte Observer) Anne Gordon de Barrigon, 53, has lived in Panama for 7 1/2 years; she operates Whale Watching Panama ( www.whale watching panama.com ), which offers whale- and dolphin-watching trips. The Seattle-area native trained animals for movies and TV. She fell in love with Panama while on a shoot in the jungle, and decided to stay there. Q: When is whale-watching … [Read more...]
Barriles, a journey into the past of Panama
(Prensa.com) In the vicinity of Baru volcano in the province of Chiriqui, is a window that connects the past, an archaeological site describes the history of Aboriginal people who lived 300 years before Christ. These are the traces left Barriles culture, whose inhabitants disappeared with the first eruption of Baru volcano, 600 years after Christ. Barriles culture is … [Read more...]
Fire at Bocas del Toro Ecolodge Brings Land Dispute to Light
(Panama Digest) When Daniel Ayora returned to his Rana Verde ecolodge on Cayo de Agua island in Bocas del Toro, he found that someone had burned it to the ground. According to Ayora, an Italian-American, 80 uniformed officers arrived to the lodge to evict people from the premises, although it was not clear how the fire started. “My life savings were invested in the … [Read more...]
High-Ranking Ministers Resign from Panama Government
(Panama Digest) Reacting to the dismissal of Vice President Juan Carlos Varela as Foreign Minister, seven ministers resigned from their jobs with the Ricardo Martinelli administration. These include Alberto Vallarino, Minister of Economy and Finance; Carlos Duboy, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning; and the vice ministers of health, government, finance, social … [Read more...]