Update: The action starts about about 7:00 pm Looking for something to do tonight? "GRAPEVINE, Texas -- They say everything is bigger in Texas, and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum thinks big. So it seemed only natural that Arum, along with his new best buddy, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, would get together to put on a fight at Jones' spectacular $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. That is where welterweight titleholder and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will face former titleholder Joshua Clottey on Saturday night in a fight that Arum considers one of the crowning achievements of his storied 44-year career as a boxing promoter." If you're here in Panama City you should come watch the fight, live and in English at the Superbook VIP Sports Club. There will be drink specials, such as all national (Panamanian) beer 6 for $7, Miller, Miller Chill, Budweiser, and Heineken all 6 for $11 bucks. And new for the Superbook, there are now video slot and poker machines available, and of course only at Superbook you can bet on the fight and get paid on the spot if your guy wins. If you're hungry you can satisfy that growling stomach with something from our ever-expanding menu. Boxing, drink specials, food, zooks of huge-screen TV's, and slots at the Superbook - what more could you ask for? And remember at Superbook - Bet Today Get Paid Today. Hey, I'm bettin' on the guy with the Panama hat...



   

The President of Panama's National Assembly, Jose Luis Varela, said he would be willing to debate the idea of allowing for life imprisonment, but the idea of implementing the death penalty in Panama is not a viable solution to crime in the country. Varela thinks prison sentences are long, but what is needed is "more street work" to combat crime. However, he said the work being done by the police is better and more effective than in the past administration. Varela said this is because the government of President Ricardo Martinelli has motivated law enforcement agents with better working conditions. "I understand the frustration of the president in facing the violent events experienced by the country," he added. Despite everything he said he could not support the death penalty, stating it is contrary to Christian principles and that of being a human being. He argued that capital punishment is prohibited by the Constitution. "Increasing prison sentences might be good, but it must be mixed at the street level with very harsh measures against criminals. We have to give more money to the DIJ and police," he added. Varela said in the past the Panameñistas voted against including the DIJ in the structure of the police, but added that any changes to the existing structure should be proposed by experts in the field of security. He felt that more resources should be assigned to the DIJ, the DIIP, and the National Police so they can better perform their work against crime. He said next week the National Assembly will debate the proposal for a new law that would regulate the "criminal record" which would allow employers who are thinking about hiring someone to find out if the applicant has committed any crime. (Source - La Critica)

Editor's Comment: Some research in the United States has shown murder rates in death penalty states are not generally reduced thanks to the existence of the death penalty. (Source) However the death penalty is a hot-button issue and there's a tendency to twist the math and science on all sides. The counter argument is made well in this article - highlighting the difficulties in comparing jurisdictions with and without the death penalty in an attempt to say if it works or not.

However the situation is different in Panama. Most of the murders in Panama are not "crimes of passion" in which a jealous husband walks in to find his wife bonking the neighbor, but rather executions or assassinations conducted by hardened criminals associated with organized crime and drug traffickers. These are exactly the right people to target with a potential death penalty. They don't kill because they are suddenly angry, they plan to kill and execute their victim in retaliation for business gone bad. If someone is arrested, charged, tried, and convicted of assassinating someone to settle a score for drug traffickers, then I have no problems turning the lights out on that guy. None whatsoever. I support the death penalty and in Panama it is my humble opinion the courts should have it as an option for the worst offenders. But, I don't get a vote. Anyway, it's being discussed but I don't think it will ever actually happen. In this article Varela is signaling he would block any attempt in the National Assembly on moral grounds, so the issue is a non-starter. Whatever - life with no parole in a hell-hole works just as well...   

The employees of the Colon Container Terminal (CCT) plan to walk off the job and go on a general strike on Monday, 15 March 2010, at 12:00 noon, for alleged violations of their rights as dockworkers. Ricardo Brenes, the General Secretary CCT Workers Union, listed a number of irregularities such as the failure to pay benefits, anomalies in work schedules, and the handling of toxic materials without adequate security measures in place to guarantee the health and safety of the port workers. He said they have been negotiating for two weeks with company executives and representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Workforce Development, because the workers are also owed the payment of Christmas bonuses and pay for good performance in their work areas. Yesterday, CCT worker's representatives met with the Deputy Minister of Labor, Luis Ernesto Carles, who who said he hoped that in the talks they would be able to reach an agreement with both sides so that this important port would not be paralyzed by a strike. In discussing the situation, Raul Villalobos, the Assistant Personnel Manager of the CCT declined to make a statement because it is Evergreen's position to not make statements, while they are trying to resolve the conflict between the port's workers and company managers at the negotiation table. Meanwhile, the Labor Union maintains the call to strike for Monday even though they will continue to negotiate in an attempt to achieve most of their demands, especially with regards to higher salaries. IMPORTANCE - If work at the port is stopped, then the ships arriving cannot be unloaded. (Source - El Siglo)

Editor's Comment: Chances are very good that both sides will reach an agreement before Monday at high noon, and that his strike will never actually materialize. This sounds to me like posturing in order to improve their negotiating position.    

The clash between the Minister of Interior and Justice, Jose Raul Mulino and the Sole Union of Construction Workers and Similar (SUNTRACS), is expanding. Today there were additional reactions from both sides, and it appears that neither side will budge. The incident occurred yesterday when Minister Mulino reiterated to protesting SUNTRACS members he will not allow them to close streets. His warning came a day after clashing with them. Mulino said he recognized the right of people to protest, but reminds them the right to protest ends when they damage the rights of others to use the streets. The reaction from SUNTRACS was swift, from both workers and union leaders, who say they will continue to protest, but the police warned they would act. In recent weeks the SUNTRACS has closed some streets with protests against government measures such as the tax reforms. (Source - TVN Noticias)

Editor's Comment: Practically every member of the Panamanian security services who carry a gun work for the Minister of Government and Justice. When it comes to street protests and the government's policy on either letting it ride or breaking it up with riot police - that decision generally comes from the Minister of Government and Justice, together with the current president. All of the administrations from the modern post-dictatorship era have had to deal with the SUNTRACS sooner or later. The difference is, the SUNTRACS leadership has been in place for decades and they have a lot of experience, while Jose Raul Mulino is still in his rookie year. The SUNTRACS has been pulling little "lunch time" protests - the workers come down out of the building they are working on during their 20 minute lunch break and they block traffic and wave flags for awhile. By the time the police show up to break it up, the workers have already returned to work and traffic is flowing like nothing happened. The SUNTRACS guys get their picture in the paper, they made their point, and Jose Raul Mulino is left looking like a man who wants to start a fight with a ghost. Anyway, SUNTRACS is always a problem, for whoever is in charge this year.   

With 40 votes in favor and 15 against, the full session of the National Assembly approved a tax reform package in the third and final vote. As expected, Law No. 119 which amends the tax code, adopts fiscal measures and creates an administrative tax tribunal. During the debate the Deputies to the National Assembly expressed their positions on the bill. Elías Castillo of the PRD political party said he was surprised by the speed at which the project came to the third and final debate. Castillo added this tax reform will increase the cost of living for Panamanians. He also said he was surprised by the content, quality, performance and purpose of the bill. Law Number 119 was approved under much criticism, especially over the 2% increase in the ITBMS sales tax. The main objective of the law is to raise $200 million dollars to pay for social programs the government of Ricardo Martinelli wants to implement. (Source - Telemetro Reporta)

Editor's Comment: This tax reform package basically increases the tax burden on those Panamanians who make more money, and reduces the tax burden on those who make less. The really poor people of Panama - for example a single mother working a minimum wage job - might take home less than $400 dollars a month. The vast majority of that money is spent on things that don't pay the ITBMS sales tax, so the real tax increase on this person would be negligible. They also reduced income taxes on the lowest earning Panamanians, while increasing it on those who make more. In the final analysis this tax reform measure will indeed generate more money for government coffers, but the money will be coming from those who have more, and the money raised will be spent on social programs to help the poor. This is a "Robin Hood" law at heart - which fits because Ricardo Martinelli is a Robin Hood kind of guy. Hey wait a minute - this thing passed with "40 votes in favor and 15 against." That's 55 votes. I thought there's like 72 guys in the National Assembly. Where were the other 17 dudes? I'll bet many of the PRD guys stayed home.   

The Department of Judicial Investigation (DIJ) dismantled a network of credit card cloners operating in Bethania. DIJ Director Javier Carrillo said one of the members of this network managed to leave Panama prior to the raid, but the remainder are still in the country. The network is composed of Venezuelans who were using two machines to illegally copy credit card numbers from a card reader belonging to a local bank. They had two apartments rented in El Cangrejo. During the raid authorities seized 43 credit cards from local and foreign banks, 121 blank cards, and 342 sales slips with different name and account information from one local bank, as well as a check book and a USB memory stick containing information important to the investigation. (Source - Panama America)    

The Ninth Criminal Court asked the Tax Office of the Ministry of Finance to conduct an appraisal of farm number 50728, used as collateral for the payment of a bail bond to secure the release of former Education Ministers Belgis Castro and Salvador Rodriguez as well as former Municipal Engineer Jaime Chambers, and ten other people. Judicial sources reported the request from judge Edgar López - sent on 2 March 2010 through a letter addressed to the Director of the Tax office Publio Cortés - is designed to access information to decide if those released on bail should remain free or not. The same day he received the letter, Cortes responded to Lopez saying his office ordered an evaluation on 26 February 2010 which will be conducted on 24 March 2010. These actions are the product of an investigation opened by Attorney General Giuseppe Bonissi into farm number 50728 after it was learned the property had been used to secure the release on bail of the three former PRD politicians for a combined value of $800,000 dollars. The farm is owned by Rodrigo Muñoz Sánchez, who bought it on 12 November 2009 with a tax value of $18 dollars. This property, located in the village of El Potrero in the district of La Pintada, Cocle Province, is only one hectare and on 24 November 2009 the tax value of this property was changed to $3 million dollars. In his note, Cortes informed Lopez they will also perform an appraisal of farm 50740, inscribed by Muñoz Sanchez to the Public Registry on 30 November 2009, which also measures just one hectare and that also has a registered tax value of $3 million dollars. Both properties are at the same location and were segregated from the primary property identified as farm number 20202, according to research by the Directorate of Land Registry. Cortes reported they have not been able to physically locate Muñoz Sánchez, so therefore he will be notified of this judicial proceed through a publicly published edict. The director of Land Registry said that on this case the have only received the judge's request. The other eleven bail bonds being investigated whose revocations were requested by the Public Ministry to the various courts and judges involved remain pending to be resolved. (Source - La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: If this trick was being used by one slick lawyer to obtain bail for inmates, that means there are more. I wonder how many people are walking around right now, free on bail, who used the same stunt. This scam was only uncovered because the three former PRD politicians are high profile cases. I would hope the Panamanian government, to include the judicial system and the public ministry, would conduct a complete review of every inmate currently on bail who used this kind of land guarantee to obtain bail. It wouldn't take to much for the Tax Office to hire an additional ten or fifteen auditors (or even better, to contract out the work) to conduct a detailed review. It would be a time consuming task which would require painstaking coordination between the Tax Office, the Public Ministry, and the various courts and judges, but hey - what's the cost of not doing it? This loophole exists in the first place precisely because the Tax Office, Public Registry, Public Ministry, and the courts of the Judicial branch can't talk to one another quickly and efficiently, and there's no requirement in law for them to do so, prior to bail being granted and an inmate being released. Now that the problem has been identified of course they will enact new laws and take action to close the loophole, however this entire evolution is perfectly indicative of the types of problems making the Panamanian judicial system weak and ineffective.

Look At What's Going On Right Now: Even through everyone in the world already knows what happened, the "system" requires that protocol be followed, an audit be conducted, and official reports be written, before any judge has the legal right to revoke bail and to return these thirteen suspects to prison. There apparently is no "wiggle room" to allow the judges to simply say "screw it, I'm convinced" and to revoke bail right now while the review and audits are being conducted, which will almost certainly serve to paper over their asses and to keep them from getting in trouble. And that's my point. Much of the judicial system is designed to allow slick defense attorneys to exploit the millions of weaknesses in the system to their client's benefit. I suspect that if this kind of crap was pulled in the US, the judges who granted bail would be so pissed off they would revoke bail instantly and return everyone to prison (just to be on the safe side) while the audits and reviews are being conducted. Here, the shoe doing the kicking sometimes seems to be on the wrong foot.

Want To Crack Down On Crime? If so, then the judges and the judicial system as a whole are going to require greater leeway, flexibility, and powers to shut crap like this down, right now. And there should be hard-hitting and stinging negative repercussions for everyone involved. Like, are the people who put this whole thing together going to go to prison themselves? The Panamanian justice system is weak when it works and flat-out broke in many respects. This story serves to highlight many of those systemic weaknesses in a very public manner. It remains to be seen what will be done to shore-up the judicial system in the coming years. The country of Panama is currently engaged in a hot-war against crime - murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, graft and corruption, embezzlement, assassinations related to drug trafficking, robberies, and gang related street crime of every flavor. The executive branch can run around and arrest the bad guys all day long, but if the judicial branch can't convict the criminals, administer justice, and create a real and significant deterrent, then the government of Panama is fighting with one hand tied behind their backs. Real and significant changes are going to have to be made, and so far all of the suggestions I've heard are little more than band-aids being applied to what amounts to arterial bleeding.   

By Sean Mattson PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - As investors fret about sovereign debt credibility around the world, tiny Panama could soon win a coveted investment-grade rating to reward years of rapid economic growth and trim budgets. The Central American nation of 3.4 million people, which has cashed in on its busy transoceanic canal, is on deck for a possible upgrade from all three major rating agencies, meaning it would join the club of other Latin American investment-grade economies: Chile, Mexico, Brazil and Peru. Investors are betting the move is on the horizon, with one agency saying its debt review could conclude as early as May. In the last two months, the difference in costs between insuring against defaults from Panama and Brazil has sunk to record lows. "They are going to achieve investment grade," said Boris Segura, senior economist for Latin America at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut. Panama, which straddles a narrow strip between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, has emerged as one of the biggest winners in the last decade's growth in global trade. About four percent of international commerce flows through the Panama Canal, and the country also ships goods by rail from ports on one coast to another. Shipping prowess helped Panama average 8 percent annual growth between 2000 and 2009 -- the fastest pace in Latin America. Panama even grew during the global recession, and a $5.25 billion project under way to expand the canal bodes well for future growth. "The advantageous geographical position of Panama will only get better," said IDEAglobal economist Enrique Alvarez, though he warned Panama would suffer if international commerce turned more protectionist. (more)   Click Here To Read The Full Article (413 words)

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Cristian Riveros' header in the 69th minute earned Mexico's Cruz Azul a 1-0 victory over Arabe Unido of Panama in the first-leg quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday. After a slow first half, the Panama team attacked more in the second but it was the Mexican club which took advantage of the few scant chances in the match. The return leg is Wednesday in Mexico City. Cruz Azul played without some of its top players, including Gerardo Torrado and Argentines Emanuel Villa and Maximiliano Biancucchi, who were rested for league play this weekend. In the three other first-leg quarterfinals earlier in the week, Mexico's Toluca and Columbus Crew drew 2-2 in Ohio, Marathon defeated Mexico's Pumas 2-0 in Honduras, and Comunicaciones of Guatemala had a 1-1 draw at home to Mexico's Pachuca. In the semifinals, the Columbus-Toluca winner faces the winner between Comunicaciones-Pachuca. Marathon or Pumas will face Arabe Unido or Cruz Azul. It is possible for all four Mexican teams to reach the semifinals.   

(AFP) PANAMA CITY — Illegal fishing and climate change are decimating shrimp and lobster populations in Central America, threatening a two-billion-dollar industry and 136,000 jobs, regional experts said Thursday. "Pollution and warmer waters are impacting our species," especially shrimp and lobster, said Central American Organization of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sectors (OSPESCA) regional director Mario Gonzalez. "The Pacific shrimp population, Panama excluded, has fallen dramatically" because of overexploitation and decreasing rainfall in Central America over the past decade, "which depletes the nutrients they feed on," the expert said. The lobster population is also in jeopardy of disappearing altogether, he added. Illegal fishing is also taking its toll, Gonzalez said. "Of the total amount delivered to fish processing plants, approximately 20 to 30 percent is illegal or undersized," said the OSPESCA official. Underreported catches compound the problem, Gonzalez said. "You can say that in Central America 50 percent of our (fishing) production goes undeclared or not reported, not only by private fishermen but also by large fisheries," the expert said. The dire situation has been brought to the attention of regional governments. "There's a regional policy (on fishing), but it's just included in documents which have to be turned into action in order to better manage our fish stocks," OSPESCA interim president Diana Arauz told AFP. As a first step, officials said, Central American Integration System members -- El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama -- have recently banned lobster fishing from March 1 to June 30 in hopes the species can make a comeback. Lobster and shrimp fishing in Central America employs some 136,000 people and brings in 1.985 billion dollars a year -- 4.1 percent of the regional gross domestic product, OSPESCA and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in a report.   

Mets GM Omar Minaya suggested Thursday that 20-year-old Ruben Tejada could open the 2010 season as the Mets' starting shortstop. The Panama native hit .289 with five homers and 46 RBI in 488 at-bats with Double-A Binghamton last season and told the New York Daily News that he won't be overwhelmed by the bright lights of the big leagues. "It's baseball," Tejada said. "Everywhere I play the game normal. I'm ready for everything." Alex Cora is another option to fill in for injured starter Jose Reyes, but Mets manager Jerry Manuel seems keen on giving the rookie a shot. Source: New York Daily News   

Ana Matilde Gomez, who was suspended from the position of Attorney General by the Supreme Court, returned to ask permission to travel to Washington DC in the United States in order to present her case before the Human Rights Commission of the Organization of American States. According to Gomez, her's is the most emblematic case in Panama in the material of the administration of justice to be presented to the Organization of American States, for the speed, lack of responsiveness, and other elements that have not been attended. She said that in case her request to be able to travel is denied, she would submit a letter through her attorneys explaining how the political situation has impacted her case through a statement. The Citizens' Alliance for Justice is helping to give the opportunity to Gomez to take her case to the Organization of American States, after her separation on 5 February 2010 over the alleged abuse of authority.

Editor's Comment: Maybe while in DC she could also get copies of any old intelligence reports that might exist from 1989 and 1990 detailing the possible participation of Gustavo Perez in the kidnapping of US civilians during the Just Cause invasion. Just a thought...   

Two men, who are suspected to be foreigners, pulled off an armed robbery of a house in broad daylight yesterday, in the Industrial Los Ángeles neighborhood of Betania. The criminals gagged the employees of the residence and took a safe the owners say contained about $8,000 dollars in cash. The house is owned by a businessman. The robbers also stole a blue Mitsubishi Pajero pickup truck with license plate number 252425 which was later abandoned in El Cangrejo, in Bella Vista. Apparently the villains fled in another car that was waiting for them. (Source - La Critica)   

Prosecutors are investigating the possible participation of the current director of the National Police in the abduction of several civilians during the U.S. invasion of Panama. Panama's Attorney General is trying to dig deeper into news reports published on the subject about two weeks ago. Attorney General Giuseppe Bonissi summoned journalist Alexis Charris Palacios of the La Estrella newspaper in an attempt to uncover additional evidence in the case. Another journalist, Santiago Cumbrera of the Panama America, was also summoned by the prosecutor. However, thus far there has not been any official statement made in the press by National Police Chief Gustavo Perez on the case. However, the case file contains a letter sent to the Attorney General by Rodolfo Moreno, the Secretary General of the Police, in which he assures Attorney General Bonissi that there are no documents in the archives of the National Police related to the matter. Moreno served as the Acting Director of Police during the first week of March while Gustavo Perez was in Israel. As soon as Perez returned from his trip, the government employees who used to work in the archives section of the National Police were transferred to Colon, in a move that has not been explained by the institution. This is not the first administrative step that calls attention to the police. At the same time the "Perez File" became public, police commissioner Jaime Ruiz, the Deputy Director, was sent to Costa Rica for one year. (Source - La Estrella)   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - With 40 votes in favor and 15 against, Panama's National Assembly approved a tax reform package this afternoon. This proposal was put forward by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and it will now go to President Ricardo Martinelli for signature. All this week there has been heated discussion over this tax reform, with the government arguing that the new tax structure will force those with more money to pay more, while reducing the tax burden of those who make less. An increase in the ITBMS sales tax from 5% to 7% was included in this package.

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

Located just over an hour from Panama City, the Vista Mar Golf and Beach Resort is an exclusive beach resort development on Panama's Pacific coast. Built around a 6,800 yard par-72 Championship golf course, Vista Mar's spectacular ocean front location provides magnificent ocean views from most areas of the resort. Vista Mar offers a variety of recreational activities making it a unique place to relax and entertain. Beautiful landscaping, gorgeous sunsets and ocean breezes combine with modern home and condominium designs to ensure Vista Mar Resort will be a preferred destination for years to come. (more)   Click Here To Read The Full Article (1,871 words)

"We all hope they would reach concrete results (...) but to say the documents did not appear and settle for that I find extremely sensitive," said Guido Rodríguez - editor of the Panama America newspaper, in a statement made on Channel 13 Telemetro Reporta, in speaking about the investigation into Gustavo Perez, after the Panama America published a report involving the current Director of the National Police with irregular activities. Rodriguez said that in the investigation into Perez's involvement with the alleged kidnapping and persecution of American citizens there are summonses which have not been made. "If there is a document that is posted on the website of Panama America, which has been corroborated by sources belonging to the former defense forces of the former National Police, it is logical that Attorney General Giuseppe Bonissi should conduct a visual inspection of the files of the National Police, and at least call to declare the people who signed the resolution, because it is known who they are," he said. The editor said this opinion is not only held by the newspaper, but it is also shared by people who are experts in criminal law. Yesterday, 11 March, journalist Santiago Cumbrera - who appears as the author of the news article - was summoned by the prosecutor to give evidence about his writing. Guido Rodriguez said that according to similar experiences, they instructed the reporter that during his testimony he should take advantage of the benefits provided by Laws Number 22 and 29 of June 2005, which establish and confirm the reservation of the source, because the questions being asked referred to how he obtained the information. The director of the Panama America reiterated that the evolution of the case "is not being provided in accordance with what should be an investigation as sensitive as this that affects the head of an institution in which all Panamanians have put their hopes in these times when there is a wave of violence that we all regret." (Source - Panama America)   

Officers from the Panamanian National Naval Air Service (SENAN) seized at least 1,600 kilos of cocaine from a boat that washed up on shore at the Chiquita beach in the upper coast of Colon. The cocaine was found in a 42 foot long boat with four 200 horsepower outboard engines, according to a Senan press release. During the chase the people who were traveling on the boat threw several bags of cocaine into the water, said the report. (Source - La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: There are all kinds of stories in Panama of people who find bundles of cocaine washed up on the beach. A person who has been dirt poor all of their life suddenly has the money to tear down their old shack, put up a new cement two-story building, buy a nice SUV, etc. When they find these bundles what people typically do is hide them, then they make contact with a local drug trafficker to negotiate for a reward or finder's fee. There will be lots of people walking the beaches tonight, that's for sure. And this bust of 1,600 kilos converts to just over 1.7 tons, and this cocaine would have a US street value of more than $160 million dollars.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Received today via email: "Alex Humphrey went missing in August 2009 in Boquete in Chiriqui province not far from the Costa Rican border in Panama. Detailed searches were carried out by SINAPROC, the search and rescue team and shortly afterwards, the family made two visits to distribute posters, make TV and radio appeals and arrange for the offer of a reward for information. Alex was active in the Arts scene in Manchester, England where he lived. He was a poet, an aspiring dramatist and sometime stand-up comic. In January, several of his friends organised an Arts Evening which was attended by over 200 people. The entertainment ranged from a classical quartet to burlesque dancers, with poetry, comedy and much else besides. Several local businesses gave prizes for raffles. Many people said that Alex would really have enjoyed the evening and that ‘they did him proud.’ Alex’s family decided to split the proceeds between the school for children with learning difficulties where Alex worked and the Hogar Trisker orphanage on the road between David and Boquete, which Alex must have passed before he went missing. On their recent visit, Gill, Alex’s mother and Martin his elder brother, handed over $250 as a first instalment, to Bob Moyle, from the local Rotary Club who currently manages the orphanage. We have today received an e-mail to say that the money has been spent on black shoes for school for 14 girls, and a contribution towards the fund to re-open a well on the property so that they always have a safe water supply. The family hopes to be able to send more money out shortly. Bob Moyle: aquilaii@juno.com, Andrea Wren organised the event: andrea.wren@gmail.com, Assorted pictures and text at : Desperately seeking Alex on Facebook."

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

Lane James Lloit, a 55 year old US citizen, was found dead in the International Hotel in Colon. The authorities are investigating to determine if there was a criminal hand in his death. The hearse was located at the rear of the hotel so as to not attract the attention of those who were passing by the street where the hotel is located. A source involved in the investigation said a syringe with heroin was found in room 102, and that the deceased had a head injury. Presumably he could have died from a drug overdose. (Source - La Critica)

Editor's Comment: The Panamanian newspapers very often get the name wrong in these initial reports. The person's name might be "Lane James Lloit" however I suspect the last name might be "Elliot" or "Elliott" or something like that. In addition they also frequently get first-middle-last name wrong. For example, there's a guy named Elliot J. Lane who's a lawyer in Hartford, Ct (and, I hope he's just fine.) Anyway, I'll follow up to either confirm or correct the identification of this person. If anyone knows this person, please contact me via email - don@panama-guide.com - thanks.   

The Superbook VIP Sports Club - Panama's premier sportsbook - announces our new super lunch specials available every Monday through Friday from 12:00 noon until 2:00 pm. Come by and enjoy all your favorites from Spaghetti Tuesdays to Fish Friday's for only $3.95 including soda! Superbook has recently completed all remodeling with new couches and chairs to go along with the new tv's. All additions have been made with the customers comfort in mind, so hurry by the Superbook to enjoy our daily lunch specials, and remember "Play Today - Get Paid Today!"    

You do not want to miss the March 24 Expat's West Mixer at El Rincon de Chef! Please click on this link to RSVP. Once again we will be dancing the night away after a wonderful meal from Chef Fernando. Only this month it's not salsa, no it's not line dancing...... IT'S DISCO!!! And you thought Disco was dead!! Well not at Expat West! We will be joined by such favorites as Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, KC and the Sunshine Band and many more. You've got two weeks to practice your John Travolta moves. (Yes, we expect to see them!!) Come and join us as we shake our booties and dance the night away to all those tunes you still know the words to! We are very pleased to announce that Chef Fernando is presenting an ITALIAN styled menu this month. You can view the full menu on our events calendar. Once again if you will be eating at Rincon del Chef please complete the RSVP form on our website so that Chef can be prepared accordingly. A big thank you again to all those that did utilize the RSVP form last month. Prize sponsors this month are: - $25 gift certificate from Panama Roadrunner Security Transport - Dinner for 2 at La Carreta by the Restaurant - A lovely surprise by VIP Insurance - And you just never know what is in Playacommunity’s hat. Please join us this month for a fun evening, the opportunity to meet new people and to catch up with old friends. Remember to come and meet me at the Playacommunity table in order to obtain your door prize tickets. Get down!!!! Linda van Dyk http://www.playacommunity.com   

About 21 families were affected by a fire yesterday morning in an old wooden house, number 3026, located on 12th Street and Domingo Diaz in Colon. At 11:00 am residents saw smoke coming out of a room and raised the alarm, yelling "Fire! Fire! The house is on fire!" Luisa Torres, a witness, said luckily they were able to remove some of their belongings and the speedy arrival of the firefighters prevented even more families from becoming homeless, despite the lack of water. The Commander of the Fire Department of Colon, Leonardo Roman, said they used six trucks to put out the fire, and they were forced to use sea water, preventing serious consequences. Representatives from the Ministry of Housing and Land Management (Miviot) will make an assessment of the property through their Department of Social Services to undertake repairs. The Representative from the Southern District, Alex Lee, and the Deputy Mayor of the District, Rosa Vasquez, also arrived on the scene to provide support and assistance to the ten families who were left homeless by the fire, and the eleven families whose houses were damaged by water. The National Police guarded the scene to prevent the intrusion those who were not owners. (Source: Mi Diario)   

Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli said today the recent murders in the country can not continue. He told local media his government is going to stop these killers, be they adults or minors. Martinelli said the murderers will "go to jail" and the full weight of the law will be applied to them. "We've had enough of this, that they are killing people and it goes unpunished," he added. (Source: La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: The government is going to take several actions to allow for longer jail sentences. For example, they would allow multiple sentences to be applied to run consecutively instead of concurrently, and therefore people convicted of multiple crimes in different cases could be sent to prison for as long as 50 years. Last night Martinelli also floated some trial balloons, saying that issues such as life imprisonment or the possibility of a death sentence could be issues put forward for a popular vote by means of a plebiscite. The public is calling for a crackdown, and at this point they appear more than willing to give up some personal freedoms in exchange for greater internal security.    

The entire staff of the Archives Department of the National Police was transferred on Tuesday to work in Colon. It is suspected this action was taken as retaliation for the leaking to the press of a copy of the file of the current Chief of the National Police, Gustavo Perez, in which a disciplinary board recommended a dishonorable discharge in March of 1990. (Source - La Estrella)

Editor's Comment: And thus it begins. In my estimation this move was a huge strategic error on the part of Gustavo Perez. As I have predicted in the past, Gustavo Perez is currently in the process of changing or morphing from an asset for Panamanian president Ricardo Martinelli, into a political albatross. Obviously this action to transfer administrative workers of the National Police - the entire staff of the archives section where the notorious memo from 1990 was stored - to work in Colon was a punitive action on his part. Punitive, as in punishment. No trial, no hearing, just make an arbitrary decision and issue the order. Sending someone who lives in Panama City to work in Colon is kinda like being ordered to the Western Front. When you screw up, you're sent to Siberia, like that. And, since Gustavo Perez doesn't know who leaked the memo he's apparently assuming it had to have been someone who worked in that office, so transfer them all. In other words, shoot them all and let God sort them out. In my humble opinion this appears to be an action taken by a man desperate to hide the truth and facts of the case, and to run from his own past. If he has nothing to hide and if he wants to cooperate fully with any investigation, then why does he have to make the lives of these people more difficult? Again, I don't see how Gustavo Perez can survive this scandal politically speaking. And after the news today, I think the fuse is burning and that sooner or later Ricardo Martinelli will be forced to cut him loose, "like a bad 'chute." It's only a matter of time. The only remaining question - how long will it take? This headline today didn't help Gustavo Perez, at all.   

A gang of robbers suspected of targeting tourists in Panama was dismantled in the area of Concepción. The two men were aboard a Nissan XTrail pickup truck that had special license plates to provide luxury service to tourists, said Captain Rios of the Juan Diaz police station. He said the "individuals were arrested with a gun and six rounds of live ammunition." According to the information, the men who were arrested passed themselves off as taxi drivers at the Tocumen International Airport, where they identified their intended victims in order to rob them of their belongings on the Southern Corridor. (Source - Panama America)    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Jerry Ray Hall has established a gonzo website in an attempt to continue his slanderous lies and attacks against myself and the others in Panama who have unmasked him for the fruitcake that the is. However, it takes a special kind of lunatic to fabricate horrendous lies about someone, such as trying to say my friend Clyde Jenkins is a pedophile. On his website Jerry Ray Hall has placed the words "Clyde Jenkins Conviction For crime with a child" above this photo:

But You Can't Read That, Right? Of course not, you're not supposed to be able to read it. I downloaded the image and zoomed in, and you can see it came from the Sex Offender's Registry in the state of West Virginia. When you go to that registry and do a search, you find a record for a 46 year old, 210 pound white male named CLYDE FREDERICK JENKINS JR. You can see that record for yourself, and I've included a screenshot below:

That's Not Our Clyde: In case you had any lingering doubts, I've posted a photo of "our" Clyde Jenkins that I took during a walkabout in Casco Viejo below.

The Truth Bothers Jerry Ray Hall: Yes, there happens to be a man named Clyde Jenkins in West Virginia who is a sex offender, and the "Doctor of Fake" Jerry Ray Hall knows full well that this is not the same man as Clyde Jenkins who lived in Panama, however in true "scumbag" form he's trying to twist reality in order to do as much damage as possible to his cyber-enemy. This kind of trick is the worst stunt anyone can pull in my opinion. When faced with the truth and facts, the nut-job Jerry Ray Hall creates vicious lies and slander about his enemies, with no regard whatsoever for the potential consequences. As a man who (falsely) claims to be a conservative Christian, this is truly despicable conduct. I have no idea how anyone could stand to be in the same room as this man. I hope that by now the entire community of English speaking expatriates in Panama knows exactly who and what he is. Anyone who supports his actions in anyway should be ashamed of themselves. He's crazy and dangerous.

Copyright 2009 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By Inti Landauro - PANAMA CITY (Dow Jones)--After weathering the financial and economic crisis that crippled global trade, the Panama Canal expects to see a modest rise in revenue this year as the recovery takes time to filter through to the shipping industry. "This year will be flat, it will be very similar in terms of volume," Alberto Aleman, the chief executive of the Panama Canal Authority said in an interview. "We are seeing the same tonnage." The Canal's revenues fell to $1.96 billion in the fiscal year 2009--which ran from October 2008 to September 2009--down from $2.01 billion in 2008. The forecast for this year is $2.02 billion, Aleman said. The canal's net profit will probably fall to around $960 million from $1.01 billion in 2009 and $1.03 billion in 2008. Despite the world economy's recovery, the canal's business will take time to pick up, Aleman said. The shipping industry always lags the rest of the economy as orders take several weeks to reach ports, and it takes companies time to get enough confidence to increase inventories, Aleman said. The canal's fiscal year also includes the fourth quarter of 2009, when a recovery wasn't obvious in countries trading through the canal.   Click Here To Read The Full Article (350 words)

The Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) presented this afternoon before the Supreme Court a complaint of unconstitutionality against the appointment of the replacement Attorney General, Giuseppe Bonissi. The demand of the opposition party establishes that Bonissi's appointment violated the precepts established in the Constitution of Panama. The President of the PRD party, Francisco Sanchez Cardenas, said this action was filed over the way Bonissi was appointed which violated the Constitution, because the figure of "Deputy Prosecutor" does not exist. "However, they used this action in violation of the Constitution and appointed a deputy," said Sanchez Cardenas according to a press release. (Source: La Prensa)

Editor's Comment: Considering the Supreme Court removed Ana Matilde Gomez from her position, I doubt this PRD complaint will get far.