A Tumba Muerto-Veranillo route bus ran over and killed a sixty-year-old man Wednesday in Panama City’s Santa Ana neighborhood. The unfolding of events is as yet unclear, whether the man stepped into the street at the wrong time or if the bus was careless. One thing is sure, however. The buses, known as a...
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Isla Cañas, a sleepy Pacific island rimmed by mangrove coasts and broad beaches known for turtle nesting, now has its own security for the first time. Six police officers working in three-person shifts, will be patrolling the island community and protecting its 600 residents. The police presence comes eight days after unknown assailants lit...
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In yet another raid on an upscale high rise in Panama City, police entered a ninth floor Destiny condominium after residents tipped them off to the presence of armed men in the building. Among the items produced by the raid were mini uzis, bulletproof vests, security uniforms and $9,000 in cash, La Prensa reports....
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Curundu has been known for its shootings, drugs and poverty, but a government-sponsored project is renovating the district. Composed of 14 neighborhoods, Curundu extends from Brooklyncito to Santa Cruz. Officially established in 1971, its first residents arrived earlier, building their homes of zinc, cardboard and wood. This is where the government has promised big...
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The Transit and Transportation Authority will be laying down new transit laws in an effort put some order to Panama’s traffic. Fines will increase for disorderly driving including the commonplace practice of “blocking the box,” a scenario in which vehicles follow vehicles past stoplights into the intersection regardless of whether there is room for...
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In the back of an El Chumical sector church in Arraijan, police found what appeared to be five bags of cocaine and one bag of marijuana. Also on the scene were duct tape remnants normally used by people dedicated to drug trafficking, La Prensa reports. The police report indicated that the drugs were seized...
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Police cordoned off a road near Marcos A . Gelabert airport in Albrook after a shooting Thursday afternoon. Several cars were involved in the incident that left a white sedan overturned on the side of the road, according to preliminary reports. Jaime Buitrago, the sedan’s driver, was shot three times and taken to the...
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According to psychiatrists at a recent mental health conference held in Panama City, people in Panama live in a state of stress brought on by the city’s urban pollution. Doctor Juana Herrera, one of the presenting researchers, said that “Panama City is anything but friendly” from a social and medical standpoint. A lack of proper...
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David Bianche, A 62-year-old U.S. citizen, was beaten to death with a large lamp Tuesday night in his Trancas de Boquete home. Authorities set up checkpoints and captured two subjects traveling in a Ford. They suspect that the motive was robbery but did not discard the possibility that the murder was drug related. There...
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The National Immigration Service and the Labor Ministry detected an illegal Canadian and an illegal Chilean during a surprise operation yesterday in Boquete. Immigration officials made the rounds of hostels, bars, restaurants and other public places, looking for foreigners who were in country or working without the appropriate paperwork. Adriany Hernandez, head of the...
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