Xi Jinping: 'China Respects Canal Neutrality'

The declarations of the agent arise by the warnings of the United States, first commercial partner of Panama.

12/03/18 

By: Panama America

The President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, assured during his visit to Panama that China respects the neutrality of the Panama Canal.

The declarations of the president of the Asian giant are due to the warnings of the United States, Panama's first commercial partner.

Xi Jinping said he is willing to work with the country to promote cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, tourism, infrastructure and others.

Signature of agreements

During the two-day visit of President Xi Jinping to Panama, authorities of both Governments signed 19 agreements on maritime matters, tourism, export of tropical and marine products, infrastructure, technology and financial services.

Fair

Yesterday was inaugurated the Exposition of the People's Republic of China, Panama 2018, the largest and highest level held by the Asian giant in Panama since the establishment of diplomatic relations in June 2017. The most important Chinese companies will participate in the fair .

Other agenda items were also included, such as the signing of a memorandum of understanding on maritime transport and the co-organization of the XIII China-LAC Business Summit, among others.

Government issues order to proceed for fourth bridge over Panama Canal

Government issues order to proceed for fourth bridge over Panama Canal

The bridge will have three lanes in each direction and two central lines for monorail for Line 3 of the Panama Metro

The Panamanian President, Juan Carlos Varela, today delivers the order for the design and construction of the Fourth Bridge over the Panama Canal, in an act at the International Maritime University.

The Ministry of Public Works and the Panama Fourth Bridge Consortium, formed by the companies China Communications Construction Company LTD and China Harbor Engineering Company LTD, signed on November 9 the contract for the construction of the work, "for an amount of investment per 1,420,027,324.73 dollars, "then reported the Panamanian infrastructure office.

By Panama America

"The main bridge will have a gauge of 75 meters and a width of 51 meters, and will be of the cable-stayed type to save a main light of 510 meters and side lights that add up to 251 meters on each side.

It will have three lanes in each direction and two central lines for monorail for Line 3 of the Panama Metro, "he added.

The Ministry then added that the bridge, designed for a useful life of 100 years, will benefit more than 1.7 million inhabitants, and seeks to "alleviate the situation of the Las Americas Bridge", one of the most emblematic in the country, and "absorb the future demand in this area, estimated at 70,000 vehicles daily according to the records of 2017. "

Panama and China sign agreements on tourism, trade and agriculture

Panama and China sign agreements on tourism, trade and agriculture

Likewise, other points were included in the agenda such as the signing of a memorandum of understanding on maritime transport and the co-organization of the XIII China-LAC Business Summit, among others.

By Panama America

 12/03/18 

Yesterday was inaugurated the Exposition of the People's Republic of China, Panama 2018, the largest and highest level held by the Asian giant in Panama since the establishment of diplomatic relations in June 2017. The most important Chinese companies will participate in the fair.

Likewise, other agenda items were included, such as the signing of a memorandum of understanding on maritime transport and the co-organization of the XIII China-LAC Business Summit, among others.

On Monday, the governments of Panama and the People's Republic of China signed 19 agreements that include the export of meat and fruit products, the granting of a visa, among other topics.

Regarding exports, a protocol was signed on phytosanitary requirements for the export of fresh pineapples, meat, cobia and products of the sea from Panama to China. Other agreements include mechanisms for cooperation in infrastructure, technology and financial services. Likewise, other points were included in the agenda such as the signing of a memorandum of understanding on maritime transport and the co-organization of the XIII China-LAC Business Summit, among others.

President Varela said that today he has witnessed the signing of 18 cooperation instruments, in addition to the 28 already signed. "We have signed three protocols that will allow our producers to export fruits, meat and sea products to China," he added.

While, his counterpart Xi Jinping said that China has declared Panama as a destination for tourists and highlighted the opening of the first direct flight between China and Central America.

President Juan Carlos Varela and Xi Jinping were witnesses of the signing of multiple agreements between officials of both governments.

Panama, on the lookout for global growth

Panama, on the lookout for global growth

If the world economy grows 3.1 percent this year, probably Panama will have better trade with other countries.

The growth of 3.1% of the world economy, a more robust percentage than in 2017, should benefit the Panamanian economy as a service country; however, if it weakens, so will the results for the country.

Earlier this year, the World Bank predicted that the world economy would grow 3.1%, however, organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have warned that the global economy could have weakened more than expected due to trade tensions between China and the United States.

Last month, the IMF lowered its global growth forecast for 2018 and 2019 to 3.7%, against the 3.9% calculated earlier. Meanwhile, the global economic outlook that the OECD draws is not very encouraging. The OECD predicts that next year the global economy will begin a slowdown as a result of the commercial tensions, basically, due to the tariff dispute between the United States and China, the stricter financial conditions and the impact of oil prices.

Increase

3.8 percent will grow Panama this year, according to the forecasts of Indesa.

3.1% Panama's economy grew in the first six months of this year.

The protagonists of this trade war, China and the United States, do not escape from reality. AChina is estimated to have GDP growth of 6.6% in 2018 and 6.3% in 2019, one tenth less than what was estimated in the previous report of the OECD.

In the American case, it will be 2.9% this year and 2.7% next year. Both fall in 2020 to 6% and 2.1%, respectively.

The president of the National Council of Private Enterprise (Conep) of Panama, Severo Sousa, emphasizes that to the extent that world markets have better economic climate, it is more likely that Panama has a better trade with them for being a country globalized and that exports mainly services. Olmedo Estrada, president of the Association of Economists of Panama, agrees with these proposals, saying that while the economies are beginning to recover globally, this is a good sign for countries like Panama, which depend on the economies to improve their condition.

He explains that when economies are growing very low, they do not have the resources to buy goods and services from other countries. So if the economies of Central and South America begin to grow, it means that they are in a healthy condition and have the resources to buy goods and services from other countries.

If the growth of 3.1% is achieved worldwide, a positive message is sent to the world and to those countries that make strategic commercial alliances to increase economic activities.

Perspectives

Although this year the Panamanian economy has shown signs of weakening and could grow below 4%, the outlook for 2019 is still above 5%, even close to 6%, explained the economist.

Estrada indicates that this is due to the fact that this year, due to the strike of the workers of the National Union of Construction Workers (Suntracs), they stopped producing close to 900 million dollars and its impact on the economy has left negative numbers this year. Reason why the estimated 5% will not be reached.

For the other year, it is unknown what situations or phenomena may appear, but it is expected that investments in mining, the development of ports, the Panama Canal, the financial center and logistics that are marking very positive dynamics will help in 2019 you have a strong and robust economy and with the prospect of growing more.

The mayor José Isabel Blandón prevailed in the Panamanian

The mayor José Isabel Blandón prevailed in the Panamanian

Mayor Blandón promised to carry out a great administrative revolution with the revision and modernization of the organic laws of many institutions that, he assures, have become obsolete.

By: La Estrella de Panama

The capital's mayor, José Isabel Blandón, who has distanced himself from the government of the President of the Republic, Juan Carlos Varela, was elected yesterday as the presidential candidate of the official Panameñista Party for the 2019 general elections.

In the process of primary elections of this political group, made yesterday, Blandón surpassed the former Minister of Housing and Territorial Planning (Miviot) Mario Etchelecu, who was his closest contender in the search for the presidential candidacy of this group. There were ten participants in these elections.

At 6:09 in the afternoon, the mayor of the capital received the official communication from the Electoral Tribunal (TE), that he had been elected as the winner of these primaries in which a 49.1% participation was registered.

Blandón obtained the victory with 56.74% of the preferences (91,209 votes), while Etchelecu added 38.1% (61,380 votes) and Ada Romero, who was in third place, achieved 1.3% support, 2083 votes.

After the triumph, Blandón expressed in his speech that with this result a new stage begins and that he and the Panamanians begin to write a story never before written in Panamanian politics.

'It is perhaps the first time in the history of the Republic that a presidential candidate has been a deputy and mayor before; It is the first time that the acting mayor of the capital district is the presidential candidate. But that is not the only difference with this candidacy, this aspiration does not arise from the bowels of the Creole oligarchy, but is genuinely popular, championed by a professional of the middle class, born inside the Republic, from the bosom of a humble family with no surname of ancestry, "he said.

He added that it was time to end the practice of using 'band-aid' and propose half solutions. "The country is not built on solid foundations only with megaprojects, but, mainly, on public institutions that have legitimacy and credibility."

CONSTITUENT

He announced that, if elected President of the Republic, he will call a referendum in the first week of the government so that it is the people who decide whether or not they want a new constituent.

Throughout this campaign, the candidate indicated, will present concrete proposals explaining what and how it will be done.

'The reform of the State will be one of my main objectives, that includes the constitutional change. I think it's the most democratic way to equip ourselves with a new constitution; a new constitution to change the way to elect the deputies, to change the way to choose the magistrates of the Court, to take power from the Executive, to strengthen local governments, "he said.

He also committed to make a great administrative revolution, the revision and modernization of the organic laws of many institutions that have become obsolete.

He added that decentralization will be one of his priorities and in that sense, he acknowledged to President Varela 'the courage, the detachment from initiating this process of decentralization. With me this process will not only continue, but it will deepen ",

CSS AND EDUCATION

The presidential standard-bearer of Panamaniacism announced that it will face problems whose solutions are well known, but that have been evaded for years, for fear of the so-called political cost.

Among these, he mentioned the crisis of the Social Security Fund (SSC), the high cost of medicines, the modernization of education, the rescue of the agricultural sector, the clean-up of the administration of justice.

PROPOSALS

Decentralization

If elected president, Blandón promised to allocate an additional budget to local governments throughout the country, starting in 2020, equivalent to 1% of the general budget of the State, which currently means an additional $ 240 million for local governments.

"These are some issues on which, the most important thing is to have the political will and the ability to make the changes that these sectors require," he said.

He also stated that he looks forward to the moment of the presidential debates. 'I hope and trust that there is not a candidate who flee from these debates and I assure you something, I will always do my homework, because they will not see me committing plagiarism or repeating which papagallo what another political consultant wrote to a candidate in another country'.

He informed that it will give continuity to projects that have been positive and beneficial for the population.

'What has been of benefit to the people will continue; what presents good opportunities, will improve and what has meant delays, will be eliminated, "he said.

In a message on Twitter, President Varela praised the internal process of his party. 'Congratulations to the @ Panameñistas for a strong, decent and fair campaign. I also congratulate @BlandonJose for his official nomination and @MarioEtchelecu for a great campaign, 'he said.

OTHER CHARGES

In other positions of popular election that were in dispute in this internal struggle of Panamanianism, the deputy Adolfo Valderrama won his candidacy for the Mayor of Panama.

The majority of Panamanian deputies won their seats to elect re-election in their posts, except Gabriel 'Panky' Soto, of the circuit 8-1, in Arraiján, who was outbid by the former director of the Institute for Training and Achievement of Human Resources (Ifarhu), Yessenia Rodríguez.

In this circuit, Panamanianism reserved two positions of the three seats available for this constituency.

While for the mayor of La Chorrera, Panamanianism will lead as its standard bearer to the ex-deputy Alberto Barranco.

More than 230 cruises will transit the Panama Canal in the 2018-2019 season

More than 230 cruises will transit the Panama Canal in the 2018-2019 season

The Norwegian Bliss, the largest passenger ship to transit the interoceanic route, will return to the neopanamax locks this season, along with the Caribbean Princess, the Carnival Freedom and the Disney Wonder.

Around 234 cruises will travel through the Panama Canal during the 2018-2019 season, which will begin on Friday the 5th with the passage of the Seven Seas Mariner, in transit north, traveling from the west coast to the east coast of the United States.

"This would be the second complete cruise season with the expanded Canal in operation and we hope to surpass our recent milestones and successes.In the next year, we hope to welcome more than 237,000 passengers through the Panama Canal," said Albano G. Aguilar, specialist leader in international trade of the Panama Canal.

Ten new cruises will travel through the panamax or neopanamax locks for the first time this season, including vessels of the following lines: Princess Cruise, Carnival Cruises, MSC, Norwegian Cruise, Viking Ocean Cruises, Hurtigruten, Iles Du Ponant and Blount Small Ship Adventure.

By Panama America

The Norwegian Bliss, the largest passenger ship to transit the interoceanic route, will return to the neopanamax locks this season, along with the Caribbean Princess, the Carnival Freedom and the Disney Wonder. Norwegian Bliss, which transited the Panama Canal for the first time in May 2018, weighs more than 168,000 gross tons and can carry nearly 6,000 passengers.

Also, the Carnival Triumph, the Carnival Valor and the Emerald Princess will travel for the first time the neopanamax locks.

As in previous years, major shipping companies such as Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, among others, offer itineraries this season with full and partial transits that include Panama and the interoceanic route. Smaller cruise ships, such as the Wind Star and the National Geographic Quest expedition cruise, include seven- and eight-day itineraries, respectively, with the west coast of Central America as their destination.

The works of restoration of the National Theater advance

The works of restoration of the National Theater advance

By La Estrella

One of the most striking is in the dome of the main room or ceiling, called: "Birth of a Republic"

In the centennial infrastructure of the National Theater of Panama - currently undergoing restoration and rehabilitation work - the last details that will add brilliance and color, again, to famous shows that national artists hope to perform, said today in charge of the project.

The architectural jewel, located in the heart of the Old Town, was closed in June 2015 for showing problems of deterioration in its foundations, paintings and murals, so the government authorities decided in 2017 to begin a project to recover the artistic essence of the property .

Olga Espinosa -architect resident of Aprocosa, a company that won the Integral Architectural Rehabilitation project of the National Theater- told Efe that until now, there is an advance of 60 percent, so she foresees that this theater will open its doors in December.

This icon -whose construction was ordered in 1904 by the president of Panama, Manuel Amador Guerrero- was designed by the Italian Genaro Ruggieri, with an Italian-style operetta theater architecture, and its auditorium and the two amphitheater areas form a moon .

The cultural colossus was inaugurated on October 1, 1908, coinciding with the inauguration of José Domingo de Obaldía, as president of the recently inaugurated Republic. In addition, it premiered with the opera "Aida" by the Italian composer, Giuseppe Verdi.

But this story for the restorer of the artistic part, Angela Camargo, has its complement with the works of the Panamanian painter Roberto Lewis (1874-1949), who are scattered in different parts of the building.

One of the most striking is in the dome of the main room or ceiling, called: "Birth of a Republic", which evokes the independence of Panama, with regard to the construction of the interoceanic canal that runs through the country, and dating from 1941 .

"Lewis studied in Paris, they hired him to paint the vault of the theater (...), he managed the support of the dome to work it, and when he arrived in Panama, he had everything done to be able to bring his colleagues," he said. expert

He expressed that one of the peculiarities of the paintings is that they were glued with animal tail -made with horse leather- and a plaster film, but after more than 100 years, temperature changes in the theater due to the introduction of the air conditioning and light, ended up deteriorating the cool.

One of the events that suffered the painting happened in 2003, in which a piece of canvas collapsed, and had to be restored, although maintenance was not continued, so the deterioration of the piece of art continued.

"Everything was very damaged, that is why we are doing the impossible to leave it as it should be," said the specialist who works with another colleague the restoration work pictorial in the foyer (resting place), the stalls and the lobby.

Meanwhile, the general director of the National Institute of Culture (Inac), Janelle Davidson, mentioned to Efe that the entire intensive process of the works amounts to 15 million dollars.

He added that since the closure, both artists and citizens have suffered from the closure, affecting also businesses that mounted shows, but adds that it was necessary to perform the work in a comprehensive manner for the first time in the theater.

Now, the theater with capacity for 853 people, distributed in amphitheater, stalls, two floors of balconies, pit for the orchestra and a gallery. It will give a new face so that its visitors and artists shine among the beauty of this historic architectural work.