Panama

Residents of Gardj Sugdub, the first of 63 communities along Panama's Caribbean and Pacific coasts, are being relocated due to rising sea levels, leaving behind their 200-year-old island home in a US$12 million project to move them to safer mainland areas

Nuevo Cartí, a mainland settlement built to relocate 1.200 residents of the island Cartí Sugdupu, which is threatened by rising sea levels, has been inaugurated by President Laurentino Cortizo

Panama's incoming government, slated for July 1, has initiated diplomatic efforts and international studies to fulfill its campaign pledge of closing the Darien border

José Raúl Mulino has won Panama's presidential elections with promises to close the Darién jungle - a critical immigration corridor - and revive economic prosperity in the country

Panama has introduced a new tool, the Taxonomía de Finanzas Sostenibles, in collaboration with various banks, aimed at developing environmentally-related banking activities and promoting a sustainable and low-emission economy

The National Medicine Institute officially urged the public to donate blood due to an increase in surgeries, emphasizing that each donation can save up to three lives

Panama has been removed from the EU's high-risk countries list for money laundering and terrorism financing, signalling significant progress in anti-money laundering measures and counterterrorism efforts

Despite handling less cargo due to drought and transit restrictions, Panama Canal's revenues surged by 14,9% to US$4,97 billion in 2023; the Panama Canal Authority attributes the rise to the tolls system implemented in January 2023

Local environmentalists have criticized the government for its inaction in closing the copper mine operated by Minera Panamá, emphasizing that it is putting the area at risk and increasing the country's vulnerability to international arbitrations

The National Migration Service of Panama predicted a 20% increase in irregular migration through the dangerous Darien jungle in 2024, with over 40.000 individuals already crossing this year