Panama
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World Bank nudges up Latin America growth forecast to 2.3% but warns of skills shortage
The World Bank expects Latin America and the Caribbean’s economy to expand 2.3% in 2025, a slight uptick from 2.2% in 2024, with growth projected to reach 2.5% in 2026.
Telefónica's mass redundancy plan signals deepening Latin American retreat
Spanish telco giant Telefónica SA is preparing to unveil a sweeping redundancy programme affecting more than 6,000 workers before year-end, marking the telecommunications company's most extensive workforce reduction in recent memory.
China rejects US "bullying" over Latin American partnerships
China has once again rejected American efforts to pressure Latin American nations into reducing ties with Beijing, with a foreign ministry spokesperson asserting the region's right to choose its own development partners independently.
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Latin America's development gains under threat as one in four live in poverty, UN report finds
UNDP warns of stagnation and rising vulnerability across the region amid "overlapping crises".
Small, medium-sized countries establish Future of Investment and Trade Partnership
UAE joins 13 countries in establishing Future of Investment and Trade Partnership to promote open trade, strengthen supply chains and address emerging economic challenges globally.
Chiquita to resume Panama banana operations after months-long strike
Multinational banana producer Chiquita Brands has confirmed it will restart operations in Panama, following a memorandum of understanding signed in Brasília between the company and President José Raúl Mulino.
Panama exposed as hub for Venezuelan corruption and money laundering
Panama’s financial and property sectors have once again come under scrutiny, as anti-corruption watchdogs revealed the extent to which Venezuelan corruption schemes have penetrated the country.
ECLAC raises Latin America growth forecast to 2.2% but warns of prolonged slowdown
The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean has lifted its 2025 regional growth estimate to 2.2% from a previous 2.0% projection, whilst acknowledging that economic expansion remains constrained by global volatility
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China’s shipping giant COSCO pushes for stake in CK Hutchison's Panama ports deal
The $23bn sale of CK Hutchison’s global port assets, including key terminals at both ends of the Panama Canal, has shifted as China’s state-owned COSCO emerges as a potential investor, altering the deal’s geopolitical balance.
CK Hutchison delays $23bn ports deal as US-China tensions grow over Panama sale
CK Hutchison’s $22.8bn ports sale faces delays, with the BlackRock-led consortium talks likely to extend past the July 27 deadline, as the deal draws scrutiny over Panama assets amid rising US-China tensions.
Panama's public debt surges past $62bn amid deepening fiscal crisis
Panama’s public debt rose by $4.48bn in one year under President Mulino, reaching $56.3bn by June 2025, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF).
US and Panama launch joint military exercises amid canal security concerns
US helicopters have arrived in Panama to begin collaborative training exercises with local security forces, as tensions mount over the strategic waterway's future amid competing US and Chinese interests.