Barrio decorates streets in striking colors for Corpus Christi celebrations.
http://laestrella.com.pa/vida-cultura/cultura/villa-santos-viste-calles-colores-corpus-christi/24126338 The main avenue of the Villa de Los Santos, in the province of Los Santos, was colorful with works of art made on sawdust. They are paintings of different colors that mix religiosity, culture and that give beginning to the celebration of the festivities of Corpus Christi. The festivity that …
Panama to receive $2M grant for Jaguar. (Nice start….but MUCH MORE needed)
OP ED by: James “JB” Bryson While I applaud the attention, and literally “anything” that is allocated to this important issue,……is it just me or does $2Million in 2019 to protect the only apex mammal indigenous to the entire country of Panama seem a bit on the “cheap as shit” …
Metropolitan Park to receive $5Million facelift.
$ 5 million will be invested to create cultural and artistic areas, as well as new trails and facilities to increase the influx of visitors. https://impresa.prensa.com/economia/Parque-metropolitano-ampliara-atracciones_0_5322967709.html Enter the domain of the Metropolitan Natural Park is a blow to the senses. The change in temperature is immediate and, despite being a …
5 year delay about to end as Amador Convention Center set to open.
After five years of delay, including the abandonment of the first contractor, assignment of contract and failures in the execution of the works, everything indicates that the construction of the convention center in Amador is about to end. The company China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. (CCA) informed the Administrator …
Alfredo de Saint Malo Musical Festival mixes together the best that Panama has to offer.
A musical exchange The 13th edition of the Alfredo de Saint Malo International Music Festival links and bridges between different musicians to offer quality concerts to the country. The event starts from today. https://impresa.prensa.com/vivir/intercambio-musical_0_5315468430.html From today, we will witness a cultural exchange between various musicians of our country and the …
PNO.com visitors: Personal Plea to Aid in this cause for all of PANAMA. Protect the JAGUAR
by James “JB” Bryson PNO.com is proud to support and solicit any and all people to be more aware of this cause. The Jaguar is the largest indigenous mammal in Panama, as well as being one of the strongest of the big cats. It has been considered since the days …
Ex-Pat Forum: Upcoming Opera event looks to be a nice cultural experience
Starts in 1 day Tue 28 May 18:30 – 21:30 Costs 40.00 USD Donation at the door 24 attendees Favorite arias and ensembles from Opera, Operetta, Zarzuela and famous popular songs. Residence of the Honorary Consul of Jamaica, Judith Edwards. Tuesday, 28 May 2019. Donations at the door. Schedule: 6:30 …
The wait has been long, but 2019 Tourism Campaign can finally be embarked upon.
After a wait of nine months, the international tourism promotion fund could enter into formal operation in the coming days. The General Comptroller approved that this fund (managed as a public-private entity) has access to 20 million dollars a year. Although the fund assumed responsibility for the international promotion of …
June starts musical journey at the Allegro Art Gallery.
by James “JB” Bryson While speaking of music, please click on link for new PNO.com visitor “JOHN CARNEY MUSIC” on our homepage. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ In this fourth season of jazz at Allegro, the saxophist, composer and educator Luis Carlos Pérez indicates that he wants to share with the audience “the cultural …
Panama “Luxury” Eco Lodging makes the list at National Geographic.
by James “JB” Bryson Love Chiriqui……. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Panama is already listed in the Unique Lodges of the World ranking by National Geographic , a list made up of low-density luxury hotels, but with environmentally friendly features . Worldwide there are 55 properties that have the National Geographic category, and one …
Panama born hotel chain now expanding the tropics to the World.
The hotel chain Selina, which was born in Pedasí by the hand of entrepreneurs and travelers Rafael Museri and Daniel Rudasevski, currently operates 46 locations in Latin America and Europe; and by the end of the year he expects to have more than 60 open. _______________________________________________________________________________________________ http://laestrella.com.pa/economia/marca-hotelera-nacio-panama-famosa-mundo/24121642 Worldwide, different hotel …
No longer just “Balboa”. Panama sets roots in billion dollar craft beer market.
The craft beers are stomping. In 2013 there were at least 4 local breweries dedicated to artisan production, and for this year the number has increased fivefold: there are 20 companies. The local consumer has the decision in their hands, says Ricardo Fernández, co-founder of Casa Bruja and founding partner …
Weekend Festival will showcase convergence of diverse mix of cultures
The Festival of Congos and Devils of Portobelo 2019 will have a special halo. It will be its first celebration after the recognition of the ritual and festive expressions of the conga culture as Cultural Patrimony of Humanity in November 2018, as determined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and …
As Tourism continues to drag, questions arise for Panama.
The tourism sector drags a decline that has led to layoffs, decrease in services and products; as well as, in other regrettable cases, the closing of companies. This is only the result, on the one hand, of not addressing tourism through state policies that transcend government administrations, that do not lend …
Every time I give Panama credit for Environmental forward thinking…..THEY FUCK IT UP!!!
by James “JB” Bryson Just the other day I posted how a plan to save the necessary and essential mangroves that are generally run right through for the sake of development, La Prensa does an expose on how Panama takes one step forward and 20 steps backwards as they intend …
Abrego supporters have no issue attacking journalists.
Activists of the president of the National Assembly, Yanibel Ábrego , were surprised by the digital platform team Clearly when they were about to distribute supposed bags of food in the village of Cirí de Los Sotos, in a mountainous and isolated area two hours from Capira. Mauricio Valenzuela, a …
What will remain as Panama continues to grow? New conversations arise weekly
OP ED: by James “JB” Bryson In America it is called “Imminent Domain“, or in lay terms, when the government is able to emancipate properties that are deemed proving to be an obstacle in development that they feel would be for the greater good of the neighborhoods and cities involved. …
“Carnival” where Culture and Politics form the perfect mix
Candidates to different positions of popular election officially began yesterday the search for the votes for the general elections of May 5, in full Monday of Carnival . Candidates start today the election campaign The presidential ones carnival in Las Tablas, Chitré, the Villa of Los Santos and Penonomé, among …
No surprise here. Beaches reach capacity during Carnival.
Overcrowded were the beaches and rivers of the coast up and down Colón, during the four days of carnivals in these communities. Visitors – national and foreign – visited Cuango, Puerto Lindo, Palenque, Isla Grande, Nombre de Dios, Santa Isabel, Viento Frio, Cacique, Portobelo, Miramar, María Chiquita and Playa Chiquita …
“Boca La Caja” – what you know or may not know about what is right in front of our faces.
OP ED: by James “JB” Bryson When I have friends and family from the US travel into Tocumen, they inevitably ask about the brown, thick, water and ramshackle homes that adorn the coastline. First off, calling it “water” is taking a very generous and liberal stance on H2O. As it …
Flight from Chile marks first use of Tocumen Terminal 2 – prior to WYD influx
At approximately 4:44 p.m. arrived at Terminal 2 of Tocumen International Airport, the first commercial flight from Chile. The first commercial flight belongs to the Panamanian airline Copa Airlines. This Tuesday, January 21, Terminal 2 opened partially by enabling the five boarding doors to receive flights. It is expected that by …
Re-Visiting the DANGER of BOCAS del TORO.
OP ED: James “JB” Bryson The more deeply we are helping our fellow ex-pats with real estate issues, legal wrangling, and other problems they got suckered into in and around the area of BOCAS DEL TORO, COLON, BOQUETE, etc, I feel it is our duty to remind those that are …
On the positive: PANAMA still ranks high in places to visit. Encouraging for tourism
The publication Lonely Planet highlighted Panama in the fourth position among the top 10 countries in the world to visit in 2019. “Welcome to the crossing of the Americas. In Panama, the north meets the south at a tropical biodiversity festival held at a world-class BioMuseo. The east meets the …
On brink of criminal judgment, Martinelli obtains signatures for mayoral run.
OP ED: by James “JB” Bryson Say what you will of former President Ricardo Martinelli, but the guy has a set of balls on him. Whereas I am equally jaded into Panamanian politics as I was in my own country back in the states, I truly feel that the entirety …
Miss Panama 2018 takes stance on bias shown to indigenous women
Miss Panama 2018 , Rosa Montezuma , spoke on discrimination against indigenous women in an event held on Friday, August 10 by the Organization of American States (OAS) , at its headquarters in Washington. The Panamanian miss was one of the exponents in the segment of the rights of indigenous women in the Inter-American Forum on Indigenous Peoples …
Zulay Rodrigues- Deputy for PRD speaks on Religion and Choosing of Gender
Tuesday, at around 2:00 p.m. and with the threat of heavy rain, Zulay Rodríguez Lu arrived at the newsroom of La Estrella de Panamá, dressed in a blue miniskirt and bluish gray blazer, revealing a slender body, then of having lowered more than 20 pounds, as he confessed. He attended the …
Urban development requiring $20 billion until 2035
The Ministry of Housing and Territorial Planning (Miviot) published in the Official Gazette the Urban Development Plan for the Pacific and Atlantic Metropolitan Areas (Panama-Colón), which suggests a state investment of $ 20 billion in infrastructure to face the growth urban until the year 2035. Juan Manuel Vásquez , Vice …
Words of caution to the trappings of Panama for newcomers; the Sex comes with consequences
by James “JB” Bryson When we first settled here, and I say “we” as I was lock step with my wife at all times, it is hard to deny the utterly open and transparent sex industry that prevails in Panama. Lovely women abound, all seemingly attractive to unwitting American men. …
While Venezuela implodes, Maduro likes to dance.
Nicolás Maduro, who has already presumed his salsa skills with a Caracas rhythm, poses before public television during his campaign for re-election to the Presidency of Venezuela, trying out the bolero that dances and sings in front of the crowds that applaud him and they scream for help. As soon …
Drama swirling around possible return of Martinelli.
by James “JB” Bryson I find the story surrounding the possible return of President Martinelli quite fascinating. It plays out like a Shakespearean play right before your eyes. All of the vitriol and self righteous rhetoric coming from Varela, whom all know to be a shill of Martinelli for many, …