Good News and Bad for Investors

Sept. 10, 2008
Panama City, Panama
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Dear Panama Insider,

As you know, there are many investors coming to Panama to pursue the country’s many opportunities. One upcoming opportunity is the sale by auction of one of Panama City's most recognizable landmarks, the Atlapa Convention Center in the San Francisco district. No word yet on what the starting price will be, as government officials are still determining the center's value. What we do know is that the auction should take place at the end of the year or early 2009, according to sources from the Ministry of Finance. We'll let you know when more details are released.

The More Things Change, the More they Stay the Same

Sept. 3, 2008
Panama City, Panama
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Dear Panama Insider,

This month we celebrate the anniversary of Panama Insider and look back on another year in this country. This whirring "Hub of the Americas" keeps motoring forward…even while it manages to conserve the appeal that draws so many to live or spend time here. What have the past year's major events and changes meant to you?

This Popular Beach Town Will Soon Explode

Aug. 27, 2008
Panama City, Panama

Dear Panama Enthusiast,

It's the middle of the rainy season and this beach town swells as weekenders arrive in hopes of a sunny weekend. A few clouds threaten, but the coral sands glitter under mostly clear skies. "Nice day," says a woman behind me—she is talking to a man in a white linen shirt and khakis; they both have unmistakable New England accents.

This area is becoming increasingly international. What continues to draw so many people here?

Panama Immigration Changes: We Have the Details

August 20, 2008
Panama City, Panama

Dear Panama Enthusiast,

Panama has made some changes to its immigration law…changes that will affect you if and when you apply for a residency visa. As we’ve mentioned before, the government deadline for revealing these changes was Aug. 26, But lawmakers are ready now to provide official confirmation in the form of Executive Decree 320.

Top 3 Offbeat Questions About Panama

August 13, 2008
Panama City, Panama

Dear Panama Enthusiast,

Too much information combined with alcohol can befuddle you.

The recent Live & Invest in Panama Seminar at the Playa Bonita InterContinental Hotel & Resort was a great opportunity to talk to readers one-on-one, hear some of your questions about Panama, and discuss the issues that concern you the most. But as often happens at these meetings-of-the-minds, the amount of information offered can be confusing. Add a few fun cocktail hours and, well, everything swirls together like a dry martini.

Here are some of the more entertaining questions I got once the liquor began to flow…

City Comforts Close to Beaches and Mountains

August 7, 2008
Panama City, Panama

Dear Panama Enthusiast,

I'm chatting over coffee with a couple in their mid-50s. "We're going tomorrow," they say, excitement showing in their faces. It’s the last day of the Live & Invest in Panama seminar, and, though it's rainy season, the sun is shining unabashedly over the bright backdrop that is the Playa Bonita Intercontinental Hotel & Resort. The conversation is about a place a six-hour drive from here. In fact, several attendees have come to me today, maps in hand, to discuss the finer points of driving or flying to the little city.

As Things Go South in the U.S., Maybe You Should, too

July 30, 2008
Panama City, Panama

Dear Panama Enthusiast,

The rising cost of fuel has caused the price of everything from gas to food to go up all around the world…including in Panama. Even so, the economy here continues to grow at light speed. In 2007 Panama had a banner year—real GDP growth was 11.2%, the highest rate among all Latin American and Caribbean countries. According to the United Nations’ Economist Intelligence Unit, Panama is currently the world’s second-fastest growing economy, after China.

The Locals Will Insult You...

July 23, 2008
Panama City, Panama

Dear Panama Enthusiast,

"Hey shoe-face! Come here!"

How would you like to be called that—affectionately of course—by your new friends? No kidding, Car'e zapato is what the old-timers in a neighborhood called Monagrillo call one of their buddies. It’s "because he's so ugly," they say matter-of-factly, as they throw their arms around him and pound him on the back. (Handsome or not, his firstborn son is likely to be called a diminutive version of the word for shoe, like zapatito, from the moment he is born.) Around here, people are known for their sense of humor and odd propensity for giving hilariously off-the-cuff nicknames.