Newsroom Panama Quick Reads for September 2nd and 3rd 2026.
It Started Off on the Wrong Foot and Without Funds.
Absel Navarro got off to a bad start. He inherited a university with budget problems, difficulties paying salaries, recommendations from ANTAI for dismissals, and lingering vestiges of patronage.
A Matter of Numbers.
A geriatrician stated on social media that 100% of her patients are retirees. With the new law, she said prices will either increase or her clinic will have to close. She is requesting a review of the fee schedule approved by the Assembly.
They are Plentiful and Superfluous.
Businessman Aldo Mangrativa expressed surprise at the number of “charlatans” on social media claiming to have the magic formulas for restaurant success. He warned that they are simply unsuccessful snake oil salesmen.
September 7.
Former Vice President José Gabriel Carrizo (Gaby) will face a hearing on September 7 to determine whether the accusation of alleged unjustified enrichment will be confirmed and a date set for a trial.
An Editorial Slip-Up.
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) published a book that was distributed at the International Book Fair (FIL), which contains a serious error because it placed the Atlantic Ocean as if it were the Pacific Ocean, and it seems that no one checked the printed material.
The Line is Important.
Retirees and pensioners are complaining about the Social Security (CSS) clinic in the San Francisco district due to the chaotic waiting line. They allege that a doctor there is harassing and driving away female patients.
Call Within 120 days.
A patient with cataracts went to one of the Social Security Fund (CSS) polyclinics to schedule an appointment and was advised to call back in four months to see if they could give her one. All she has is a phone number.
A Prominent Colombian Businessman.
Jaime Gilinski, President of the Gilinski Group and CEO of Nutresa, confirmed as a participant in the XII Annual Conference of the Association of Directors of Panama, on September 15 at Casa Veranda-Sheraton. Following a multi-year acquisition process and a series of tender offers completed in early 2025, he assumed direct control and was appointed CEO and Legal Representative of Latin America’s top packaged foods producer.
He Met with the Lawyers.
The director of the Penitentiary System, Chanan Singh, met yesterday with the detainees sent to Coiba. He will have another similar meeting today. If those in Coiba are there for “national security,” everything changes.
