Panama: Titling of the Río Indio and Canal Basin is Free of Charge According to Anati

The administrator of the National Land Authority (ANATI), Andrés Pagés Chanis, clarified that the land titling process for residents of Río Indio and the Panama Canal watershed is free of charge.  This clarification follows a “disinformation campaign” claiming that the process is costly or seeks to dispossess families of their land.  Pagés explained that the lands in this area are managed by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and that ANATI only provides technical and registration support so that families occupying the land illegally can obtain a property title.  He reiterated that the process is free of charge, as both the ACP and ANATI are responsible for the surveying of the plans, the installation, and registration in the Public Registry. 

To ensure transparency in this process, a new regional ANATI office was established to handle cases exclusively related to the Canal and Río Indio basins and provide accurate information to all residents of the area.  The director told Nex Noticias that nearly 67% of the cadastral territory is already registered, allowing beneficiaries to access loans, inherit, sell, or transfer property. Regarding results, Pagés highlighted that 130 property titles were delivered yesterday in Capira, benefiting approximately 500 people.  Pagés also reported that when he took office, there were only four of the 17 CORS geo-referencing antennas operating.

Currently, 16 are operating, and another six are in the process of being incorporated into the network.  These tools are essential for megaprojects such as the Panama–David railway, the construction of new highways, and the San Miguelito cable car, as they allow for more efficient construction.  He explained that the files have been digitized and inventoried to address the backlog of older applications.  In fact, Pagés noted that some people have been waiting for a property title for up to 60 years, but have not obtained one because there was no real record.  In terms of revenue, ANATI collected around $280,000 in the first half of 2024, while in the same period in 2025 the figure rose to $580,000.