Newsroom Panama - Quick Reads for June 13 & 14 2026

Teachers and Administrative Staff Not Paid their Bi-Weekly Wages: Crisis at Unachi Worsens

Tune in throughout the day as we add more stories to this Quick Read. The economic situation at the Autonomous University of Chiriquí (Unachi) is worsening, especially in relation to payroll payments. The payroll at Unachi has been one of the most criticized issues in recent years, especially during the administration of former rector Etelvina Medianero de Bonagas. Currently, monthly expenses are around $6 million for the salaries of approximately 2,000 employees, including administrative and teaching staff, which keeps the institution’s financial sustainability under scrutiny.

Acodeco Suggests Separating Distribution and Marketing: End of the Electricity ‘Monopoly’ in Panama?

In a move that could transform the Panamanian electricity market and even have repercussions on the cost of the service, the Consumer Protection and Competition Authority (Acodeco) presented a technical proposal to open the marketing of energy in the country to competition. Furthermore, separate the distribution and marketing activities in the contracts, so that they are no longer necessarily linked to a single economic agent. Retail electricity supply in Panama is operated by the companies Ensa, Edemet and Edechi. Changes to the rules of the game could be under consideration. This comes against the backdrop of projected electricity demand growth of up to 4.30% annually over the next 15 years in Panama.

The Endorsement of Castañedas and Camacho’s Withdrawal: Panama President Mulino’s Secret Meeting with RM

Over the past three months, President José Raúl Mulino has held meetings with four different congressional blocs as part of a strategy to strengthen ties with the legislature. All the meetings, which took place in the room at the Presidential Palace pictured above, were publicized through official statements, except for the most recent one, held this week with Realizando Metas (RM), the party to which the president belongs. These meetings addressed infrastructure projects, drinking water, and healthcare, among other legislative initiatives. They also discussed the upcoming election of the Assembly’s new board of directors on July 1st. After weeks of negotiations and with Mulino’s support, the RM caucus closed ranks around Shirley Castañeda to preside over the Assembly.

The 2019 La Joyita Massacre: 12 Inmates Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison

Fifty-year prison sentences were imposed on 12 inmates at La Joyita prison involved in a massacre on December 17, 2019, in which 13 inmates died and 11 others were injured. After the trial court read the guilty verdict, the private and public defenders announced that they would file appeals against the imposed sentence, considering it excessive. The trial for the massacre that occurred in La Joyita prison began last May and the Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the application of the maximum penalty.

Alleged Illegal Mining in the Darien: 6 Arrested and 13 Mules Seized in the Operation

Ten kilometers from the border with Colombia, agents of the National Border Service (Senafront) apprehended six Colombian citizens who are allegedly linked to illegal mining. In the middle of the operation, 13 pack animals, in this case mules, and different tools for mineral extraction were seized.

2026 FIFA World Cup | USA vs Paraguay