Moderator_02
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Dear Boquete Weather Watchers:
I posted the data for February 2022 at the website Climate Section and a new Boquete Weather Watcher Update No.155 at this link.
At the website is a link to help monitor the status of the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Even though there is some light at the end of the tunnel, continue to do your best to be responsible and play it safe for yourself and others.
Lloyd Cripe
www.boqueteweather.com -
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Dr. Paul MyersThe November 11, 2021, Community Chat with Paul Myers was recorded. Dr. Paul Myers is a retired geology professor (University of Wisconsin, 1968-1997). He and his wife Welthy are now retired and living in Boquete. This Community Chat is about the relationship between volcanos (and especially Volcán Barú) and earthquakes.
While preparing this posting the following interesting data about Volcán Barú was discovered on the Wikipedia website.
QuoteThe Volcán Barú (also Volcán de Chiriquí) is an active stratovolcano and the tallest mountain in Panama, at 3,474 metres (11,398 ft) high. It lies about 35 km (22 mi) off the border of Costa Rica. It is also the twelfth highest peak in Central America.
Below are the video of that presentation, contact information, and presentation materials, etc. The presentation materials are provided at the bottom of this posting.
Contact Information
- Paul Myers, email: paul.myers600@gmail.com
How To Share This Topic With Others
Other Chiriqui.Life Topics Involving Paul Myers (a representative listing, not exhaustive)
- https://chiriqui.life/topic/13853-upcoming-geology-activities-with-dr-paul-myers
- https://chiriqui.life/topic/14031-spring-geology-field-trips-with-dr-paul-myers
- https://chiriqui.life/topic/16096-geology-field-trips-for-2021
- https://chiriqui.life/topic/9127-chiriquilife-podcast-19-volcan-baru-presentation-by-dr-paul-myers
- https://chiriqui.life/topic/9133-another-chiriquilife-screencast-19-dr-paul-myers-discussing-volcan-baru
- https://chiriqui.life/topic/14117-lets-rock-chiriqui
- https://chiriqui.life/topic/6017-presentation-materials-for-the-volcan-baru-presentation-by-dr-paul-myers-at-the-bcp-theater
- https://chiriqui.life/topic/5737-tuesday-talks-volcan-baru-a-danger
- https://chiriqui.life/calendar/event/1645-tuesday-talks-at-bcp-living-with-a-volcano/
- https://chiriqui.life/topic/11324-baru-watchers-activities-schedule-january-through-april-2019
- https://chiriqui.life/calendar/event/1099-tuesday-talks-at-bcp-volcan-baru/
Presentation Materials (click below link to download the PDF document to your device)
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Sun Unleashes Large Solar Flare Which Could Lead to Spectacular Auroras This Weekend: Experts
October 29, 2021 Updated: October 29, 2021
An X1.0 class solar flare flashes in center of the Sun on Oct. 28, 2021. (NASA/GSFC/SDO)A large coronal mass ejection (CME) is expected to collide with the Earth’s magnetic field on Oct. 30 following an incredible solar flare eruption on Thursday.
The sun unleashed an X1-class solar flare, its most powerful kind of flare, on Thursday. It peaked at 11:35 a.m.EDT (1535 GMT), according to an alert from the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).
A coronal mass ejection (CME), also known as a solar storm, occurs when a large mass of plasma and highly magnetized particles violently eject from the sun. Large CME’s can contain up to a billion tons of matter and can get accelerated to large fractions of the speed of light.
When the Earth is in the direct path of a CME, these magnetized and charged solar particles interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, producing geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) that can potentially disrupt communication satellites and long-distance cables that provide the world with the internet.
A direct hit with the Earth can also lead to major geomagnetic storms resulting in stunning aurora borealis and aurora australis light shows if skies are clear.
Thursday’s solar flare caused temporary radio outages across much of the western hemisphere for a period, centered on South America, according to data from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Centre.“POW! The sun just served up a powerful flare,” NASA officials wrote on Twitter alongside a photo of the flare.
SpaceWeatherLive shared images of the solar flare on Twitter and confirmed that the eruption was accompanied by a CME that could collide with Earth’s magnetic field in the coming days.
“This looks to be a major coronal mass ejection and we might be in for a significant geomagnetic storm this weekend,” SpaceWeatherLive said.
The UK’s Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC) confirmed that a large CME has been analyzed and is expected to arrive at Earth later on Saturday.
“A glancing impact from a passing CME is also possible late Day 2 (Saturday) or early Day 3 (Sunday) but is low confidence. No other CMEs are currently expected to arrive at Earth. Otherwise, solar winds are expected to remain mostly at background through the period,” the Met office said, adding that minor geomagnetic storms are also expected but would subside by Sunday.
“The auroral oval is expected to be at or near background levels initially. Any aurora is only likely to be visible at high latitudes. On the 30th the auroral oval is expected to become enhanced. Sightings are likely (cloud permitting) across Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Northern England. There is a slight chance of aurora visible as far south as North Wales, Midlands, and Norfolk,” the Met said.
Auroras may also be visible from many northern states across the U.S. possibly even into the center of the country, including some visibility in Nebraska and Iowa, WOWT 6 News reports.
Space Weather Physicist Dr. Tamitha Skov also confirmed the X-flare was headed towards Earth and could lead to powerful blackouts, just in time for Halloween.
“A Direct Hit for #Halloween! The #solarstorm launched during the X-flare today is indeed Earth-directed! NASA predictions confirm impact by early October 31. Expect #aurora to mid-latitudes, as well as #GPS reception issues and #amateur radio disruptions on Earth’s nightside,” she said on Twitter.
Scientists at Nasa expect the Sun’s activity to ramp up toward the next predicted maximum in July 2025, meaning more flares, and potentially more aurora sightings, are likely to occur.
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Panama Set to Have Legal Medical Cannabis, But Hemp Bill Stalls
Back in October 2019, Deputy Kayra Harding introduced a bill (Proyecto de Ley No. 323) to promote the development of the hemp industry in Panama. The bill would establish a licensing regime for hemp cultivation and processing. Hemp is defined as cannabis whose THC content does not exceed 1.5% on a dry weight basis. However, legislative consideration of the bill has been slow.
Last October, government and legislative representatives agreed to establish a subcommission to “enrich” the bill. According to commentator Rafael Carles, it is ignorance when it comes to hemp and how it differs from marijuana that is behind the delays. At the same time, there are concerns within the Panamanian citizenry that the development of the hemp industry will only advance powerful business interests. These two explanations are not mutually exclusive, as demonstrated by this reader comment on a recent Carles column:
“Beware Panama! Now entrepreneurs want to make a profit from your vices, it is not just alcohol and beer. Now it is with drugs, but with a different name, calling the marijuana plant hemp.”
It does not help that Panama’s medical cannabis legalization has been tainted by accusations of corruption. According to one report, Canadian company Canna Med Panama, SA “was not only attentive to the debates in the National Assembly to approve Bill 153, which seeks to regulate the use of medicinal cannabis, but also sponsored a trip to Louisiana by five officials, some key in making decisions about the future business of the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.”
Bill 153 was approved last August by the National Assembly and is pending signature by the country’s president. The new legislation established four license categories: importation of cannabis derivates, production cannabis derivates, cultivation, and research. In the case of license applicants who are natural persons, the new law requires them to provide their nationality, which logically suggests that foreign nationals may be granted licenses; the bill is silent on whether Panamanian residence is requires. As to legal persons, the bill requires that they provide their Public Registry information, without clarifying if this includes analogous information, such as that in a Secretary of State’s registry in the United States (though we’ll go out on a limb and suggest it’s not that hard to open a subsidiary in Panama). Regulations issued after the bill becomes law may provide additional clarification.
Once the bill is signed into law, Panama will be in a somewhat odd situation: It will gave a legal regime for medical cannabis, but not one for hemp. Hopefully the situation can soon be rectified, with the passage of Bill 323.
For now, there’s a key takeaway for cannabis advocates throughout Latin America and other emerging markets. In regions with deep inequalities, licensing programs may be seen as giveaway for powerful interests, if not properly framed and explained. As with all other areas of governance, transparency is key. Moreover, cannabis legalization efforts may garner broader support if they are seen as economic opportunity vehicles for regular citizens. Provisions that ensure a part of the reaped profits go to those most in need can help.
Relatedly, cannabis businesses, in particular those from abroad, must be careful when it comes to involvement in local politics. Backlashes against perceived corruption may derail otherwise-positive initiatives and fuel resentment against participating parties.
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Solar ‘superstorm’ could prompt ‘internet apocalypse,’ global outages
September 22, 2021 1:04pm
Ninety-three million miles away, a solar storm brews with the power to prompt an “internet apocalypse,” according to recent findings.
University of California Irvine assistant professor Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi presented the new research last month during the Association for Computing Machinery’s annual conference for their Special Interest Group on Data Communication (SIGCOMM).
In the report, Jyothi warned that an unmitigated solar “superstorm” could “cause large-scale Internet outages covering the entire globe and lasting several months” — pointing to inadequacies in submarine cables, a major component of internet infrastructure.
Most of the time, we’re protected from the sun’s constant littering of radiation, called “solar wind,” thanks to the ionosphere, otherwise known as Earth’s magnetic shield. With nowhere to go, those magnetic particles are pulled to the North and South Poles, producing awe-inspiring auroras before dissipating.
But sometimes, solar flares kick up what’s called a coronal mass ejection (CME), a solar storm strong enough to penetrate our shield and wreak havoc on just about anything powered with electromagnetism — which just about runs the world.
It has been estimated that the potential damage caused by a disastrous CME in 2012, which only narrowly missed Earth, would have cost the US alone up to $2.6 trillion.
“Our [internet] infrastructure is not prepared for a large-scale solar event,” Jyothi told Wired recently, ticking off the consequences: widespread blackouts, mass traffic jams and a breakdown in the global supply chain, to name a few.
“Solar wind” from the sun is blocked by Earth’s magnetic shield, causing those geomagnetic particles to disperse toward either the North or South Pole — which produces an aurora. Barcroft Media via Getty Images Local and regional internet infrastructure often relies on optical fiber, which isn’t affected by geomagnetic currents, or grounded short-span cables, which are by nature protected from an electromagnetic surge. But it’s a different story with undersea cables, which connect continents via the internet. While the cables themselves aren’t vulnerable, the electronic repeaters therein, which help amplify the optical signal, are susceptible to damage by geomagnetically induced currents. If enough repeaters blow out, the whole line could be shot.
For some countries, damage to these mainline cables may cut their connectivity at the source — not to mention potential damage to satellites, which enable internet for many.
It’s happened before, researchers have said. In 1921, a solar storm sparked fires in electrical equipment across the world, from train station control rooms to telegraph dispatch centers. Again, in 1989, a solar storm of moderate severity knocked the power out in northeast Canada for nine hours — still before the rise of internet-based infrastructure.
Jeffrey Love, a geophysicist in the geomagnetism program of the US Geological Survey, told the Independent that the impact of that 1921 New York Railroad Storm would be much greater today.
“When we look back at this time, anything that’s related to electricity wasn’t as important in 1921 as it is today,” he said.
In an interview for NextGov.com in May, Dr. Scott McIntosh, deputy director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told Dana A. Goward, president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, that the sun’s current electromagnetic cycle, which lasts about 11 years, is projected to be a doozy.
“We have every reason to believe that the current solar cycle which began in December 2019 could be the most active since the 1970s. This is a particular concern for the GPS,” said McIntosh, who estimated a 35% to 45% chance a CME will disrupt Global Positioning System service, for potentially several days, sometime during the next decade.
He continued, “Strong solar storms can charge the atmosphere and prevent signals from getting through for days. The strongest can damage or even destroy satellites.”
Researchers, as well as lawmakers, have discussed GPS alternatives in the past, prompting Congress to pass the National Timing Resilience and Security Act in 2018, asking the Department of Transportation to devise terrestrial backup for global navigation services, in the event satellites are rendered useless. Despite concerns, no progress has been made, according to RNT’s Goward.
“Even with the most concerted government efforts, five or six years will be needed to establish systems and encourage, or where needed, require, users to protect themselves and vital services,” warned Goward. “Such a timeline will take us well into the coming solar danger zone.”
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Moderator comment: The following is posted as an exception to CL policy because of the potential global impact of this solar flare super storm on power grids and communications infrastructure, including the Internet.
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Aurora borealis, or northern lights, fill the sky on March 13, 2011 over Finnmark, northern Norway. (Tore Meek/AFP via Getty Images)
Solar Storm Expected to Hit Earth Soon Could Cause Power Grid, Satellite Disruptions: Agency
A geomagnetic storm caused by a solar flare is slated to impact Earth this week, potentially causing disruptions to power grids and satellite communications, according to the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center.
The agency, which is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, issued a geomagnetic storm watch, noting that “moderate” conditions could be possible on Monday and Tuesday “due to the anticipated arrival of a CME,” or coronal mass ejection from the sun.
The CME could impact power grids around 55 degrees latitude, potentially triggering power grid fluctuations with voltage alarms at higher latitudes, according to the Space Weather agency.
Meanwhile, satellite “orientation irregularities” may occur, the agency said, adding that “high-frequency radio propagation can fade at higher latitudes.” The storm may increase the drag on low-Earth orbiters, said the bulletin.
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, could be seen as low as New York, Washington state, and Wisconsin, said the agency.
The UK Met Office weather agency wrote that aurora borealis sightings are “possible through [the] 11th across much of Scotland, although cloud amounts are increasing, meaning sightings are unlikely.”
“There is a slight chance of aurora reaching the far north of England and Northern Ireland tonight, but cloud breaks and therefore sightings are more likely in Northern Ireland,” the office added.
In 1859, an incident known as the Carrington Event triggered widespread disruptions to the telegraph systems around Europe and North America in what is believed to be the largest solar storm ever recorded. A similar storm nowadays would trigger a catastrophic scenario and significant damage worldwide.
University of California Irvine Assistant Professor Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi warned in September that a solar “superstorm” could “cause large-scale Internet outages covering the entire globe and lasting several months.”
“Our [internet] infrastructure is not prepared for a large-scale solar event,” Jyothi told Wired magazine in August, noting there would be widespread blackouts, traffic jams, and a further breakdown in the worldwide supply chain. “What really got me thinking about this is that with the pandemic we saw how unprepared the world was. There was no protocol to deal with it effectively, and it’s the same with internet resilience,” he continued.
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Great response. Thanks.
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Glad you got the problem resolved. Out of curiosity, what was the problem and the solution?
Welcome to Boquete. There are many positives about life in the Chiriqui highlands, with very friendly people and great weather among them. How did you come to select Boquete?
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Car “dignity” speech backfires
Benicio Robinson
Posted 25/09/2021
Speeches by lawmakers like Benicio Robinson, demanding more benefits for the fathers of the country, are causing a backlash even among fellow party members,
During the support of the budget hearing of the National Assembly, president of the budget commission Benicio Robinson recalled that, in 1984, when he was a substitute "they gave each deputy a car, all 71 of us should have a car."
He claimed that with a rented car, or government car, we who have come to represent our circuit in our area, cannot represent them with dignity. "I can't agree that we look down on ourselves,"
Balbina Herrera, former president of the national assembly, said that times have changed and we cannot make comparisons with realities of more than 15 years, emphasizing that the statements of her partner Benicio Robinson are regrettable and unfortunate.
Herrera emphasized that "if they want a car, they can buy it …you earn more than the common people in this country, and they buy it like all professionals in Panama do."
Some, say that deputies Benicio Robinson and Yanibel Ábrego have touched the most sensitive fibers of the Panamanian people, referring to statements by deputy Yanibel Ábrego, who confirmed that her cousin, the mayor of Capira, Juan Ramos, on the payroll of the National Assembly, and justified it by saying that he is not the only mayor in this country who has paid leave and is appointed in another government institution – double-dipping.
They are speeches that further stoke the hearth of national discontent, warn other voices because they add to the arguments that provoke the series of protests and citizen vigils in recent weeks, not only because of the electoral reforms but also because of the payroll and perks of the deputies.
Hermel Rodríguez, the spokesman for civil society, warns that "there is a great difference between what deputy Benicio Robinson interprets as a dignified representation and what the people really want to be a dignified representation of our deputies", we are not going to the polls every 5 years to elect kings and princes for our country, we are going to elect people who are really thinking about legislating in favor of the majority and the poorest people in this country, added Rodríguez.
Meanwhile, Freddy Pittí said that “a person like Benicio Robinson, hurts the country and its circuit, and the call is for the people of Boca to make this reflection: is this deputy is really representing us and looking for permanent solutions, or simply he is giving us a bag of food every 15 days to keep us happy ?."
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/car-dignity-speech-backfires
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AES acquires full stake in 381-MW Panama LNG-fired power plant
By Rod Walton -Global power generation utility owner AES is acquiring the remaining half of its liquefied natural gas power plant operation in Panama.
The Virginia-based AES acquired 49.9 percent of AES Colón from Panamanian partner Inversiones Bahia Ltd. This gives the utility owner full control of the 381-MW LNG-fired plant and adjacent 180,000-cubic-meter storage and regasification facility.
“This transaction reaffirms AES’ commitment to Panama and represents a new milestone in the execution of our regional LNG strategy to deliver cleaner, reliable and efficient energy to our clients. This acquisition will contribute to maximizing the value of our regional LNG business through the development of important synergies and flexibility across our portfolio,” said Juan Ignacio Rubiolo, President for AES’ Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean Strategic Business Unit.
AES and its partners constructed the terminal and power project in 2018. One year earlier, AES and French energy company Engie agreed on a joint venture to market and sell gas imported into the Colón LNG facility, according to reports.
Operations of the Colón combined cycle gas turbine power station started that year.
AES also has partnered with other firms on LNG projects, including the Energia Natural Dominicana joint venture. EPC firm McDermott International also was contracted to lead construction on the AES LNG import terminal in Duarte, Dominican Republic.
https://www.power-eng.com/gas/aes-takes-100-percent-take-in-381-mw-panama-lng-fired-power-plant/
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Twisting the law for political survival
Posted 20/09/2021
Even though the elections are more than two and a half years away, there is already an electoral movement, while political forces secure money from the national coffers for their personal and electoral gain. That is precisely why it is necessary to outlaw reelection in the Electoral Code Although it is a fight lost beforehand, since these deputies will not pay attention to the popular will and are willing to lead the country into chaos, because what they have - including what they get under the table - is not enough. Knowing that, they buy the vote of the voters, who, unable to see the scam - a vote for a ham - mortgage their future and that of their descendants, condemning themselves to be dependent on crumbs, when their vote is the key that liberates them from their political masters. We suffer - it must be said clearly - a parliamentary regime in which a couple of scoundrels are in charge of the country, twisting laws in order to survive their own disaster, and for this they need to buy consciences that, unfortunately, are cheap. LA PRENSA, Sep. 20.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/twisting-the-law-for-political-survival
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Cultural storm over Heritage auction
Posted 20/09/2021
The planned auction in Munich, Germany, of 324 pre-Columbian pieces from Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia on Tuesday has created a cultural storm spearheaded by Panama.
Of the total number of pieces of art found in the catalog of the website, seven pieces are Panamanian, specifically from the central region of the isthmus, known in archaeological literature as “Gran Coclé”, although none come from exactly that Province.
Only two pieces are correctly identified says archaeologist and former director of Heritage Carlos Fitzgerald. Piece 119, in its description on the auction page, has completely wrong information, both in typology and chronology.
The pieces are the product of illegal excavations and illicit trafficking in cultural property, said Fitzgerald.
The description of all the pieces indicates that they were acquired in the 1980s when regulations prohibiting this type of activity were already in force.
The Ministry of Culture (MiCultura) says they have reported the auction to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) anf require that the archaeological pieces found in the catalog are repatriated.
“It is of great concern that in an illicit way the pre-Columbian heritage” of Panama is sold since the Political Constitution of the country protects it by decreeing that both the objects and the archaeological sites belong to the State, said MiCultura.
For Panama, Mexico and Guatemala it is a national “patrimony” illegally sold to the highest bidder.
The authorities of Mexico and Panama have asked the German auction house to stop the sale of dozens of pieces of pre-Hispanic art scheduled for Tuesday, September 21 in Munich.
"The sale of these pieces constitutes a crime according to Mexican law", in addition to contributing "to trafficking and organized transnational crime," said the Secretary of Culture of Mexico, Alejandra Frausto who expressed "firm and resounding rejection of the commercialization of the nation's cultural heritage" product of the "black market", and requested the cooperation of Germany for its return.
La Prensa obtained information that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is going to act through the ambassador in Germany to request the repatriation of the pieces.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/cultural-storm-over-heritage-auction
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"Panama Papers” hearing postponed until November
Posted 20/09/2021
The preliminary hearing scheduled for Monday, September 20, for alleged money laundering, in a process initiated in 2016 related to the activities of the defunct firm Mossack Fonseca, was postponed to November 22, because three of those investigated presented various excuses.
An edict signed by the Third Liquidator Judge of Criminal Causes, Baloisa Marqúinez, reported that Ramsés Owens, through his lawyer Marcela Arauz, presented a certificate of medical incapacity, valid from September 15 to 24, signed by the obstetrician-gynecologist Ricardo Ponce Carrizo.
In the certificate, the doctor says that the disability is the result of surgery.
In addition, the lawyer Luis Carlos Gómez, defender of Dirk Brawer and Axel Gauster, presented an excuse because this same Monday he had to attend a hearing, for another case, at the office in Colón of the Superior Court of Appeals.
For this reason, Judge Marquínez decided that the preliminary hearing will be held on the previously scheduled alternate date, from November 22 to December 17, 2021, at 9:00 a.m.
The case, which began with the publications of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), is related to the alleged concealment of illicit funds from executives of the German company Siemens .
https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/quotpanama-papers-hearing-postponed-until-november-1
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My understanding is that JR Pazo still is the VSO for Boquete area veterans. His email is vso.chiriqui.2008@gmail.com.
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Public defender in laundering trial in case of no-show lawyers
Posted 13/09/2021
The preliminary hearing of 18 people accused of money laundering through the liquidated Financial Pacific (FP) brokerage scheduled for Monday, September 13, was suspended by the Third Court for Criminal Proceedings, Due to the fact that several legal resources are pending resolution.
Sources from the Judicial Branch confirmed that the hearing will be held on an alternate date, October 18 and 19. The third liquidator judge Baloisa Marquínez appointed public defenders, in case some of the private lawyers do not appear before the court.
The Public Ministry requested the summons to trial for former directors of FP: West Valdés and Iván Clare, as well as for Joel Antonio Watson, Ori Sasson Zbeda Levy, Mariel Rodríguez Espino, Carlos Javier Osorio Wald and Ramsés Owen, Riccardo Francolini, Aaron and others from ex-president Martinelli’s inner circle
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Recess declared in Martinelli wiretap trial
Posted 13/09/2021
A recess was declared in the wiretapping trial of ex-president Ricardo Martinelli on Monday, September 13 due to the medical incapacity of one of the three judges.
Judge Marisol Osorio, attended the trial on Monday morning but later presented health problems.
The other two judges made the decision to declare a recess until Tuesday, September 14.
The oral trial, which entered its 35th day, began the reading of the seventh and last booklet of those presented by the Public Ministry, which contains telephone interceptions of political leaders, unions and workers, and journalists.
After finishing the reading of the booklets, we will proceed to listen to the testimony of the victims of the telephone interceptions, among them are politicians and business leaders.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/recess-declared-in-martinelli-wiretap-trial
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Anti-covid measures at major soccer game light path to normal
Posted 13/09/2021
en10 days have passed since Panama hosted Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier where attendance was restricted to soccer fans who had received two doses of an anti-covid vaccine.
There has been no major impact on the evolution of the pandemic instead there has been a decrease in new infections says Panama Health Director Melva Cruz.
“We would have already observed an increase in cases, but no, the cases have been decreasing, the deceased and hospitalized have also remained in the behavior since before the event. Then we can already see that the activity has not had an impact on the pandemic, "said Cruz.
For the doctor, this may be due to the measures adopted by the Panamanian Football Federation, of only accepting vaccinated people, and that the event was held in an open space.
For these matches, the use of the QR code was put into practice to control the entrance to the stadium and it is estimated that this system will be used for the total reactivation of block 6 in the coming months.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/health/anti-covid-measures-at-major-soccer-game-light-path-to-normal
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Panama legalizes medical marijuana use
Panama legalized medical marijuana use on Monday, joining at least seven other Latin American countries.
After a five-year struggle, Panama’s national assembly unanimously passed Bill 153 during the bill’s third debate. Some members of the assembly shared that they were swayed by the initiative’s motto, “for a day without pain.”
National Assembly President Crispiano Adames, joined by Marcos Castillero, championed Bill 153 to promote and ensure responsible access to medicinal cannabis products. He said that the bill was drafted in a way that seeks to prevent future smuggling by requiring a controlled environment. Adames believes the new law’s most significant achievement will be providing relief to deserving patients.
The new medical marijuana use law prohibits commercial use of homegrown cannabis. Additionally, the bill requires officials to import cannabis in pill and liquid drop form. Panama’s Ministry of Health will be charged with distributing the medication to licensed pharmacies. To become licensed, pharmacies must apply for a permit and pass a site inspection.
Marie Millard of the LUCES Panama Foundation hopes that the legal right to use marijuana for medical purposes will improve the lives of patients who currently rely on multiple ineffective medications. The LUCES foundation provides emergency medicine to patients with epilepsy because, according to their website, about 40 to 50 percent of Panama’s epilepsy patients do not have access to medicines. Millard believes medical marijuana use will alleviate patients’ symptoms of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, chemo-induced nausea, and chronic pain.
https://www.jurist.org/news/2021/08/panama-legalizes-medical-marijuana-use/
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Panama’s political debauchery fed by pride
Posted 09/09/2021
To the serious current circumstances, the deputies of the ruling party - the PRD - have added another crisis: a political one, which is also unnecessary. These are the reforms to the Electoral Code, legislation that is reviewed after each election. To this end, a permanent commission is set up that meets every week - for months - to discuss and reach consensus on the reforms, acquiescence which is reached with the active participation of both civil society and the political parties represented in the National Assembly (AN).
Despite the consensus, many reforms approved in the aforementioned commission, upon reaching the AN, are eliminated or modified, losing their essence and spirit. But this time, things in the AN have gotten out of hand. The magistrates of the Electoral Tribunal (TE) –which supports the reforms before the deputies– left the discussion table and asked to suspend the debate on the project.
This request was openly ignored by the deputies, who continued to approve their own reforms, tailored to their needs and convenience, completely distorting the work done and creating justified concerns in society, since what they want is a clear setback in electoral matters.
The debauchery witnessed in the session of the Government Commission of the AN provoked reactions from organized civil society that, in addition to the request of the TE, asked the deputies - also without success - to immediately suspend the discussion of the project. The deputies have come so far in their insatiable thirst for power that the President of the Republic himself has had to intervene in a kind of mediation, so that the TE magistrates and the deputies meet next week, “bearing in mind that every five years the country must modernize and strengthen its regulations in this matter, with responsibility and respect to contribute to the consolidation of our democracy ”.
The response of the president of the AN, Crispiano Adames, is not only defiant, but also overloaded with a pride that does little help, and rather irritates even more the already heated spirits. According to Adames, the opinions that arise on this issue should lead to conciliation "and not exacerbate or create conditions of unrest that only increase the level of hopelessness." But he warned that "the Assembly will not condition or decline or renounce its constitutional role of restructuring the laws ...".
Although the deputies have this role, it is no less true that Panamanian society has lost confidence in their work - and proof of this is in all the major reform dialogues that take place outside of their bosom - given that they do not legislate for the country, but for themselves and for the interests of their party, which delegitimizes any reform they pass in that direction. The country does not deserve to go through these moments of unfortunate politics and the deputies owe greater respect to institutions and democracy.
For this reason, it is worth reminding the Legislative Branch that the alleged sovereignty demanded by the deputies to approve their alleged reforms to the electoral processes is not a matter that concerns only a small handful of politicians. In this matter, the sovereign is the Panamanian people, who demand decency, equal conditions, transparency and respect for the popular will. We will not renounce our sovereignty in matters that concern electoral institutions and democracy. It is up to Deputy Adames to define whether the Assembly will rise to the occasion. – LA PRENSA , Sep. 9.
https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/panamas-political-debauchery-fed-by-pride
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Cortizo joins continental leaders to discuss climate change
President Cortizo
Posted 09/09/2021
President Lorentino Cortizo joined the leaders of several countries of the American continent on Wednesday, September 8, in the High-Level Dialogue on Climate Action in the Americas, a meeting, prior to the COP26 Climate Summit to be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, November 1 to 12,
Through a virtual platform, the presidents of Colombia, Iván Duque; Carlos Alvarado Quesada, from Costa Rica;; Luis Abinader, from the Dominican Republic; Mario Abdo, from Paraguay and Guillermo Lasso, from Ecuador, agreed to reduce emissions and promote activities that reduce the carbon footprint. Also participating were the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, and the United States' special climate envoy, John Kerry.
Cortizo said that the November conference was “ perhaps the most important meeting since World War II to avoid a catastrophe of global proportions. The commitments made there may be the last chance for future generations, to inherit a healthy planet for life, a great responsibility for us world leaders ”.
He added that “that meeting cannot fail, that is not an option. Panama is one of the only three countries in the world classified as carbon negative, in addition, we recently reached the category of a blue world leader, complying with the initiative to protect 30% of the oceans ”.
Alok Sharma, president of COP26, said that rapid action is required to limit the increase in temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius on the planet, as agreed in the Paris Agreement. "What we need now are actions to reduce emissions globally and protect people and nature from climate change, as well as taking the benefits that moving to green and resilient economies offers,".
He said that wind power generation plants are cheaper than coal-fired plants and can generate more jobs.
Alberto Fernández, president of Argentina, acted as moderator of the debate.
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