Moderators Moderator_02 Posted November 29, 2016 Moderators Share Posted November 29, 2016 http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Presidente-Varela-Cuba-Fidel-Castro_21_4631746780.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted February 26, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted February 26, 2018 Quote Dubai bound President escapes home pressures Posted on February 25, 2018 in Panama Post Views: 169 While Panama’s First Lady rushes to defend her husband against attacks from deputies in the National Assembly president, and civil groups are complaining about delays in naming new Supreme Court judges. President Juan Carlos Varela has escaped the local furor and headed for the United Arab Emirates He left on Saturday, February 24 accompanied by three members of his Cabinet, to promote Panama among Middle East investors. He is following the flight path of his predecessor Ricardo Martinelli who returned with multiple promises, few of them if any, realized. While there Varela will participate in the Latin America Global Business Forum 2018, as an invitee of the organizers. He will meet with Sheikh Mohamad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, and the governor of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He will also have another working meeting with the Emirates Minister of Finance, Saeed Al Mansoori, and business leaders says a government handout. Varela traveled with the Vice President and Chancellor Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado; the Minister of Commerce and Industries, Augusto Arosemena; and the Minister of Economy and Finance, Dulcidio De La Guardia. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/dubai-bound-president-escapes-home-pressures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 (edited) Promoting Panama as an Investment Opportunity in Dubai Edited February 28, 2018 by Keith Woolford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 11, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted March 11, 2018 Quote Panama seeks to attract investment from UAE sovereign wealth funds By Tom on March 6, 2018 in News from Panama Post Views: 43 President Juan Carlos Varela of Panama wants to boost UAE sovereign wealth investment in real estate and infrastructure and presented proposals to funds this week while visiting Dubai, the leader said. “We had a meeting with the main sovereign wealth funds here and we presented to them alternatives in infrastructure, energy and property, land, buildings, real estate assets,” Mr Varela said in an interview with The National on the sidelines of a Latin America forum in Dubai on Tuesday. “They own buildings in Paris, Milan. Panama is the capital of Latin America. Panama is appealing to the same kind of people who invest in Europe. It’s is a good country to have property in.” The president said the meeting with the wealth funds, which he did not name individually, would be followed up by delegations from those funds on future visits to Panama. Many of these funds already have investments in South and Central America but there is room for further investment, especially in Panama which like Dubai is a hub for a wider region, Mr Varela said. Foreign direct investment (FDI) into Panama has grown in recent years due to a series of incentives introduced for foreign investors in 2011 and the streamlining of regulations, according to research from Spanish bank Santander. Low tax and custom duty rates as a free trading zone make the country attractive, the bank said. FDI to Panama rose to $5.2 billion in 2016, a 15.9 per cent increase from 2015. The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index in 2017 ranked Panama 70 out of 190 countries. President Varela said he had recently held similar presentations in Shanghai and New York but the meeting in Dubai is the first in the Middle East. “Our country depends a lot on foreign investment,” he said. “Dubai has a lot of foreign investment in different countries, Europe and in the United States and we expect that it can also do so in our country and also they can use our country as a gateway to expand their presence in Latin America, Central America and the Caribbean.” Panama can also be used as a gateway for agricultural produce from South America to be exported to the Middle East, especially after direct flights from Dubai to Panama start. Wider body planes like the A380 and the ability of bigger ships to pass through the Panama Canal will also make it easier for South America to boost its exports, he added. The president said that an improvement in global trade, greater efficiency and new routes will help boost the contribution of the canal from the current 5 per cent of GDP to 10 per cent. He noted that ships could now carry over 12,000 containers which is especially useful for shipping liquefied natural gas from the US to customers in Asia. The fallout from the Panama Papers, a cache of files from law firm Mossack Fonseca that uncovered offshore companies and hidden financial dealings in 2016 was limited, said Mr Varela. The country’s banking sector hasn’t been hurt by the scandal, he said. “We have passed many laws, many regulations,” Mr Varela said. “The problem of tax evasion was not a problem of Panama it was of other countries and the approach is to fix it and to solve it and to open the country to a debate and have a serious dialogue. The banking sector wasn’t hit at all and people have a lot of trust in our banking system.” http://panamaadvisoryinternationalgroup.com/blog/news-from-panama/panama-seeks-attract-investment-uae-sovereign-wealth-funds/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 24, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted March 24, 2018 Quote New denunciations include President Varela Posted on March 23, 2018 in Off The Cuff, Panama, Your Man in Panama President Varela Post Views: 264 Three new denunciations have landed on the table of the National Assembly Credential Committee, including one targeting President Juan Carlos Varela. They are added to 12 other complaints already resting with the committee against magistrates of the Supreme Court of and Vice President, Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado Denunciations against Supreme Court Judges are handled by the Credentials Committee while the Court deals with complaints against deputies, an arrangement largely believed to deliver a quid quo pro or mutual back-scratching exercise. The committee, which itself the focus of civil society as it is the center of a political crisis over its makeup, and is facing confrontation with the government administration plans to start evaluating the complaints on Tuesday next week, likely generating more controversy. http://www.newsroompanama.com/columns/your-man-in-panama/new-denunciations-include-president-varela Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Doug Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 LOL, you might expect the article to give a hint about the nature of the denunciation against President Varela, but you would be sadly mistaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 25, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted March 25, 2018 Quote President and First Lady head for Amman, Rome Posted on March 24, 2018 in Off The Cuff Varela and First Lady Post Views: 102 WITH Panama’s Assembly and the Government administration facing what has been described as a constitutional crisis President Juan Carlos Varela, and the First Lady, recently back from a week-long trip to Dubai, are now en-route to Amman, Jordan, at the invitation of King Abdullah II Varela is facing increasing criticism from civil society and legal bodies over perceived stalling in the selection of new Supreme Court judges A government hand out says that the Panamanian president will hold a meeting with the king, in which they will seek to strengthen the role of their countries as promoters of the dialogue for the resolution of conflicts “They will discuss ways to promote greater rapprochement in security, humanitarian, migratory and security issues and the fight against terrorism. “ President Varela will visit the Zaatari Refugee Camp, the second largest In the world that hosts about 80,000 thousand refugees. He will also participate, together with the first lady, Lorena Castillo de Varela, at the Summit of Laureates and Leaders for Children 2018, where winners of the Nobel Laureate, world leaders and young people from all over the world will agree on a document that will establish an action plan to address the challenges faced by children affected by migration and child labor. “The visit to Jordan is aligned with the recent launch of President Varela’s ‘closer to the Middle East’ , policy,” the statement said. It concludes “At the end of the agenda in Jordan, the presidential couple will travel to Rome, where they have been invited to participate in the Univ 2018 Forum, in which close to 1000 people from countries around the world meet to dialogue and confront, in a constructive way, some issues of importance I to world youth and society today.” The President returns to Panama on Saturday, March 31. Earlier in his administration, Varela had said that Panama’s doors were opn to Syrian refugees http://www.newsroompanama.com/columns/the-cuff/president-and-first-lady-head-for-amman-rome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Doug Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 Boondoggle. Touring the world on a government expense account. No benefit to Panama, but I'm sure it's more fun than addressing domestic issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted April 3, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted April 3, 2018 Quote Panama Globe-trotting President Under Fire Posted on April 2, 2018 in Panama President and Vice-president away from the helm Post Views: 166 PANAMA PRESIDENT Juan Carlos Varela is facing increasing criticism as he continues his globe-hopping trips on the presidential jet while the country is seen as being in the midst of an institutional crisis. Since the beginning of the year, he has been abroad for 27 days, and on his Easter weekend return from Jordan announced planned trips in April and May to London, Israel, and Palestine. An Assembly at war as president travels Between January and March, he made five trips to different parts of the world while the country was submerged (still is) in one of the most tense conflicts between the organs of the State reports La Estrella de Panama in a lead article. Three of the trips were made with the Vice President of the Republic, Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, leaving the country in charge of the Minister of the Presidency Álvaro Alemán. Why was it imperative that the president and the vice president travel together to fulfill these agendas? asks La Estrella. The last trip to Jordan completed the fifty trips since he took office as president. In the midst of presidential assignments outside of Panama, one of the most delicate tensions consisted of the appointment of two new members to the Supreme Court of Justice. When the National Assembly rejected the two candidates proposed by the Executive, on January 30, the president was thousands of kilometers from Panama, in Davos, Switzerland, participating in the World Economic Forum says La Estrella. Despite the issue still on the agenda, the trips continued. The magistrates who should have left office in January continue to sit in the same chairs until they are replaced. There seems to be no hurry on the part of the Executive to comply with these designations. Three years ago he had to appoint the replacement of [jailed] former judge Alejandro Moncada Luna, whose deputy, Abel Zamorano, still acts as principal. Moncada Luna has already fulfilled two-thirds of his sentence for falsifying public documents and illicit enrichment. The Court granted him freedom, however, his replacement has not been named. Martinelli touch? When Varela traveled to the United States to attend to family matters, Judge Marcia Cooke granted and suspended the bond she had granted to former President Ricardo Martinelli, pending his extradition to Panama. The defense of the ex-leader associated Varela’s trip to the decision of the judge, although the relation was merely like a rumor reports La Estrella In mid-March, the province of Colón erupted in protests and looting. On the 20th, Varela traveled to Costa Rica to participate as a speaker at a business meeting. While in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, accompanied by a large government delegation, the conflict between the National Assembly and the Supreme Court of Justice for the dissolution of the Credentials Commission intensified despite Judge Zamorano’s decision against the legislative position. The opposition won a comfortable legislative majority that allowed it to recompose the forces of this Commission that was formed after a suffrage with a secret ballot. Unaware The most recent trip to Jordan was made at a time when the Democratic Revolutionary Party was warning about “a possible breakdown of constitutional order”. Pedro Miguel González, a deputy who promoted the new conformation of the Credentials Committee, met with different organizations such as the National Bar Association, the Confederation of Organized Workers and other formal business groups, to explain the institutional crisis. According to the politician, Varela does not know that there is an institutional crisis and does not want mediation. He exerts his pressure to achieve the will of the majority of the deputies of the Assembly. The outcome of the crisis, according to the PRD, could end with the breaking of the constitutional order. Carlos Lee, from The citizen’s Alliance for Justice, analyzes the presidential sloppiness on crucial issues as if the president did not have the capacity to solve the critical problems that affect the population and the political crisis. Because of the way the president has governed, Lee believes that it is not the way to solve the problems of the community. “Starting with corruption issues and reforms that are the major claims made by the population, by his actions it does not seem that this will be taken care of during his mandate,” he analyzes. “We have spent three years asking the government to resolve the issues of corruption, one of its campaign commitments, to transform the institutions that represent the power of the social organizations that involve a constituent, assembly which were electoral commitments but have not been part of his work plan,” Lee said. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/panama-globe-trotting-president-under-fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted April 16, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted April 16, 2018 Quote Varela returns to country in turmoil Posted on April 15, 2018 in Panama Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela REUTERS/Andres Stapff Post Views: 245 PRESIDENT Varela has returned to Panama from the Summit of the Americas where he signed on to a spoken agreement to crack down on corruption, to find that the country’s turmoil has increased during his absence. While he and the First Lady were posing for photos with the Mexican president, for the first time since the Panama Canal opened in 1914, ships were prevented from entering the locks over a labor dispute and two major strikes and street protests are scheduled for this week, with mass demonstration by schoolteachers not far behind. Meanwhile, the conflicts continue in the National Assembly with two deputies in a screaming match and threatening a punch up, while a constitutional crisis hovers with a turf war between the Assembly, The Executive, and the ever laggard Judicial branch. Whether this and the escalating dispute with Venezuela will halt the president’s plans for more globe-trotting in May remains to be seen. Panamanian business leaders are looking for more active involvement on the home front and on Sunday. April 15 urged dialogue before the two strikes while warning that a “drastic adjustment” to wages cannot be made. The announcements of strikes by the Union of Construction Workers and similar (Suntracs) and civic organizations of Colón underscore concerns of the Panama Chamber of Commerce, (Cciap) and of several other sectors on the impact on the economic performance of Panama “, said a statement. According to Cciap, “Our economy cannot face a drastic adjustment that would cause a scaled increase in real estate prices, which are no longer accessible to a large part of the population that does not meet the requirements of bank credit as a product of various factors, including an increase in unemployment ” Suntracs demands a salary increase of 60% for the different categories of its affiliates, arguing that the entrepreneurs pocket a juicy surplus value “at the expense of the workers”, according to its leader, Saúl Méndez. The national strike is scheduled for Tuesday, but from tomorrow protesters will begin blocking roads in hours of greatest traffic in the country. “The strike is a fundamental guarantee for workers, but its exercise can not harm the rights of other citizens, which is why the Chamber insists that policies and decisions in this area must consider the maintenance of current jobs and the creation of all the many more that our development will demand “, says the Chamber.. Referring to a strike called by civic groups in Colon province the Chamber recognizes that “the Government executes in Colon a program of important investments, although not enough to solve all its problems.” The Colonists, on the other hand, “maintain that they are not taken into account in the matters that affect them. This reveals a lack of effective communication, “the Chamber says and adds:”Both experience and practice confirm that direct dialogue is an irreplaceable formula for the solution of conflicts.” The strike in Colon set for Wednesday is to demand that the government signs a series of commitments and promises expressed orally a couple of weeks ago, after another peaceful protest that degenerated into violent conflicts and destruction of property. Varela, who was a frequent visitor to Colon for ribbon cutting photo-ops was a no-show at meetings brokered by the Catholic Church. “We call for avoiding situations like those that were experienced in Colon a few weeks ago,” said the Chamber. But archbishop, José Domingo Ulloa, on Sunday before thousands of parishioners voiced his “solidarity” with the people of Colón for the “indifference” to remedy their serious problems, the second province in the country generating wealth. Ulloa criticized the idea of establishing an economic logic that “justifies inequality” as part of the development process and called on the youth of the country to mobilize to support the struggle of the Colon people for better social justice. The Chamber stressed that “Panama needs to move towards stability and tranquility before the general elections of 2019. And it will not be able to do so if factors of unrest persist. Welcome home, Mr President. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/varela-returns-to-country-in-turmoil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 3, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted May 3, 2018 Quote Varela swears in new holders of the Ministry of Government Wed, 05/02/2018 - 22:25 Panamanian president Juan Carlos Varela, swore Carlos Rubio in today as the new government minister, and announced that Gina Luciani de Sossa was appointed vice minister of that ministry. Rubio, whose appointment was announced by the Panamanian president on April 24, steps in for María Luisa Romero, who leaves office for personal reasons, according to official information. Varela thanked Romero "for leading an institution of such importance for the country, achieving with technical criteria and a lot of human sensitivity, improve lagging aspects in the Panamanian State such as the condition of the prison system, the attention of minors at social risk and the creation of a comprehensive plan for the development of indigenous districts" indicated an official statement. Rubio, who had been serving as Deputy Minister of Government, is the third minister so far in the Varela Administration, which began in July 2014 for a period of 5 years. The new Minister of Government has a degree in Law and Political Science, graduated from the Santa María La Antigua University of Panama, and holds a Masters in Procedural Law from the Universidad Latina de Panamá and a Diploma in Social Market Economics, awarded by the Cervantes University and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Chile. He was an associate lawyer at the Rubio, Álvarez, Solís & Abrego firm, 2005-2014, indicated the statement of the Panamanian Presidency. He added that during 2014, Rubio "was deputy director of the Institute for the Training and Use of Human Resources, where he contributed to the promotion of academic excellence of students, and promoted scholarship programs for university studies, fundamental tools to improve the competitiveness of the human resources of the country and boost social mobility". http://www.panamatoday.com/panama/varela-swears-new-holders-ministry-government-6766 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 12, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted May 12, 2018 Quote Varela heading for UK and Israel Posted on May 11, 2018 in Panama President Varela Share: Post Views: 170 President Juan Carlos Varela will be boarding the presidential jet on Saturday, May 12 en route to two official missions. The first will be, to the United Kingdom to meet with Prime Minister Theresa May. The meeting is described as historic by Panama authorities as Varela will be the first Panamanian president to be received by a British Prime Minister. He will also meet with high-level business leaders to discuss investment in the Isthmus and with British airlines to promote Panama as a gateway to Latin America, before moving to Israel, on May 18, to hold meetings with different authorities in that country, and with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said government spokesman Luis Miguel Hincapié. “This official visit is part of the diversification strategy of Panamanian foreign policy, which was announced by President Varela and that is focused on the approach and strengthening of relations with the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa,” said “Hincapié In the United Kingdom, the president will be accompanied by Vice President Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, Finance Minister Dulcidio De la Guardia and Augusto Arosemena Minister of Commerce and Industry. In Israel, the first lady Lorena Castillo de Varela will attend along with the director of the Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers, Juan Felipe de La Iglesia; the Minister of Agricultural Development, Eduardo Enrique Carles; and the secretary of the National Security Council, Rolando López. The return to Panama is scheduled for May 19. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/varela-heading-for-uk-and-israel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 15, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted May 15, 2018 Quote Thumbs down on Varela trip as key issues mount Posted on May 13, 2018 in Panama Post Views: 306 The Constitution was the key discussion on the TVN Under Radar program on Sunday, May 13. President Juan Carlos Varela made a call to discuss the convocation of Constituent Assembly. and has decided to travel as issues pile up. If approved, Panamanians in less than a year would have to choose 60 people to reform the National Constitution. How much would they change is not known. Who would be the Constituents and what would be the selection process? is not known. Would it affect the Panama Canal? The payment of taxes? is not known. What is known is that Varela failed to fulfill his electoral promise, to convene an assembly during the first two years of his government. A consensus indicates that the current Constitution, created in 1972 during the military dictatorship, has a presidential character and needs reforms. “There seems to be no doubt that it is necessary to reform the Constitution. The discrepancy is about the methodology and timing, “said former Foreign Minister Jorge Eduardo Ritter. “Why now and not before?”, Varela proposes that the Constituents be elected as part of the general elections on May 5 2019. This would facilitate logistics for the Electoral Tribunal to be ready for the elections but would load the selection process with political rhetoric. It takes calm to take the big decisions about the future of our Magna Carta, not to do it in the heat of the campaign, said Ritter. Salvador Sánchez, Vice Minister of the Presidency said “there will be other opportunities, but it is the one we have now. The position of the Executive judgment but now is the time to remove the bad teeth “It’s never a good time to remove your teeth, but the day before the wedding is the worst moment,” replied the cardiologist and columnist, Daniel Pichel. The doctor believes that the right thing to do first is to make a popular referendum on whether Panama wants a reform of the Constitution, similar to the one made by Colombia on the peace agreement with the FARC, and then start the process of selecting the constituents, preferably in a less politically charged moment. “First a diagnosis must be made, then the treatment,” said lawyer Jaime Raúl. Molina, from the Libertad Foundation. “A process of constitutional reform cannot be done to the brave.” Varela began the process of consultations amid an environment charged with clashes between the Executive and the National Assembly. Political scientists have speculated on relations with the rejection of candidates for the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ) proposed by Varela. Meanwhile, Varela is on a trip to the UK, while the construction strike heads for week 5 and Balboa cranes have been stopped by another strike. A weekend poll shows that some 85 percent of Panamanians think his trip along with that of the vice-president is unnecessary http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/thumbs-don-on-varela-trip-as-key-issues-unresolved Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 16, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted May 16, 2018 On 5/12/2018 at 4:39 PM, Moderator_02 said: http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/varela-heading-for-uk-and-israel Quote UK-Panama relationship at peak Posted on May 15, 2018 in Panama Post Views: 139 The relationship between Panama and the UK is at its best following a meeting this week between President Juan Carlos Varela and Prime Minister Theresa May, says the British Ambassador to Panama, Damion Potter who was present at the discussion at 10 Downing Street 10 Downing Street According to a Downing Street spokesperson, Varela and May dealt with issues of trade, education, chemical weapons and security cooperation, among others. “They talked about joint efforts against corruption and the prime minister pointed out the importance of continuing to make progress in introducing anti-corruption legislation and penalizing tax evasion in Panama, “says a press release from Downing Street. They also talked about cooperation on regional security and agreed of the importance of joint work to address cross-border threats, which include “trafficking in narcotic drugs, persons, contraband and counterfeit products and illicit financing “. The reactions arise after a supposed disagreement between Varela and May, during the meeting reports La Prensa. As reported by the AFP agency, the Prime Minister asked Varela for “more efforts against corruption and tax evasion”. The agency cites a spokesperson for Downing Street saying that “the prime minister noted the importance of seeing more progress in the adoption of anti-corruption laws and in criminalizing tax evasion in Panama”. The version was soon denied by Panama chancellor Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, Finance Minister Dulcidio De La Guardia and Commerce and Industries Minister Augusto Arosemena,who accompanied Varela. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/uk-panama-relationship-at-peak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 17, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted May 17, 2018 On 5/12/2018 at 4:39 PM, Moderator_02 said: http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/varela-heading-for-uk-and-israel Quote Israel and Panama said to share common values Posted on May 16, 2018 in Panama Post Views: 65 JUST 48 hours after the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem and the Gaza protests where 62 Palestinian demonstrators were shot and killed and some 2,000 more injured, Panama President Juan Carlos Varela and First Lady Lorena Castillo were welcomed by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin who said that the two countries share common values. Red carpet treatment According to Varela, they talked about the strengthening of bilateral relations and benefits that these will bring for Panama and Israel. Panama’s president has already announced that the country’s embassy will not be leaving Tel Aviv. In his official Twitter account, Varela said his visit to Jerusalem seeks to “strengthen ties in trade, education, security, agriculture, water, and technology “. Rivlin on his Twitter account said that Panama is a close friend of Israel and one of the first countries to recognize it as a nation. Many countries have called for an independent investigation into the Gaza events. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/israel-and-panama-said-to-share-common-values Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted October 30, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted October 30, 2018 Quote Varela visits Cuba for tourism chat Posted on October 29, 2018 in Panama Post Views: 163 President Juan Carlos Varela arrived in Cuba on Monday this afternoon and was received by the Minister in charge of Cuban Foreign Affairs, Rogelio Sierra. According to the official agenda, Varela will spend at least 27 hours on the island. Varela is scheduled to meet with his Cuban counterpart, Miguel Diaz-Canel, at the Palace of the Revolution, where they will discuss projects to boost the tourism sector, trade, as well as the diplomatic ties of both nations. The trip will be followed by one to China. Both have been widely criticized with a newspaper poll showing 87% of readers against He will also meet with a group of young people who are registered as pilgrims at the World Youth Day to be held in Panama from January 22 to 27, 2019. https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/varela-visits-cuba-for-tourism-chat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted November 3, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted November 3, 2018 Quote Cuban leader follows Varela tryst with Moscow love-in Posted on November 2, 2018 in Panama Post Views: 158 Hours after a hail and farewell meeting with Panama President Juan Carlos Varela from whom he got promises of economic and political support, early in the week, Cuban leader, Miguel Díaz-Canel was winging his way to Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin where he got pledges of assistance for the process of modernization and reform of the island’s economy. At the end of the meeting in the Kremlin Putin said “Russia offers Cuba assistance in the construction of the transport infrastructure, and today we talked about the renewal of the Cuban railway network,” Putin said In an appearance that also condemned the US blockade of the Caribbean country. Putin noted that the largest Russian oil company, Rosneft, has already begun prospecting work on the island’s continental shelf, whose reserves are estimated at around 20,000 million barrels. Putin highlighted the importance of Russian hydrocarbon supplies to guarantee the “energy independence” of Cuba, which has seen a marked reduction in the arrival of Venezuelan oil in recent months. He also announced that Russia will help restore the dome of the Capitol of Havana, seat of the National Assembly, and that a station of the global Glonass positioning and navigation system, similar to the US GPS and the European Galileo, will be installed in Cuba. “Russia offers Cuba assistance in the construction of the transport infrastructure, and today we talked about the renewal of the Cuban railway network,” Putin said in an appearance that also condemned the US blockade of the Caribbean country. Putin noted that the largest Russian oil company, Rosneft, has already begun prospecting work on the island’s continental shelf, whose reserves are estimated by the Cuban side at around 20,000 million barrels. And he highlighted the importance of Russian hydrocarbon supplies to guarantee the “energy independence” of Cuba, which has seen a marked reduction in the arrival of Venezuelan oil in recent months. He also announced that Russia will help restore the dome of the Capitol of Havana, seat of the National Assembly, and that a station of the global Glonass positioning and navigation system, similar to the US GPS and the European Galileo, will be installed in Cuba. He acknowledged that, although the exchanges of goods grew by 17% last year, they remain “modest”, so both leaders have entrusted their governments to approve trade agreements and investment projects. Both leaders signed a joint statement condemning the “unilateral sanctions”, the “interference” in the internal affairs of countries and information wars to overthrow regimes, and urged the US to rethink its intention to abandon the treaty for elimination of short and medium range nuclear missiles (INF). https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/cuban-leader-follows-varela-tryst-with-putin-love-in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted November 6, 2018 Author Moderators Share Posted November 6, 2018 Quote Visit of President Varela to China is criticized Mon, 11/05/2018 - 20:59 Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela traveled to China on Monday to participate together with Panamanian businesspeople, exporters and farmers at the Shanghai trade fair. He said the purpose of this visit is "to promote Panama". "Panama has a large delegation, I think it is the most important presence of Panama in a fair (...) and I inaugurate the Panama Pavilion on November 7," said Varela on October 25, when he announced his trip this Monday after a series of official events in the Caribbean city of Colón. The recent visit of President Juan Carlos Varela to Cuba and the one that begins in Shanghai, China today, seeks to strengthen and expand relations with both countries for the benefit of the Panamanian nation, said the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Luis Miguel Hincapié on October 31. Panama is negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA) and has signed more than 20 cooperation agreements with China since both countries established diplomatic relations in June 2017. Before the announcement last October on the Panamanian Government participation in the Shanghai trade fair, questions about relations with the United States were not long in coming to President Varela, who clearly stated that "We are a neutral country, sovereign, dignified", besides highlighting that the problems and tension between the Asian country and the United States, must be solved by means of dialogue, not causing more problems. In an exclusive interview with Panamatoday.com, concerning the former ambassador of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Panama, Guillermo Cochez’s opinion on government decisions, business and agreements with China he expressed his doubts and suspicions between both countries. "It is a unilateral decision, without any discussion, which was carried out by President Varela, without any consultation with the sectors affected. Overnight we decided to break relations with Taiwan and take up relations with the Republic of China. I applauded the measure because it shows that Panama is aligned with the most powerful countries in the world; however, the secrecy of the agreements signed with China, the isolation of the president regarding this problem, the appointment of a second cousin of the President in the Embassy of Panama in China and his decision to give four hectares across the Panama Canal to the embassy of the Republic of China, the first thing that the ships would see upon entering the Pacific was the Chinese flag. Thanks that we knock it down, all that means that we have mismanaged relations with China," Cochez said. The consequences of these agreements could affect relations between the United States and Panama. The diplomat believes that ignorance of the issue discussed in these relations could have a negative impact on relations with the Americans, "the United States does not matter what happens in Panama. It is just interested in the Canal’s operation". Cochez also criticized that Panama did not demand from China the signing of the Pact of Neutrality on the Panama Canal before establishing relations. Meanwhile, US secretary Mike Pompeo explained after his visit to Panama last October that "We want to make sure that when countries make investments (with other countries), including China, they do in accordance with international laws that are positive for the Panamanian people," said Pompeo in the Panamanian capital. Varela became in November 2017 the first Panamanian president to officially visit China, where he was received by his colleague, Xi Jinping, to inaugurate "a new era" in bilateral relations. China has been an important trading partner of Panama for years: it is the first supplier of the Colón Free Zone (ZLC), the largest in the continent, and the second most important user of the Interoceanic Canal, only behind the United States. https://www.panamatoday.com/panama/visit-president-varela-china-criticized-8313 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted February 14, 2019 Author Moderators Share Posted February 14, 2019 Quote Panama's Varela meets with Abdo Benitez on official visit to Paraguay Thu, 02/14/2019 - 16:36 Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela on Thursday began his official visit to Paraguay by meeting with his Paraguayan counterpart and host, Mario Abdo Benitez, with whom he will sign trade, agricultural and tourism agreements. The Panamanian leader, who arrived in Asuncion Wednesday night, was received by Abdo Benitez at the Government Palace after suspending his previously scheduled placement of a floral offering at the National Cemetery of Heroes because of heavy rain. The two leaders held a private meeting in the president's office then moved on to an expanded bilateral meeting with members of both administrations to discuss specific issues regarding the agreements. An extended meeting will also be held between the respective foreign ministers, followed by another with Paraguayan officials from the Departments of Tourism, Trade, and Agriculture and Livestock, according to the official agenda. As it is the custom with every international leader's visit, the Paraguayan government presented Varela with the National Order of Merit. After the meeting, the two groups will move to the presidential residence of Mburuvicha Roga (House of the Leader, in Guarani), where they will have a private lunch. Varela will continue his agenda in the afternoon at the Industrial Union of Paraguay (UIP), where he will present Panama's investment opportunities to Paraguayan businessmen. On Friday, the president plans to make a tour of Paraguay's interior with a visit to Misiones province and another to the Jesuit missions of San Cosme and San Damian, one of the main tourist attractions of this country and one of the most highly regarded missions that are being preserved. Varela will also head to Encarnacion, Paraguay's tourist capital which borders on Argentina, where he will have lunch with Itapua provincial Gov. Juan Alberto Schamalko. On Saturday, the Central American leader's last day in Paraguay, Varela will tour the Itaipu dam located on the border between Paraguay and Brazil. https://www.panamatoday.com/panama/panamas-varela-meets-abdo-benitez-official-visit-paraguay-9252 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 30, 2019 Author Moderators Share Posted March 30, 2019 Quote President makes third trip to China with rail honchos Varela at Azuero Fair Posted 29/03/2019 President of the Juan Carlos Varela accompanied announced accompanied by Óscar Ramírez, coordinator of the High-Level Commission for the Panama-David train project, and Roberto Roy, president of the Panama Metro left for China and Japan on Friday, Mar 29. It is Varela’s third trip to China with whom Panama is negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Varela, who participated on the night in the inauguration of the fifty-seventh version of the International Fair of Azuero, said that his trip is directly linked to the construction of the fourth bridge over the Panama Canal, and line 3 of the subway. "We are going to see the largest bridge in the world, built by the company that will build the fourth bridge over the Canal," Varela said. He will also visit the company with which they made a direct contract for more than $800 million for the purchase of the monorails of line 3 of the Metro. "This is the last project I'm going to leave in continuity with the next government," he said. Varela said that in the month of April will deliver works in the order of $4.5 billion and leave continuity, "well contracted", for the next government more than $10 billion dollars in infrastructure works, which will boost the economy of the country. However, he said he will leave a very low percentage of about $100 million dollars in works at risk, many of which were received from the previous government https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/president-makes-third-trip-to-china-with-rail-honchos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted April 1, 2019 Author Moderators Share Posted April 1, 2019 Quote Varela beats tourism drum in China Posted 31/03/2019 President Juan Carlos Varela announced on Sunday, Mar 31 that during his visit to China, he will inaugurate Panama consulates of Panama in Guangzhou and Hong Kong and will also participate in events that seek to promote tourism and investment After China, the president will move to Japan and in Tokyo, will meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and, accompanied by in the company of the first lady Lorena Castillo de, will meet have a meeting with Emperor Akihito and Empress Míchiko. Varela returns to Panama on April 6. https://www.newsroompanama.com/business/varela-beats-tourism-drum-in-china Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 (edited) By listing every country this President has ever visited the Title of this topic suggests that his travel was unnecessary or irresponsible. Heads of State travel all the time and the reasons for his latest sojourn are well explained. Edited April 2, 2019 by Keith Woolford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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