- Colón’s plan for urban renewal ousts locals to make room for tourism
Altos de Los Lagos is the latest phase of a three-decade-long urban renewal project that has moved residents out of strategically located but blighted neighborhoods in the heart of Colón and onto what was previously barren land, away from the bustle of city life…
- Wheelchair basketball unites people with disabilities in (mostly inaccessible) Panama City
Despite the existence of legislation to support people with disabilities, local leaders feel that the government has not met these standards. But in the face of challenges with inaccessibility, groups like the Arkangels de San Miguelito basketball team are empowering wheelchair users…
- Small-scale divers struggle to control lionfish invasion in Panama
Many Afro-descendant Panamanians have been taught to be afraid of the dangerous and paralyzing lionfish that lurks almost undeterred within the vibrant coral reefs off the Caribbean coast. Without natural predators, they have multiplied rapidly and threatened to deplete many native species…
- Panama’s exploding expat community thrives on global influences, American past
Tens of thousands of American expats have found a home in Panama, a small Central American nation of 4.2 million residents. With an estimated 30,000 expats living in Panama City alone, the isthmus has become a hotbed for both expat retirees and young professionals in search of a new setting and more affordable lifestyle…
- “Panama is Pandora.” The real-world inspiration behind the upcoming “Avatar” video game
Video game companies like Ubisoft typically expect their designers to put in long hours at their keyboards, whether at home or in their offices. The process behind “Frontiers of Pandora” required designers to unplug their headphones and head out into the field…
- Emberá villagers straddle western and traditional medicine
Western medicine and traditional Emberá treatments are slowly starting to mix. Children are given a steaming cup of leaf-infused tea for stomach aches, but also taken into the city for routine vaccinations…
- Indigenous communities fight for the right to their own land
Guna Yala is Panama’s first comarca, a local or regional administrative territorial division governed semi-autonomously by indigenous peoples. But rural farmers are encroaching upon the land, cutting down trees for pastures…
- Tourism funding ushers in waves of development in Casco Viejo
The comfortable nature of Casco Viejo is one of the reasons officials think it’s a perfect tourist destination. In this rush to accommodate and attract more tourists, one hotel in particular is garnering loads of attention; it’s hard to go even a full day without hearing of the newly opened Hotel La Compañía…
- The Wigudun: Acceptance of transgender individuals in the Guna Yala comarca
Transgender members of the Guna community affirm themselves through the figure of Wigudun, one of three siblings who were born during the creation of the world, according to Guna mythology…
- Indigenous community leaves islands amid threats of rising sea level, overpopulation
The residents of Gardi Sugdub have known for years that they need to move; their island is simply too crowded with people, and the sea levels are indisputably rising. Now, over a decade after plans first were set, the move will finally begin…
- Preservation and politics: The fragility of Panama’s mangrove laws
Panama is home to the largest number of mangrove forests in Central America, with approximately 380,500 acres that span across the coastal lines of this crescent-shaped country. Yet, in just the last 50 years, Panama has lost almost 50% of its mangrove forests…
- Panama’s historic seafood market endures squalid conditions, faces uncertain future
The Mercado de Mariscos, Panama City’s famous seafood market, has been a cultural landmark since it was gifted to the city by the Japanese Embassy in 1995. But today, the market remains without air conditioning, without refrigeration and without a proper drainage system…
- 33 years after U.S. invasion, Panama vows to finally honor, invest in besieged neighborhood
Panama finally designated Dec. 20 as a national day of mourning, more than three decades after an American military invasion devastated the country, destroying the entire neighborhood of El Chorrillo…
- History of a musical genre: The origins of reggaeton in Panama
Local artists and producers in Panama are fighting for recognition and inclusion in the growing reggaeton industry, since some of the genre’s roots trace back to the street of Panama City…
- TV Indígena: The story of how one small station helps keep indigenous culture alive
A cultural revolution is taking place thanks to broadcasts like TV Indígena, which provides a platform for creators like Sabdur. The station, which livestreams traditional Guna elders on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, has accumulated over 50,000 followers…
- Panama struggles to preserve 500-year history while maintaining locals’ cultural identity
For decades, the government has worked to move residents away from historical landmarks in Panama in order to better protect the sites and turn them into economic engines of tourism. However, many factors pose challenges to the upkeep of these locations…
- “It’s never going to be easy.” In capital, the struggle for improved zoning, a better city
Juxtaposed with the sprawling downtown skyscrapers is architectural evidence of the city’s identity as a collision of international investments and local culture struggling to find solid economic ground…
- Panama’s diverse bird populations in rapid decline throughout tropical rainforests
Panama is home to one of the largest tropical rainforests in the world and thus holds thousands of species of biodiversity, including birds. Climate change is increasingly threatening these species of birds and their habitats…
- After pandemic, agricultural education makes a comeback in Guna Yala
Knowledge of these traditional planting methods was passed from generation to generation in Guna Yala. That, however, is changing. “So the way I grew up is good, but my kids are in school now learning another language, other traditions”…
- The future (of football) in Panama is female
In Panama, flag football is booming. A combination of impressive wins on the world stage, a community that centers around superstar players and a possible future for student-athletics in the United States has created a perfect environment for the growth of women’s flag football in the country….
- ‘Period poverty’ in Panama impacts the country’s indigenous peoples
The start of menstruation is an exciting and sacred time in this region of Panama. Yet despite this, menstruators in Guna indigenous communities are not free from the state of “period poverty” that plagues Panama…
- The conscious traveler: A push for more sustainable tourism in Guna Yala
Although tourism is not the main industry in Guna Yala, which for now is still exporting coconuts and fish, it is one of the main sources of income for the Guna community. And both the federal government and locals hope it will grow significantly in the years ahead…
Altos de Los Lagos is the latest phase of a three-decade-long urban renewal project that has moved residents out of strategically located but blighted neighborhoods in the heart of Colón and onto what was previously barren land, away from the bustle of city life…
Despite the existence of legislation to support people with disabilities, local leaders feel that the government has not met these standards. But in the face of challenges with inaccessibility, groups like the Arkangels de San Miguelito basketball team are empowering wheelchair users…
Many Afro-descendant Panamanians have been taught to be afraid of the dangerous and paralyzing lionfish that lurks almost undeterred within the vibrant coral reefs off the Caribbean coast. Without natural predators, they have multiplied rapidly and threatened to deplete many native species…
Tens of thousands of American expats have found a home in Panama, a small Central American nation of 4.2 million residents. With an estimated 30,000 expats living in Panama City alone, the isthmus has become a hotbed for both expat retirees and young professionals in search of a new setting and more affordable lifestyle…
Video game companies like Ubisoft typically expect their designers to put in long hours at their keyboards, whether at home or in their offices. The process behind “Frontiers of Pandora” required designers to unplug their headphones and head out into the field…
Western medicine and traditional Emberá treatments are slowly starting to mix. Children are given a steaming cup of leaf-infused tea for stomach aches, but also taken into the city for routine vaccinations…
Guna Yala is Panama’s first comarca, a local or regional administrative territorial division governed semi-autonomously by indigenous peoples. But rural farmers are encroaching upon the land, cutting down trees for pastures…
The comfortable nature of Casco Viejo is one of the reasons officials think it’s a perfect tourist destination. In this rush to accommodate and attract more tourists, one hotel in particular is garnering loads of attention; it’s hard to go even a full day without hearing of the newly opened Hotel La Compañía…
Transgender members of the Guna community affirm themselves through the figure of Wigudun, one of three siblings who were born during the creation of the world, according to Guna mythology…
The residents of Gardi Sugdub have known for years that they need to move; their island is simply too crowded with people, and the sea levels are indisputably rising. Now, over a decade after plans first were set, the move will finally begin…
Panama is home to the largest number of mangrove forests in Central America, with approximately 380,500 acres that span across the coastal lines of this crescent-shaped country. Yet, in just the last 50 years, Panama has lost almost 50% of its mangrove forests…
The Mercado de Mariscos, Panama City’s famous seafood market, has been a cultural landmark since it was gifted to the city by the Japanese Embassy in 1995. But today, the market remains without air conditioning, without refrigeration and without a proper drainage system…
Panama finally designated Dec. 20 as a national day of mourning, more than three decades after an American military invasion devastated the country, destroying the entire neighborhood of El Chorrillo…
Local artists and producers in Panama are fighting for recognition and inclusion in the growing reggaeton industry, since some of the genre’s roots trace back to the street of Panama City…
A cultural revolution is taking place thanks to broadcasts like TV Indígena, which provides a platform for creators like Sabdur. The station, which livestreams traditional Guna elders on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, has accumulated over 50,000 followers…
For decades, the government has worked to move residents away from historical landmarks in Panama in order to better protect the sites and turn them into economic engines of tourism. However, many factors pose challenges to the upkeep of these locations…
Juxtaposed with the sprawling downtown skyscrapers is architectural evidence of the city’s identity as a collision of international investments and local culture struggling to find solid economic ground…
Panama is home to one of the largest tropical rainforests in the world and thus holds thousands of species of biodiversity, including birds. Climate change is increasingly threatening these species of birds and their habitats…
Knowledge of these traditional planting methods was passed from generation to generation in Guna Yala. That, however, is changing. “So the way I grew up is good, but my kids are in school now learning another language, other traditions”…
In Panama, flag football is booming. A combination of impressive wins on the world stage, a community that centers around superstar players and a possible future for student-athletics in the United States has created a perfect environment for the growth of women’s flag football in the country….
The start of menstruation is an exciting and sacred time in this region of Panama. Yet despite this, menstruators in Guna indigenous communities are not free from the state of “period poverty” that plagues Panama…
Although tourism is not the main industry in Guna Yala, which for now is still exporting coconuts and fish, it is one of the main sources of income for the Guna community. And both the federal government and locals hope it will grow significantly in the years ahead…