A new process for trips from Panama to Costa Rica has been implemented as of November 7, 2025. There is a new facility located 5 kilometers beyond the border where travelers take a malaria test, complete Panamanian departure procedures, and then go through Costa Rican entry. The company expects to hire 5,000 people by the first quarter of 2026. This new system will be in place until the new center on the Panamanian side is fully operational. For returns from Costa Rica, travelers go directly to the border, pay the $9 exit tax, cross to the old Immigration building to exit, and re-enter Panama at the border. The meeting included Dr. Serafín Sánchez, advisor to the Ministry of Health; Dr. Mayra Abood, head of the Ministry of Health’s Teaching Commission; Dr. Paulino Vigil, representative of the Social Security Fund’s Teaching Department; and members of the National Assembly’s Labor, Health, and Social Development Committee. Panama's electricity grid is being modernized thanks to a $300 million loan from the European Investment Bank. The funds will be allocated to electrical distribution infrastructure. Nadia Calviño, president of the European Investment Bank, mentioned that they also support the technical studies for the economic viability of the Panama-David railway project. “We just took a little trip from Panama to Uvita in Costa Rica. A $20 cab ride to the new place (the driver will wait).” Health authorities have agreed that the 203 medical graduates without a placement will begin their internship in April 2026, once new positions are created and the necessary budget is allocated. “It’s a process that’s currently under review by the Comptroller’s Office,” stated Attorney General Luis Carlos Gómez, regarding the seizure of assets belonging to former Vice President José Gabriel ‘Gaby’ Carrizo. The first day of the Chiquita Job Fair in Bocas del Toro attracted more than 450 people. Job fairs will be held for five days to reactivate the company's operations on 22 farms in Changuinola. The case against Gaby Carrizo for alleged unjust enrichment has not yet reached the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Prosecutor stated.
