Panama

A colorful mural with words in Spanish that read "Never forget, never forgive."

Panamanians remember 1989 US invasion and continue to demand justice and accountability

Dec. 20 is a national day of mourning in Panama in memory of the victims of the 1989 US invasion of the country. At the time, it was the largest invasion since Vietnam and the first after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the US, it was heralded as liberating the country from dictator Manuel Noriega, a former US ally. But in Panama, many saw it as something much different. The victims of the US action are still demanding justice.

Panamanians remember 1989 US invasion and continue to demand justice and accountability
People marching in street with a Panamanian flag

Copper mine protests roil in Panama

Copper mine protests roil in Panama
Two young Panamanians view the solar eclipse.

'The cosmovision of our ancestors': Panama witnesses first solar eclipse in 25 years

'The cosmovision of our ancestors': Panama witnesses first solar eclipse in 25 years
A police officer searches and checks the documents of a man living in the Kiwanis Community, during a preventive patrol in search of gang members in Soyapango, El Salvador, Aug. 16, 2022, amid a state of exception.

El Salvador imprisons dozens of foreign visitors in crackdown on crime

El Salvador imprisons dozens of foreign visitors in crackdown on crime
Three families from Afghanistan prepare to board a boat in Necocli, Colombia, that will take them towards the border with Panama.

Afghan families traverse most of Latin America to seek asylum at the US border

Afghan families traverse most of Latin America to seek asylum at the US border
After migrants arrive in Capurgana's harbor, they are loaded on tuk-tuks and taken to the shelter on the edge of town.

Migration across Darién Gap changes Colombian village’s economy

In the small village of Capurgana, at the entrance to the Darién jungle and near Colombia’s border with Panama, hundreds of villagers now work as guides and porters leading migrants across the rainforest.

Migration across Darién Gap changes Colombian village’s economy
Migrants cross the Acandi River on their journey north, near Acandi, Colombia, on Sept. 15, 2021. 

'I survived a green hell': More Venezuelans are crossing the dangerous Darién Gap

A growing number of people from Venezuela have been making the risky crossing through the Darién Gap in recent weeks. Jose Loya decided to make the difficult trek, citing xenophobia and discrimination as some of the main reasons why he chose to leave Peru, where he was living with his wife and child.

'I survived a green hell': More Venezuelans are crossing the dangerous Darién Gap
A babbling pup produces distinct syllables, visualized in this composite image.

Bat pups babble and bat moms use baby talk, hinting at the evolution of human language

A researcher finds a remarkable link between how baby bats babble in monosyllables as they learn to speak in the same way that human infants do.

Bat pups babble and bat moms use baby talk, hinting at the evolution of human language
Aerial view of the green vegetation of the Darien jungle

46K migrants risked their lives crossing the Darién Gap in 2021. That's more than the last three years combined.

The Darién Gap, which connects Colombia to Panama, is a jungle with ruthless terrain. But despite its daunting obstacles — including robberies and life-threatening routes — at least 46,000 migrants have made the journey this year alone in an attempt to make it to the US.

46K migrants risked their lives crossing the Darién Gap in 2021. That's more than the last three years combined.
A man is shown wearing a blue hat and standing in front of dozens of white crosses while painting numbers on the crosses.

Discussion: A deepening coronavirus crisis in Latin America

Latin America and the Caribbean now register a million new COVID-19 infections about every six days. With the vaccine rollout lagging and lives and livelihoods hanging in the balance, what is next for the region? As part of The World's series of conversations on the pandemic with Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, reporter Elana Gordon moderated a discussion with demographer Marcia Castro.

Discussion: A deepening coronavirus crisis in Latin America
A woman protects her baby from the rain as Hurricane Iota approaches Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, Nov. 16, 2020.

Hurricane Iota lashes Central America; Trump considered Iran strike options; SpaceX Dragon docks at ISS

Hurricane Iota made landfall Monday in Nicaragua as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph. President Donald Trump reportedly asked his advisers last week for options to attack Iran’s main nuclear site but then decided not to take any action. And, the SpaceX Dragon capsule docked with the International Space Station (ISS) after a 27-hour completely automated journey.

Hurricane Iota lashes Central America; Trump considered Iran strike options; SpaceX Dragon docks at ISS
The Bridge of the Americas, located at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal.

China's new Silk Road runs through Latin America, prompting warnings from the US

Many Latin American countries have joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative, including Panama. As Mexico considers whether to join, some countries in the region face pressure from the Trump administration not to get too close to China.

China's new Silk Road runs through Latin America, prompting warnings from the US
Migrants are seen at temporary shelter in the village of La Penita, Panama, on August 23, 2019.

'We're dead here': Migrants stranded in Panama rainforest amid coronavirus

With borders closed and entire countries on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, some 2,000 migrants — many of them children under age 5 — have been detained for months in Panama, near the rainforest separating South and Central America.

'We're dead here': Migrants stranded in Panama rainforest amid coronavirus
Kirstjen Nielsen testifies to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on her nomination to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, Nov. 8, 2017.

A former Panama agent is guiding Trump's Homeland Security pick

The president previously decried the influence of foreign lobbyists.

A former Panama agent is guiding Trump's Homeland Security pick
A sign of the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower Panama is seen in Panama City, Panama October 11, 2017.

Trump's first international hotel wants to ditch his name

Owners of the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower in Panama City are trying to get rid of the Trump name on their property, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Trump's first international hotel wants to ditch his name