Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here鈥檚 the latest.
Obama set to test engagement doctrine with Cuba in Panama.
US President Barack Obama is headed to Panama this weekend to participate in the Summit of the Americas, and there are some big things on the table this time. According to CNN sources, Obama鈥檚 main goal at the summit will be to make some tangible progress with Cuba, specifically in the realm of expanding currently cold diplomatic relations.
Unlike past summits, when the United States’ stance on Cuba was a major point of contention, White House officials expect the realignment to be hailed at the two-day event, during which Obama also plans to tour the Panama Canal and seek to ramp up commerce with Latin America.
Obama and Castro aren’t scheduled to meet formally this week, but Obama’s aides have hinted at a set agenda for whatever conversation emerges when they encounter one another on the sidelines of the conference.
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The International Film Festival in Panama Kicks off This Week
The Summit of the Americas isn鈥檛 the only thing kicking off this week. The Panama International Film Festival has also begun, and based on last year鈥檚 success, it looks to be a big one. Panama isn鈥檛 necessarily known for its local cinema, and this festival aims to change that. It鈥檚 also a great way for Panamanians to check out other independent films from around the region, and around the world.
According to information posted on the official website of the event, the films that will be screened in the country have been exhibited previously, and many of them awarded at prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Toronto, Sundance and San Sebasti谩n, among others. In addition to projecting international movies, there will be opportunity to enjoy premieres and red carpets will be traversed by the admired representatives of the fascinating film industry.
Many directors and producers will meet in Panama to accompany the exhibition of his films and will attend question and answer sessions, having first-hand contact with the audience. This is an unique opportunity offered for IFF Panama viewers.
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Cuban officials leave聽Panama聽forum due to dissidents’ presence
The Summit of the America鈥檚 is just getting started, and already there鈥檚 a bit of controversy. Earlier this past week, a delegation from Cuba publicly protested the presence of a Cuban dissident, and made the decision to exit the summit before it even started.
“The Cuban revolutionary delegation, the true civil society, is leaving the hall because we cannot be in the same space where there are terrorists from an alleged civil society that isn’t ours, that is paid and manipulated,” Luis Morlote, the president of the Hermanos Sainz Association, told the media.
That decision to leave the forum’s inauguration ceremony came after the Cuban delegation staged a protest lasting more than an hour which delayed the start of the event and during which the representatives from official Cuban organizations chanted various anti-dissident slogans like “throw them out” and “down with the nest of maggots.”
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Could affordable high rises be headed to Panama soon?
Panama certainly has no shortage in high rises, and that鈥檚 more than evident when you look at recent development projects in Panama City. The only problem is, not everyone can afford to live in them. This may all change soon, however, if one developer has his way. Imagine having the conveniences of a modern high rise, right in the center of the city, and at a big price reduction. It seems like we鈥檒l see this sooner than later.
As Panama grows, so does the gap between rich and poor, and that鈥檚 something that most Panamanians want to change. One of the biggest issues facing Panama鈥檚 poor and middle classes is finding adequate housing close enough to the center of the city to make it viable to work and do business there. If CORE鈥檚 affordable high rise idea works, this could bring a number of new affordable housing options downtown, and bring self-contained services to neighborhoods that lack them.
A residential tower can essentially act as a micro-economy adding equally affordable services to residents who live on a tighter budget. Building the sense of a sustainable, economically functional, and low-cost urban development project is critical to Panama鈥檚 economy.
Read more about affordable condos in Panama
