Welcome to the Panama Weekly News Roundup! Here’s the latest.
Writers from 16 Countries To Attend Panama Book Fair
Panama is hosting a book fair this August (16th-21st), and book fans are excited for the All-Star lineup that’s in store. Some of the best writers from all over Latin America (and the world) will be coming together in Panama for this great event.
The program includes round tables, conferences and launch of books by poets, novelists, short story writers, essayists and journalists from Cuba, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Salvador, Spain, United States, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and Venezuela. According to Maria Elena de la Rosa, coordinator of the Cultural and Professional Program of the event, the agenda also includes literary, musical, film and theater events, as well as workshops for the public.
The Panamanian delegation will be represented by some twenty writers, joined by Cuban Leonardo Padura (awarded the Princesa de Asturias Prize for Literature in 2015), Chilean writers Carla Guelfenbein (Alfaguara Prize) and Alejandro Alaluf, Colombian Pablo Montoya (awarded the Romulo Gallegos prize) and Santiago Gamboa, among others.
Source: Prensa Latina
Next World Youth Day to be held in Panama
Every three years, the Roman Catholic Church holds a major youth gathering of followers, and diplomats, from all around the world. This week, Pope Francis announced that Panama will be the site of the next World Youth Day event.
Francis made the announcement as he wrapped up this year’s global gathering of young Catholic faithful in Kraków, Poland. He didn’t specify exactly where in Panama the event would be held. Earlier today, the Pope encouraged hundreds of thousands of young people gathered in Kraków to “believe in a new humanity” which refuses to use borders as barriers and spurns hatred among peoples.
Some of the young people even camped out overnight in the field after an evening with the pope there that drew a massive crowd, estimated at 1.6 million by the World Youth Day organizers.
Source: Catholic Herald
Canada to Participate in US-Sponsored Drills in Panama Canal
The US Military regularly performs military drills on the Panama Canal, and has a long tradition of doing so. This past week, Canada joined them in a joint military exercise that trains personnel in Canal defense and modern warfare.
Canadian military personnel will take part in the Panama Canal drills, known as PANAMX, on July 29 through August 5 to practice canal traffic protection measures, Canada’s Department of National Defense said in a press release on Thursday.
The exercise, led by Chile, Colombia and Peru, is sponsored by the US Southern Command, and has the total of 20 participating members. “Training will cover many modern-day threats in land, sea, air, and cyber environments,” the release said. Some 14,000 vessels use the Panama Canal every year, according to the Canadian Defense Department.
Source: Sputnik News
Top 4 Ways to Enjoy Panama During Rainy Season
Panama is a great place to live in, or visit, all year round. And that doesn’t stop, even for rainy season. During Panama’s tropical, wet season, there are still lots of things to do, and lots of ways to enjoy the country. Here are some of our favorite, from our latest blog post.
Dry season lasts from around late December until April, with the rest of the year considered “wet season”, or rainy season. Typically, dry season is busy tourist season, as outdoor activities are aplenty, and it falls during the same time as the coldest months up north. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time, even outdoors, during Panama’s rainy season.
Continue reading about ways to enjoy Panama during the rainy season
