Panama

Prime Minister Stephen Harper marked the first visit by a Canadian premier to Panama by inking a trade deal with President Ricardo Martinelli. Writes Canadian Senator Pamela Wallin: "Washington’s diminishing interest in trade liberalization has served as an opportunity for Canada to pursue new markets and show world leadership on free trade."

With trade a hard sell in Washington these days, it's time for the White House to actively support a free trade agreement with Panama, argues COA's Eric Farnsworth in Poder. The election of businessman Ricardo Martinelli as Panama's new president demonstrates the country's commitment to global commerce as a means to economic growth.

On May 3, Panama's voters chose a business leader who chaired the Panama Canal Authority over a former housing minister from the party currently in power. As the winner, Ricardo Martinelli will oversee the country as it faces economic challenges and a multi-billion dollar expansion of the canal.

In an AS/COA Online interview, Eric Farnsworth lays out what Panama's May 3 presidential election could mean for the country’s economy and for bilateral relations with Washington. He explains that Ricardo Martinelli, who leads in polls, “has always been able to navigate the very complicated relationship with the Unites States.”

In a Miami Herald op-ed, COA's Eric Farnsworth examines the U.S.-Panamanian relationship since 1989. "[T]he United States and Panama have gone from hostility and military action to development spurred by globalization and trade," he writes.

On September 17, the COA hosted a panel discussion on Capitol Hill to discuss the pending Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Panama. The forum provided an opportunity to analyze the future of trade links between the two countries.

Panama's president described how Latin America finds itself at an intersection between sustainable prosperity and challenges such as the global food crisis. Highlighting the Panama Canal expansion project as an opportunity for national dialogue, Torrijos voiced support for open markets and democracy.