Panama
Panama moves to shed its tax haven status, on its own terms
Panama's new 15% tax on shell companies is being sold as a clean-up. It is also a carefully negotiated minimum, designed to satisfy Brussels while preserving the offshore model that built the country's service economy.
Latin America's democracies face silent erosion from within, UN warns
Latin America and the Caribbean's political systems are experiencing a gradual institutional decay that rarely manifests as outright democratic collapse but instead hollows out governance from within, the UNDP has warned in a new report.
Panama Canal cashes in on Hormuz crisis it cannot control
With Hormuz largely shut and the Cape of Good Hope adding 14 days to voyages, the waterway has become the primary functioning maritime artery of the Western hemisphere — but its own management is not yet counting the money.
Israel courts Panama at moment of deep isolation and maritime crisis
Israel arrived in Panama championing open waterways, just 67 days after co-initiating the strikes that closed Hormuz. Behind the diplomacy: five strategic objectives, one canal, and a Latin American alliance in construction.
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ECLAC cuts Latin America growth forecast as Middle East war fans inflation
ECLAC trims Latin America's 2026 growth forecast to 2.2%, warning that soaring oil prices, tighter credit and slowing global trade are locking the region into a fourth consecutive year of sluggish expansion.
Latin America's unfinished battle with inflation leaves the region exposed to the Iran shock
The Middle East conflict has landed on Latin America at an awkward moment. After two years of gradual progress bringing inflation under control, the region's central banks now face the prospect of that effort being undone by an external conflict.
Panama Canal auction prices quadruple as Hormuz closure reshapes global energy flows
A Chinese tanker just paid $4mn to jump the Panama queue. With Hormuz near-closed, the canal has become the world's most contested shipping lane — and prices are only heading one way.
Middle East tensions and global slowdown cloud Panama outlook as IMF flags inflation risks
Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are feeding through into global macroeconomic expectations, with the International Monetary Fund warning of a broad-based slowdown and renewed inflation pressures that are shaping Panama´s outlook.
IMF raises Latin America growth forecast but warns of uneven impact from Middle East war
The IMF raised its 2026 growth forecast for Latin America and the Caribbean by a tenth of a percentage point to 2.3%, while cautioning that the economic consequences of the war in the Middle East will most impact the region's smaller economies.
Latin America growth slips as weak investment persists, World Bank says
The World Bank has cut its 2026 growth forecast for Latin America and the Caribbean to 2.1%, down from 2.4% recorded last year, warning that the region faces a toxic combination of weak investment, tight fiscal space, and productivity deficits.