International
More than 480 arrested during protests in Panama for Social Security reforms
More than 480 people were arrested this Wednesday in Panama during violent protests in rejection of a Social Security reform project, triggering clashes between the police and the demonstrators that left at least 16 injured.
The director of the National Police (PN) of Panama, Jaime Fernández, reported in a press conference that there are “more than 480 people detained”, after an “unprecedented escalation of violence” this morning, which left a balance of damage “to the national police and its resources” in the amount of “267,000 dollars”.
In addition to being injured, “16 units of the National Police”, two of which hit with blunt objects (blocks, screws and steel bars among others) thrown by the demonstrators from the top of a tower under construction of a public hospital for children, where they entrenched themselves.
The Single Union of Workers in the Construction and Similar Industry (Suntracs) blocked a section of the maritime avenue, one of the main arteries of Panama City, and other key points of the capital in rejection of the bill that reforms the Social Security Fund (CSS), under discussion in the Legislature.
Previously, the police director had pointed out, in statements to journalists, that “they have had to set up a special prison” because they are going to “judicialize” “all” the demonstrators, including the “union leaders”, within the framework of respect for due process, he said.
The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, described it as “intolerable” that the work of the pediatric hospital is used as a “barricade of union terrorists to subvert public order” and asked for the action of the Prosecutor’s Office with “all the weight of the law.” After that, the Prosecutor’s Office initiated an “ex officio investigation” for these acts.
For his part, Saúl Méndez, the leader of Suntracs – the most powerful union in the country – said in a video broadcast by his official channels that his protest was “peaceful” and regretted that he was “repressed” in the area of the hospital under construction, which was “besieged”.
Student protests have also been reported in front of the University of Panama, which canceled classes for this Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Parliament discussed two bills (independent of each other) on the Social Security Fund of Panama, key to the economic future of that entity, submerged for years in an administrative and financial crisis, which could liquidate one of the two pension subsystems.
The deputies have already approved the first of them that authorizes the Executive the transfer of 91 million dollars as “extraordinary funds” to “partially reinforce the costs” of the retirements corresponding to this month of February, according to official information.
And they discuss in the second of the three mandatory debates, another bill, broader and of greater importance, that reforms Panamanian Social Security after months of discussion by blocks in the parliamentary health commission in the face of the difficulties requested by the Panamanian president and other social sectors.
This bill is a proposal of the Executive made in consensus by dialogue tables with economic, trade union and social sectors. The original document included a three-year increase in the retirement age – up to 65 for men and 60 for women – and 3% of the employer’s quota, among others.
However, the deputies of the commission overturned the article that raised the retirement age, one of the points most rejected by the parliamentarians, unions and the population, and increased the annual contribution of the Executive to 1.4 billion dollars compared to the 1.2 billion dollars proposed by the Government.
The hemicycle, composed of 71 seats, will hold two rounds of discussions in this second phase with half an hour of pleading for each deputy, so the debate could last approximately two weeks, according to an official source told EFE.
This proposal to change Social Security has raised controversy in Panama with some demonstrations in the streets in recent months, a wide public debate and requests for specific modifications by private companies.
International
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
President Donald Trump issued an executive order this Monday for the immediate construction of two new warships that will bear his name. These vessels will be the pioneers of what he described as the “Golden Fleet,” a future generation of “Trump-class” battleships that he claimed would be “100 times more powerful” than those currently in service.
The announcement took place at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The President indicated that following the initial two ships, the administration aims to commission up to 25 additional vessels. He is scheduled to meet with Florida-based contractors next week to expedite production, criticizing existing defense firms for failing to deliver results efficiently.
This naval expansion is a cornerstone of Trump’s goal to revitalized the American shipbuilding industry and address the strategic gap between the U.S. and competitors like China.
The move comes amid heightened geopolitical tension. Just last week, Trump ordered the seizure of all sanctioned tankers involved with Venezuela’s “ghost fleet” to cripple the country’s crude oil industry. Since December 10, the U.S. military—deployed in the Caribbean under the guise of counter-narcotics operations—has already detained two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil transport.
International
U.S. Judge Blocks ICE from Re-detaining Salvadoran Erroneously Deported Under Trump Administration
A U.S. federal judge ruled this Monday, December 22, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is prohibited from re-detaining Salvadoran national Kilmar Ábrego García, who was erroneously deported to El Salvador earlier this year during the administration of President Donald Trump.
During a hearing in Maryland, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that Ábrego García must remain free on bail through the Christmas holidays, concluding that his initial detention lacked a legal basis. The ruling follows a request from his legal team for a temporary restraining order to prevent ICE from carrying out a new arrest.
Earlier this month, on December 11, Judge Xinis ordered his release from a Pennsylvania migrant detention center after determining that the government had detained him without a formal deportation order. In 2019, an immigration judge had already ruled that Ábrego could not be returned to El Salvador because his life was in danger.
Despite that protection, Ábrego García was deported in March 2025 following a raid by the Trump administration. Officials argued at the time that he was a gang member, and he was sent directly to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT) in El Salvador. In June, he was returned to the United States to face a new trial for alleged human smuggling—a charge he denies.
On Monday, Judge Xinis also temporarily invalidated a new deportation order issued by an immigration judge following Ábrego’s recent release, granting him legal protection through the coming weeks. His trial is scheduled to begin in Tennessee in January 2026.
International
Fire at substation triggers major blackout in San Francisco
The U.S. city of San Francisco was plunged into darkness Saturday night after a power outage left about 130,000 customers without electricity, although the utility company said service was restored to most users within hours.
Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) said in a statement posted on X that nearly 90,000 homes had their power restored by 9:00 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT on Sunday), while the remaining 40,000 customers were expected to have service restored overnight.
Large areas of the city, a major technology hub with a population of around 800,000, were affected by the blackout, which disrupted public transportation and left traffic lights out of service during the busy weekend before Christmas, a crucial period for retail businesses.
“I know it’s been a difficult day,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a video posted on social media from the city’s emergency operations center. “There has been progress, but for those still without power, we want to make sure they are safe and checking in on their neighbors,” he added.
Lurie said police officers and firefighters advised residents to stay home as much as possible. He also noted that officers and traffic inspectors were deployed to manage intersections where traffic lights were not functioning.
The mayor confirmed that the outage was caused by a fire at an electrical substation. Parts of the city were also covered in fog, further complicating conditions during the incident.
As a result of the blackout, many businesses were forced to close despite it being the weekend before Christmas. The sudden drop in shopper traffic ahead of the holiday is “devastating” for retailers, the manager of home goods store Black & Gold told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Trump Orders Construction of New ‘Golden Fleet’ to Revitalize U.S. Naval Superiority
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