Panama Living

Am I safe living in Panama?

The Pinkerton Global Intelligence Agency has awarded Panama its highest rating for tourist safety on the same level as Costa Rica. And natural disasters are almost unheard of -- for instance, there are no hurricanes, and only the occasional low impact rumbler, which is why Panama was chosen for the Canal instead of Nicaragua.

Considered far safer than other countries in Central America, and at the top of many people’s lists for the best place to retire, it’s important to remember that large cities world wide always have at least a few questionable areas ... so take care not to wander around Panama City without knowing where you’re going. You’ll also want to steer clear of the remote province of Darien which has the occasional border problem with Colombia.

In the United States, would you leave your wallet on a park bench? Your camera on a beach? Don’t do that here either. Beyond normal precautions, feel free to live your life as you please in a country where the military was replaced by the national police in 1990 via an amendment to the constitutional ... where guerrilla and subversive activities are virtually unknown with the exception of the occasional flare-up along the border with Colombia ... where the government actively courts foreign investment, new business, and retirees even passing laws to guarantee their rights to equal protection and representation ... and where “Yankees” are welcomed with open arms.