PANAMA CANAL GETS FIRST FEMALE CHIEF

-
One Caribbean Nation




HISTORIC APPOINTMENT
PANAMA CANAL GETS FIRST FEMALE CHIEF
Naval engineer Ilya Espino de Marotta takes the helm Monday as the first woman to lead the Panama Canal administration, stepping into the role at a challenging time for the vital maritime route.
Buoyed by her leadership of the multi-billion-dollar expansion project last decade, Espino moves up from deputy administrator to take full command of the canal. Only three other Panamanians have held the position since the United States handed over the interoceanic waterway in late 1999.
Her appointment to the canal's top post is already seen as a symbol of women's capability for executive leadership roles in the industry. The canal serves as the engine of the Panamanian economy and handles nearly three per cent of global maritime trade.
Shortly before taking office, Espino told The Associated Press that her priority would be advancing the project to build a reservoir on the Indio River within the canal's watershed.
The $1.5 billion project aims to secure drinking water for 50 per cent of the Central American nation's four million people and to support the future operation of the canal, opened by the US in 1914.
The canal's Board of Directors had previously appointed her to lead this $1.5 billion plan, which encompasses community resettlement and environmental considerations. It is the largest project since the waterway's expansion, which opened in June 2016 at a cost exceeding $5.25 billion. Officials expect the reservoir to be completed by late 2031 or 2032.
For Espino, the goal is to guarantee future water supplies without compromising reliability in the eyes of the shipping industry. If customers perceive that the canal is not seeking a long-term water solution, they could shift their cargo to other routes.
(Associated Press)
Barbados Today 8th. August 2026

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What if Washington wanted one of our islands?

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation Professor Justin Robinson        THE UNFINISHED MEANING OF EMANCIPATION IN 2026  By Professor Justin Robinson (The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of this publication.) Caribbean people can't wait for summer. Long school and university vacations, Vincy Mas, Lucian Mas, Antigua Carnival, Kadooment, Spice Mas, beach days and overseas shopping. Many hardly notice that August 1 is Emancipation Day and quietly grumble: who are these mad people talking about a season of Emancipation? Slavery and colonialism went together as the imperial powers, England, France, Holland and Spain in the main, decided the fates of people resident in these idyllic Caribbean islands. This season of Emancipation, I intrude on your vacation time to ask you to examine the imperial habits that survived Emancipation. I want you to consider a crazy-sounding question. What if, like Greenland, Washingt...
Read more

Panama and Barbados: A bridge built by people

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation. Daily Nation Barbados , Tuesday, August 18, 2026                                               BARBADIAN WORKERS played a significant role in the construction of                                                the Panama Canal  by BOLÍVAR JACK BARRIOS LA FONTAINE   THE STRONGEST BRIDGES between nations are not always built through treaties, trade agreements, or official visits. More often, they are built quietly by ordinary people whose lives cross borders in search of opportunity, carrying with them their traditions, memories and aspirations. The relationship between Panama and Barbados is a remarkable example of this truth. Long before modern diplomacy connected our governments, people connected our...
Read more

Me and V: a personal introduction to gay tolerance

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation. By William Skinner Me and V: a personal introduction to gay tolerance I must have been around nine or ten years old. V was a well-known gay citizen, who lived in my beloved hometown of Britton’s Hill, in the parish of St. Michael, Barbados. My earliest recollection of V was his apparent penchant for dressing in white. I seldom saw him in a long pants, and he walked with an amazing rhythm. Even at that early age, I realized that he was very effeminate. He always seemed busy   out and about in the Brittons Hill area and it was obvious that everybody knew him, and his notoriety was island wide. I also noticed that he was always exceptionally clean. Later, I would learn that he was also known as a popular pudding and souse vendor, who carried on his trade in the vicinity of Nelson Street, in the city. He was well loved and respected in Britton’s Hill; along with that respect came good-natured heckling. One day, around midafternoon, about three of my chil...
Read more