Tag Archives: Panama Canal

July 1, 2024

Hubel Marine congratulates José Raúl Mulino on his inauguration as 39^th President of the Republic of Panama. Mulino won 34 percent of voters and a nine-point lead over his nearest opponent during the May 5 elections in Panama. Mr Mulino is a 65-year-old graduate in maritime law from Tulane University in New Orleans, and previously served as minister of security and minister of foreign affairs. Mr Mulino promised the Panamanian people a return to economic prosperity and high employment.

Mr Mulino will have to manage one of the world’s key trade routes, the Panama Canal, which was forced to limit traffic this year by persistent drought.

He raised eyebrows during his campaign by promising to “close” the Darién Gap, the expanse of jungle on the Panamanian-Colombian border which more than half a million migrants crossed by foot on their way to the United States last year.

Shortly after Mulino’s inauguration, the Panamanian government already released a statement saying that the U.S. government committed to covering the cost of repatriation of migrants who enter Panama illegally through the Darien.

Besides the Canal and the migrants, there is another imperative task: revitalizing the Panama Ship Registry and returning it to its former glory as the world’s largest and most respected registry.

For decades, the Panama Ship Registry had been a symbol of maritime excellence, a beacon that attracted vessels from around the globe. But recent years had seen its reputation tarnished, its position usurped by competitors.     The registry had also been relegated to the grey list of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris MoU), a demotion that signalled declining standards in safety and environmental performance. Now with his background in Maritime law, it is President Mulino’s duty to bring Panama back to the top and ensure the registry’s return to the white list of the Paris MoU, signifying its compliance with the highest international standards.

Erik de Koning, the director of Hubel Marine, has been closely collaborating with the Panama Ship Registry for 30 years, representing a significant fleet of ships flying the Panama flag. He has expressed his intention to visit Panama frequently in order to discuss and monitor the new modifications implemented by the Panama Maritime Authority. De Koning recognizes that the new government is well aware of the necessity for changes within the Ship Registry.