• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
The Panama Canal concluded yesterday the International Canal Law Congress, an academic and institutional event of international scope aimed at analyzing and disseminating the legal framework that supports the operation of the interoceanic waterway. Over two days, the gathering brought together jurists, academics, authorities, and national and international specialists in a technical exchange focused on the Treaty of Neutrality, the Constitutional Title, the Organic Law of the Panama Canal, and other components of the Canal's legal framework.
During his intervention, the Administrator of the Panama Canal, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, highlighted the historical importance of Panama, its geographical position, and the Canal as a central element of national stability. "The existential reason for this Canal and this geographical position is to generate benefit, bring it from outside, and make it better in Panama," he stated. "This benefit must be distributed to the greatest number of people."
In her presentation, the Deputy Administrator and Sustainability Officer of the Panama Canal, Ilya Espino de Marotta, referred to the Future Water project, emphasizing the strategic dimension and social benefit of the Río Indio Lake project.
From an international legal perspective, arbitration lawyer Andrés Jana addressed international investment law in relation to the Canal's special legal regime.
For his part, Dr. Eloy Alfaro spoke about the Constitutional Title of the Panama Canal and recalled the experience of the negotiation process, while Dr. Adolfo Ahumada presented reflections related to the negotiation of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. In turn, Rigoberto González Montenegro reviewed the Constitutional Title of the Canal in the context of Panamanian constitutional law.
Also, lawyer Franklin Bell referred to the institutional structure that supports the functioning of the Canal, highlighting the solidity of the institution's legal and organizational framework, as well as its capacity to respond to new realities and operational demands.
Likewise, an expert panel on the legal foundations of the Canal's labor regime was held, with the participation of attorneys Jorge Federico Lee, Ramón Salazar, and Rolando Murgas Torrazza, moderated by Vielka Duarte. The panel allowed for an examination of the application of the institution's special labor regime, its legal basis, and some of the main elements of interpretation and practice within the Canal's management model.
The two days of the Congress were aimed at generating input for the analysis, dissemination, and understanding of Canal Law due to its institutional, national, and international relevance. With this initiative, the Panama Canal promotes specialized dialogue around the principles and norms that support the neutral, efficient, and safe operation of the interoceanic waterway.
