LatinNews Daily - 18 February 2026

*The European Union (EU) has opted to keep Panama on its list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes in its latest update. The list was first established in 2017 and is updated twice a year. The decision is a major blow for the government led by President José Raúl Mulino, for which Panama’s removal from such lists is a priority. In July 2025 the EU removed Panama from its list of countries with strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) frameworks. In response to the EU’s latest decision, Mulino said restrictions would be maintained on European companies participating in public tenders – a threat he first announced in October 2024 to the media in response to Panama remaining on the list. Writing on social media, however, he said that Italy, Greece, and Spain do not have Panama on any list so there is “no problem” with these countries. The EU also added Turks and Caicos Islands to the list yesterday (17 February) and removed Trinidad and Tobago.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 170 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

• Subscribe
• Sign up for a one-time, 14-day trial