Bursts of economic growth in Panama have yet to banish old ghosts

Gleaming new skyscrapers line the waterfront of Panama City like a mini-Dubai, as boosters say, including a new 70-story Trump tower that is the tallest building in Latin America.

A new free-trade agreement with the United States promises a surge of jobs. The Panama Canal is in the midst of a $5.25 billion expansion. And another big dig began earlier this year, to build Central America’s first subway system.

But the return of the former dictator Manuel Noriega to face murder and other charges has reawakened questions over whether the glare of success has simply better hidden many of Panama’s old ghosts.

Original source: New York Times