Concerns over debt and the environment in Panama

On average, economic growth in Panama has topped 8% in the last five years, making the country the envy of its struggling Latin American neighbors.

Fueling the boom is Panama's little-regulated and prosperous financial sector, as well as the government's construction binge: a new subway, an oceanfront highway and the mother of all projects, the long-awaited $5.2 billion expansion of the Panama Canal. The wider and deeper canal will allow for more than double the current cargo passing through the country.

Source: NPR