What the US president missed by skipping Panama in his Latin America tour

Panama is investing $20 billion to boost itself as a global hub. President Ricardo Martinelli's vision provides a glimpse of the US's newest trade partner as a bilateral free trade agreement works its way through Washington.

Martinelli’s recent back-track on mining hailed as a victory for Panama's environmentalists and the Ngäbé Buglé indigenous community. It may also be a sign of maturity for Martinelli, whose style of government has been decried by critics as authoritarian and undemocratic.

Original source: Christian Science Monitor