Droughts in Panama causing traffic jam of cargo ships wiping out $200 million in profits

Important Takeaways:

  • Huge backlog of 200 ships are stuck trying to enter the Panama Canal as they wait WEEKS amid slowed traffic due to drought: Delays set to wipe $200M off profits and cause spike in US grocery and parcel prices
  • More than 200 ships are stuck on both sides of the Panama Canal after authorities capped the number of crossings because of a serious drought.
  • The large vessels, thought to be carrying millions of dollars’ worth of goods, are locked in a traffic jam with some waiting for weeks to cross.
  • Vessel-tracking data highlights the extent of the issue with hundreds of ships, mainly bulk cargo or gas carriers, seen waiting near entrances to the canal on the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
  • The number of daily transits through the canal has been capped at 32 by water authorities in a bid to conserve water.
  • Panama is set to lose $200million in revenue from the delays and it could cause a spike in US grocery and parcel prices as extra fees are hiked on to shipping costs.
  • Without enough rain, the ship transits are cut and the lucky ones that cross pay hefty premiums.
  • This increases transport costs for cargo owners like American oil as well as Asian importers and gas exporters.

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Dr. Lawrence Franklin asks the question: Is the US being surrounded? The picture he paints isn’t pretty

Revelations 6:3-4 “when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

Important Takeaways:

  • Iran, China and the Panama Canal: Is the US Being Encircled?
  • Iran and China are on the move again. Last Friday, to the apparent surprise of the Biden Administration, China asserted its influence in the Middle East by entering the vacuum created by US President Joe Biden, and brokering a deal between Iran and its threatened neighbor, Saudi Arabia, which Biden had vowed to make a “pariah,” and “end the sale of material” to it. The Saudis heard.
  • Iran, meanwhile, has not been shy about its mission to “export the revolution” to the Western hemisphere. Most recently, in February, two Iranian warships docked in Brazil, under its recently elected socialist President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva. From there, the ships will reportedly proceed to the Panama Canal, already controlled at both ends by Iran’s newish ally — the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
  • Da Silva has refused to join the US-led sanctions regime against Tehran, and has stated repeatedly that Iran has the right to develop peaceful nuclear programs
  • According to Bloomberg:
    • “China has bought up so much copper, pork, and soy—and constructed so many roads, trains, power grids, and bridges—that it’s surpassed the U.S. as South America’s largest trade partner and is now the single biggest trader with Brazil, Chile, and Peru.”
    • Seven South American countries – Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina and Uruguay — are already part of the China’s Belt and Road Initiative
    • Add to this that China is also apparently eager to increase its economic and military presence in the Caribbean.

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Iran setting up in America’s backyard as it stations warship in Panama Canal

Iranian Navy Ship

Revelations 6:3-4 “when he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword.

Important Takeaways:

  • Iran To Station Warships in Panama Canal
  • Iran entering Pacific Ocean for first time
  • Iran’s navy is set to station warships for the first time in the Panama Canal, a critical trade route in America’s backyard that has never before seen an Iranian military presence.
  • Iran in recent years has placed a greater focus on moving its military into Latin American territories as it strengthens relations with anti-American dictators in the region, most notably in Venezuela.
  • Latin American dictatorships have also served as a hub for Iran to evade U.S. sanctions and make arms deals.

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Panama Drought Forces School Closings

panamacanalThe government of Panama has ordered the closing of all schools in an attempt to help the country in the midst of a major power crisis connected to a national drought.

Nearly 60% of Panama’s power is generated through hydroelectric plants .  The drought is causing significant problems for the plants as demand is far outpacing their ability to produce.  The government has declared a drought emergency for over 1/3 of the country. Continue reading