foreign_investment

Panama City – September 30, 2026 -- Mercan Group has broken ground on Albor at Santa María, a 48-story, 200-unit residential tower marking its first housing development in Panama and pushing the Canada-headquartered developer's country portfolio past US$200 million.

Panama tightens Qualified Investor real estate thresholds

The groundbreaking follows Executive Decree No. 17, issued September 8, 2026, which keeps the minimum investment for new, first-sale real estate at US$300,000 while setting a US$500,000 threshold for secondary-market properties under Panama's Qualified Investor Program. The decree also adds new investment alternatives and streamlines application procedures.

Houston – September 20, 2026 -- Heeney Capital has signed a mining concession agreement with the Republic of Venezuela and Corporación Venezolana de Minería (CVM) to develop and operate a major gold project in the El Callao Mining District, part of the Guayana Shield gold belt. The agreement was signed at the G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial held in Houston, Texas.

Deal could trigger up to $1 billion in investment for El Callao

Heeney Capital said the agreement will catalyze up to $1 billion in investment aimed at revitalizing the El Callao district through workforce development, community investment programs, and long-term economic growth. The firm projects the project will generate multi-billion dollars in tax and royalty revenue for the Venezuelan government over its operating life.

Washington – September 09, 2026 -- Smithfield Foods's lobbying firm, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, has amended a federal disclosure report to reveal that China-based WH Group, which owns 86.9% of Smithfield, has a direct interest in lobbying over Farm Bill reauthorization and foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land.