I used to own freighters in the 80s and hence was in Panama several times a year to manage one of my huge (/s)fleet of two ships transiting the canal which was around 20-25,000 US dollars per transit
Compared to say Barranquilla or Lima or Kingston I found Panama City to be very nice ...even with Pineapple Face....Cara Abacaxi in power.
It’s gotten even more cosmopolitan since but like Miami it has its pockets of no go zones
Banking in US dollars was easy and normal unlike say Bogota which required exchange crap
Safest country in Central America after Costa Rica....
I say that knowing some Freepers consider the Bahamas or Caymans third world