Panama is a country of 3.4 million people living on the land bridge that connects North America and South America. In the opinion of Alternative Latin Investor, the country is developing a credible reputation as an international center for business in Central America.

Panama has a stable economy that has delivered strong and resilient growth since 2001. Whilst the global financial crisis of 2007-2010 has undoubtedly left a profound and lasting impression on the economies of developed countries, Panama avoided slipping into recession and continues to be in the leading pack of LatAm countries, with Latin America a key emerging market.

The Latin America Offshore Banking Report, produced by Alternative Latin Investor in 2009, highlighted Panama’s emergence as a regional center for business, particularly in the opinion of its range of contributors. In that report, Xavier Borja of Loyal Bank Ltd. explained that he believed Panama had developed a compelling proposition as a stable financial center with strategic access to Latin American markets. His assessment has recently been supported by a range of internationally recognized measures, with the country highlighted by the International Monetary Fund as being well positioned to outperform the LatAm region over the next five years.

With independent research sparse and often deal-driven in the region (notoriously so within the real estate sector), Alternative Latin Investor provides insight from seasoned professionals in the sectors central to determining Panama’s successful reinvention as a strategic hub for international financial services and technology businesses.

Visit AlternativeLatinInvestor.com to download a copy of Panama Outlook 2010.

[This article was first posted June 2010, BoomersAbroad.com.]