Panama’s geographic position uniting North and South America has made it one of the most economically successful Central American countries as well as Latin America’s second most competitive economy. With its diverse population and vast amounts of biodiversity, Panama’s chief challenge centers on ensuring its population equally partakes in the country’s economic growth. One quarter of the Panamanian population lives below the national poverty line and extreme poverty, at just under 5%, is still an issue, particularly in the country’s indigenous communities, most of which have not partaken in the country’s economic boom.