DOMINANT ANGLE
Madrid is measuring the Panamanian earthquake by the numbers from the USGS and the series of seismic catastrophes that have been hitting Latin America since June.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Earthquake of magnitude 7.7 at a depth of 10 km, 12 km from Tonosí and approximately 239 km from the capital, at 12:56 local time, according to the USGS (initially estimated magnitude of 7.6).
- 02
Tsunami alert issued for the Pacific coasts of Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, then cancelled; aftershocks of magnitude 6.1, 6.0, and 5.3.
- 03
Previous earthquakes mentioned: Venezuela, June 24 (7.2 and 7.5), at least 6,509 deaths as of August 24; Colombia, August 10 (7.4), 335 deaths and 4,516 injured.
ANALYSIS
Madrid, October 10, 2026. The Spanish press is covering the Panamanian earthquake based on dispatches, starting with data from the USGS. HuffPost España and Expansión report that a 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook the southeast of Panama on Friday, October 9, at a depth of 10 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Service. The epicenter is located 12 kilometers from the town of Tonosí, about 239 kilometers from the capital. The tremor occurred at 12:56 local time (17:56 GMT). Initially estimated at 7.6, the magnitude was revised to 7.7 by the USGS.
HuffPost España specifies that the US tsunami alert system issued an alert for the Pacific coast of Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua a few minutes after the tremor, which was then cancelled. Aftershocks of magnitude 6.1, 6.0, and 5.3 were felt.
Regarding damage, the account remains measured. In Panama, several buildings in the old banking district were evacuated as a precaution, as reported by the Efe agency. According to HuffPost España, Panamanian media report damage to at least one building in Penonomé, the capital of the Coclé province, about 150 kilometers from the capital. No human toll is mentioned in these texts, which only report preventive evacuations and initial damage reported in the Coclé province.
The framing is mainly comparative. Both media outlets recall the recent series of earthquakes in Latin America. In Venezuela, two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 on June 24 caused massive destruction in La Guaira, about thirty kilometers from Caracas. The latest report from the Venezuelan government, dated August 24, reports at least 6,509 deaths, 14,239 moderately affected homes, and 11,001 severely damaged homes. In Colombia, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on August 10 affected 500 municipalities in 16 departments, with 335 deaths and 4,516 injured, according to Colombian authorities.
This choice puts Panama in a chain of regional catastrophes. The statements of the Panamanian authorities, the state of the canal, and the situation of the rescue efforts are not addressed in these two articles. Expansión reproduces the same factual basis, without the tsunami alert or the detailed aftershocks reported by HuffPost España.
