My sincerest sympathy goes out to New Zealand father killed, and family injured in Panama piracy.
I thought piracy in the area was the stuff of ancient folklore, like Captain Morgan. Even though I travelled Mexico extensively decades ago, and speak pretty good Spanish, Central America is not a place I'd take my family.
I'd definitely avoid Mexico now, plus Haiti and Jamaica, except in a (very boring) cruise ship
I got caught up in some Guatemalan "low intensity warfare." It didn't even make the newspapers. When explosions, gunfire and 16 years old carrying M16's are around you as a civilian bus passenger, it doesn't feel low intensity.
I understand Belize coast and all of Costa Rica are OK.
https://www.marineinsight.com/marine-piracy-marine/7-important-shipping-routes-vulnerable-to-maritime-piracy/
Seven Important Shipping Routes Vulnerable To Maritime Piracy
Maritime piracy is one of the biggest threats plaguing the international maritime sector presently. While the international maritime authorities have set up various measures to counter the piracy problem, certain shipping routes are still vulnerable from piracy attacks.
Known as chokepoints or constrictions, these water conduits are naturally narrow. They are also of extreme importance as they facilitate vital cargo operations in the smoothest of manner possible. Needless to say, they are some of the busiest shipping routes in the maritime industry.
Seven such water conduit chokepoints have been listed primarily by various maritime bodies as being the most indefensible to potential acts of maritime piracy. Spread across the globe, each of these seven shipping routes holds its unique place in the totality of the global shipping operations.
Maritime piracy is one of the biggest threats plaguing the international maritime sector presently. While the international maritime authorities have set up various measures to counter the piracy problem, certain shipping routes are still vulnerable from piracy attacks.
Known as chokepoints or constrictions, these water conduits are naturally narrow. They are also of extreme importance as they facilitate vital cargo operations in the smoothest of manner possible. Needless to say, they are some of the busiest shipping routes in the maritime industry.
Seven such water conduit chokepoints have been listed primarily by various maritime bodies as being the most indefensible to potential acts of maritime piracy. Spread across the globe, each of these seven shipping routes holds its unique place in the totality of the global shipping operations.
1. The Suez Canal, Mediterranean and the Red Sea
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2. The Turkish Strait of Bosporus, Black Sea and the Marmara Sea.
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3. The Hormuz Strait, Omani Gulf and Gulf of Persia
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4. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, North-eastern Africa
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5. The Malaccan Strait: through the South China Sea, the Malaccan Strait
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6. The Danish Strait: North Sea and the Baltic Sea
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7. The Panama Canal: Interlinking the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific via the Sea of Caribbean, the Panama Canal is a lesser significant marine constriction, as compared to the others specified here.
However as a busy shipping route, the Panama Canal is one of the major facilitators of international cargo shipping activities and is thus vulnerable to maritime piracy.
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