"Viviendo en Panama" is Spanish for "Living in Panama." This group is dedicated to providing true, non biased, and factual information to English speaking expatriates who are searching for information about living and working in Panama in a "non-sales-pitch" forum. Viviendo en Panama (or VEP) is the oldest and largest Yahoo! English language email group about Panama, with a dedicated following and membership of expatriates and those interested in Panama.

We also have an extensive collection of files and links about Panama, and a searchable message archive with over 44,000 messages posted (mostly questions asked and answers received.) VEP is an excellent resource for information about Panama.

The VEP group is an open forum for the free exchange of information. Our only request is to refrain from profanity and personal attacks, and to keep generally "on topic", meaning posts should in some way relate to Panama.

The mouth of the Chagres River was under threat of pirates and buccaneers, and in 1595, by order of Phillip the Second of Spain, Fort San Lorenzo Castle was built on the side of a steep cliff with the purpose of defending this strategic spot.