Major political parties were preparing for the presidential election in 2014. Jose Arias Domingo，the ruling party’s presidential candidate，had a lead in the opinion polls. In 2013，there was an economic slowdown in Panama. But it remains to be one of the countries with highest growth rate in the region. Rising food prices caused widespread discontent and large-scale protests and strikes continued to take place. Diplomatically it has made a significant progress in the FAT negotiations with Canada，Mexico and Columbia.