Ilya Espino de Marotta took over the Panama Canal Authority on September 7, and the water was already dropping. She is the first woman to run the waterway, and her term runs through 2033.
She replaced Ricaurte Vásquez Morales after more than four decades working in the canal’s engineering, operations and management divisions. The authority’s board confirmed her appointment in May.
Drought and fewer ships
Panama has declared a nationwide emergency over El Nino, which is expected to be the strongest since record-keeping began four decades ago. The canal runs on rainwater held in two reservoirs, and without that water the locks cannot lift and lower ships. Each crossing uses about 200 million litres, which is then discharged into the sea.
The authority has already cut the daily limit on ships from 36 last month to 32 by mid-September. It has also reduced the maximum draft from 15.2 meters to 14.6 meters. Draft is the distance from the waterline to the lowest point of a ship’s hull.
Espino de Marotta told AFP that more cuts may follow if the drought does not ease. “We do not rule out the possibility that in February or March we may have to lower the limit,” she said. “Probably not to 24 slots per day, but it could be reduced to 29 or something similar.”
In 2023, El Nino pushed daily transits down from 38 to 22. She does not expect restrictions to reach that level this time. Reuters reported that further limits could become necessary over the next three months if rainfall stays short.
Traffic is up anyway
Demand has gone the other way. Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for the war launched by the United States and Israel, and with shipping at a standstill there, the canal has become a fallback route for energy cargoes. The United States and China are its main users. About 40 per cent of US container traffic passes through it.
Experts have warned that long-term restrictions could mean higher shipping costs and longer waits for deliveries.
The Río Indio bet
The central project is a proposed reservoir on the Río Indio, meant to supply more water for canal operations and for Panama’s drinking supply. Breakbulk News reported that it is expected to take around five years to build. Shipping could stay exposed to drought limits well before it opens.
Espino de Marotta joined the canal in 1985 as a marine engineer. She rose to Executive Vice President for Engineering and Program Management and played a central role in delivering the Panama Canal Expansion Program. She became Deputy Administrator in January 2020 and the canal’s first Chief Sustainability Officer in 2024.
“My commitment is to remain focused on efficiency, transparency, and ethics, because every dollar we manage at the Canal belongs to Panama,” she said.
The authority’s 2025 to 2035 Strategic Vision lists Río Indio alongside proposed port terminals on the Atlantic and Pacific sides, an energy corridor and a logistics corridor.
Sources
- Panama Canal chief says more transit reductions possible as reservoirs drop amid severe El Nino impact
- Panama Canal chief takes office as drought threatens further transit cuts
- Panama Canal
