Prestige, either real or perceived, seems to be a commodity here. I hope this changes soon. The article also mentioned funding for science and technology from the Inter-American Development Bank. Other IADB support has gone only to the main national university, not to any private academic institution. There are important physics- related issues in the region that deserve funding and support.
Laser spectroscopy is a good example.
Panama has no comprehensive real-time detection systems for air and water pollution. Laser spectroscopy could be used for basic physics at the same time it is used to track pollution, detect waste producers, analyze environmental degradation, and study weather patterns. Also hyperspectral imaging-based dynamics could be used to trace possible sources for new drugs in the rainforest. Climatologists could investigate new locations for wind-power plants. In my country and perhaps in the region, these possibilities are not taken seriously.