Panama is among the serious contenders for a winter Gulch.

I might just do that if Texas secedes. ;^)

Well you should try the Gulf Coast of Texas where I live. Panama ain't got nuthin on us for heat! You can fry an egg on the sidewalk darlin'. That's why we all have a/c's and generators! But check us out in the Springtime. It was 80 today!

You should be fine at Christmas, but in the summer Merida can be like an oven with humidity.
It makes the climate in Houston seem like the climate in San Francisco by comparison.
We were there looking at property about 20 years ago and my friend (who was about 40 and in good health) was on the verge of collapse from the heat.
The people were very welcoming at that time and the city was livable and clean, although the traffic was heavy.

Thanks for responding! As you know Canada has not chosen the best and brightest people to lead our country. Many would say the same about the United States and of the European nations as well. The WEF seems to have been very successful at installing many of their idealogues into positions of power throughout the world and their agendas look dystopian. I've done a little research into Panama and it appears to still be a relatively free country with a low cost of living yet has all the modern necessities. Even the climate appears to be stable and if someone doesn't like hot weather then the mountain areas might suit them better.
I hope that you have a very pleasant trip to Panama at Christmas!

A friend of mine, retired Advanced Practice Nurse and her husband have retired to Merida and they love it. She speaks highly of the medical care and apparently housing is reasonable. They bought and she didn't complain about it. Cost of living is great. I'm going there for Christmas.