the weariness that brought thousands of Panamanians to the streets

First modification: 07/14/2022 – 11:16

By Patricia Paez,

Thousands of people, associations and unions demonstrate since the beginning of July in various locations in Panama to demand concrete actions against rising prices and corruption.

One of the main concerns of the population is the rise in fuel prices. From January to July, the price of a gallon of gasoline (3.78 liters) increased by 47%. Currently, the fee is quoted at $5.17. In the face of the protests, President Laurentino Cortizo reported on Tuesday that the price per gallon would go to “3.95 (dollars) for private vehicles nationwide as of July 15.”

Likewise, the government announced that it will freeze the price of a dozen products in the basic basket and promised to reduce the expenses of civil servants and cut the number of public workers by 10%. He called for a new dialogue table for this Thursday, July 14, with the aim of finding “viable and feasible solutions together to the problems that afflict society.” It will be done with the mediation of the Catholic Church.

Despite the message, the unemployed organizations, including the Veragüenses Educators Association (AEVE), have said that the measures are insufficient.

“The National Alliance of the Organized People (ANADEPO) has been demanding since May 23 three basic requests for the Panamanian people: First, the reduction of fuel in a substantial, accessible way, for the people; second, lower the prices of the basic family basket; and third, supply our social security fund and the ministry of health with medicines available to the people,” said Luis Arturo Sánchez, general secretary of AEVE, in an interview for RFI.

New unions join the protests

Sánchez explains that these protests have their genesis on May 23, when there was a national educational movement to demand that the cost of living for Panamanians be improved.

“The indefinite strike was for educators at the national level, from there other sectors that have nothing to do with the teaching profession joined: producers, transporters, fishermen, students. Now doctors and nurses have joined, the people themselves have joined because to date we have been on strike for 12 days and we have not received a response that satisfies the population,” said Sánchez.

For its part, the Single National Union of Workers in the Construction and Similar Industries (Suntracs) joined the strike on Wednesday. The increase in prices “means that fewer and fewer people can live in a dignified way,” said Saúl Sánchez, general secretary of Suntracs.

Protesters deny Cortizo

In a message to the country, the Panamanian president said that the complex economic situation they are experiencing is due to “the effects of the pandemic and the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine”. However, for Luis Arturo Sánchez it is an excuse, since that there are other interests behind the price hike.

“Panama does not import fuel from Ukraine, it imports from Alabama, Texas. What happens is that there is an oligopoly that is the businessmen of the oil companies. They cornered the market and are selling the fuel at a high price. Here the fuel reduction is announced, but that will last seven or eight days, they raise it again. ”, He highlighted.

Likewise, the general secretary of AEVE commented that there is a possibility that the government could import fuel from other countries, such as Venezuela, but that the line followed by the Panamanian government is that of the United States.

Finally, Sánchez explained that they are open to dialogue and that they hope the government talks with them. “They have established a media and psychological war and we are not going to allow that. We call for unity, sanity, common sense, prudence, and we ask God to enlighten our rulers so that they can see what is happening in Panama. That they do not hit the people ”, he pointed out.