Another blow for Panama’s stumbling mayor

Another blow for the crumbling reign of Panama City’s mayor, Bosco Vallarino, came on Tuesday when his deputy, widely respected Roxana Mendez, resigned as advisor effective Nov 30.

While she said that her departure was for personal reasons, it is widely believed that her resignation was because of continuing differences with the controversial mayor, known to many acquainted with the Dickens¡ novel, Oliver Twist, as Mr. Bumble, as he lumbers from one chaotic event to the next.
Mendez is a member of the ruling Democratic Change party (CD) and plans to return to the NGO Casa Esperanza where she previously played an active leadership role and where she believes she can contribute more to the citizens of Panama through developing social projects.
Mendez leaves the post of advisor to the municipality, but, as a popularly elected official will not lose the title of deputy mayor.
As Executive Director of the NGO she worked to eradicate street children since 1992. She took over as interim mayor for 21 days while the case of Vallarino’s dual US-Panama citizenship was under investigation.
The National Assembly returned the mayor’s nationality and citizenship through a resolution.
Mendez is a member of CD and Vallarino ia member of the Panamanian Party one of the minority groups in the City Council, but, Vallarino won the backing of lawmakers of the Democratic Revolutionary Party(PRD) to carry out their projects.
Rumors flying around the city predicted Mendez would leave after the dismissal of a group of her collaborators, by Vallarino.
She tried but failed, to get a reaction from the mayor.