Protests force delay of Carnival flag raising

After announcements of a jump in tourist visitors and dollars to Panama, and  a $2.2 million budget for the capital’s carnival celebrations, it looked like a good summer for the country’s tourism authority, but dark clouds have appeared.

In Las Gazas Pacora, residents and health workers are complaining over lack of adequate funding for the health clinic, while the Cabinet allocated millions to the carnival. No response from administrator Salomon Shamah.

Now the disturbances In Chiriqui with scores of tourists trapped for days by road blocks, and in spite of a government air lift, each traveling home with revealing stories of their Panama experience.

Then on Sunday, February 5, The "hoisting the flag" event for Panama City's 2012 Carnical, when Shamah would have held court has been postponed until further notice, because of the Ngobe Guble protests in the interior said the organizing committee.

The event was slated for 1 pm to 5 pm at the Zona de la Rumba on the Amador Causeway. Once a new date has been announced, the event will be held at the same place … if the conflict is resolved.