Colon riots as sale of Free Zone lands gets assembly nod

Approval of a bill allowing the sale of land in the Colon Free Zone led to violent confrontations in Colon and insults hurled at the opposition by the president of the National Assembly.

During the seven hour debate, opposition members characterized the bill as an attempt by the government to evade the law governing the permitted 2.8% fiscal deficit and seeking to finance it by selling state assets. The situation developed, they claimed, through “management abuse of state resources”, and plans to use the funds for the 2014 political campaign.”
When the vote took place with 41 votes of the ruling coalition in favor and 11 opposition votes against , Assembly President, Sergio Gálvez, hurled insults at the opponents and rose to his feet to shout "Out … out, go to the cemetery to mourn. "
On the streets of Colon violence erupted as demonstrations against the sale of state lands spread, with shooting, burning tires and the use of birdshot and tear gas by riot police.
Three policemen were injured,-one with a bullet wound – said La Prensa. On the outskirts of the city makeshift barricades prevented the movement of traffic..
There were protests in areas such as Los Lagos, La Feria, Puerto Escondido and Caribbean Villa. While in downtown Colon shots were heard.
Bill 529 got its second reading in the face of strong opposition from the National Coalition for Development and the Zone Users Association
For Panameñista deputy Joseph I. Blandon, the Government had been seeking ways to find the money to pay for "cronyism and outright theft of public funds by the State of Panama, and behold there is the proposal to sell the land of the free zone."
He said the main concern is that the $300 or $400 million that can be generated from the sale of these lands are not to be used transparently
"The corruption of this government knows no bounds and when we know that more than $15 billion will be invested in the life of this government, one has to think that, based on the figures of the International Development Bank, 10% to 15%, is lost in corruption” he said.
"This Assembly approved a budget over $700 million above that recommended by the staff of the Ministry of Finance, so that the approved budget is above 3.4%, breaking the law of fiscal responsibility," said Blandon.
He warned that the sale of the lands of the FTA was just beginning, as soon the government will have other projects to sell state shares in privatized enterprises, because the land sales in the Free Zone do not cover the fiscal deficit and will require more sales of state assets.
Colon riots as sale of Free Zone lands gets assembly nod
Approval of a bill allowing the sale of land in the Colon Free Zone led to violent confrontations in Colon and insults hurled at the opposition by the president of the National Assembly.
During the seven hour debate, opposition members characterized the bill as an attempt by the government to evade the law governing the permitted 2.8% fiscal deficit and seeking to finance it by selling state assets. The situation developed, they claimed, through “management abuse of state resources”, and plans to use the funds for the 2014 political campaign.”
When the vote took place with 41 votes of the ruling coalition in favor and 11 opposition votes against , Assembly President, Sergio Gálvez, hurled insults at the opponents and rose to his feet to shout "Out … out, go to the cemetery to mourn. "
On the streets of Colon violence erupted as demonstrations against the sale of state lands spread, with shooting, burning tires and the use of birdshot and tear gas by riot police.
Three policemen were injured,-one with a bullet wound – said La Prensa. On the outskirts of the city makeshift barricades prevented the movement of traffic..
There were protests in areas such as Los Lagos, La Feria, Puerto Escondido and Caribbean Villa. While in downtown Colon shots were heard.
Bill 529 got its second reading in the face of strong opposition from the National Coalition for Development and the Zone Users Association
For Panameñista deputy Joseph I. Blandon, the Government had been seeking ways to find the money to pay for "cronyism and outright theft of public funds by the State of Panama, and behold there is the proposal to sell the land of the free zone."
He said the main concern is that the $300 or $400 million that can be generated from the sale of these lands are not to be used transparently
"The corruption of this government knows no bounds and when we know that more than $15 billion will be invested in the life of this government, one has to think that, based on the figures of the International Development Bank, 10% to 15%, is lost in corruption” he said.
"This Assembly approved a budget over $700 million above that recommended by the staff of the Ministry of Finance, so that the approved budget is above 3.4%, breaking the law of fiscal responsibility," said Blandon.
He warned that the sale of the lands of the FTA was just beginning, as soon the government will have other projects to sell state shares in privatized enterprises, because the land sales in the Free Zone do not cover the fiscal deficit and will require more sales of state assets.
Colon riots as sale of Free Zone lands gets assembly nod
Approval of a bill allowing the sale of land in the Colon Free Zone led to violent confrontations in Colon and insults hurled at the opposition by the president of the National Assembly.
During the seven hour debate, opposition members characterized the bill as an attempt by the government to evade the law governing the permitted 2.8% fiscal deficit and seeking to finance it by selling state assets. The situation developed, they claimed, through “management abuse of state resources”, and plans to use the funds for the 2014 political campaign.”
When the vote took place with 41 votes of the ruling coalition in favor and 11 opposition votes against , Assembly President, Sergio Gálvez, hurled insults at the opponents and rose to his feet to shout "Out … out, go to the cemetery to mourn. "
On the streets of Colon violence erupted as demonstrations against the sale of state lands spread, with shooting, burning tires and the use of birdshot and tear gas by riot police.
Three policemen were injured,-one with a bullet wound – said La Prensa. On the outskirts of the city makeshift barricades prevented the movement of traffic..
There were protests in areas such as Los Lagos, La Feria, Puerto Escondido and Caribbean Villa. While in downtown Colon shots were heard.
Bill 529 got its second reading in the face of strong opposition from the National Coalition for Development and the Zone Users Association
For Panameñista deputy Joseph I. Blandon, the Government had been seeking ways to find the money to pay for "cronyism and outright theft of public funds by the State of Panama, and behold there is the proposal to sell the land of the free zone."
He said the main concern is that the $300 or $400 million that can be generated from the sale of these lands are not to be used transparently
"The corruption of this government knows no bounds and when we know that more than $15 billion will be invested in the life of this government, one has to think that, based on the figures of the International Development Bank, 10% to 15%, is lost in corruption” he said.
"This Assembly approved a budget over $700 million above that recommended by the staff of the Ministry of Finance, so that the approved budget is above 3.4%, breaking the law of fiscal responsibility," said Blandon.
He warned that the sale of the lands of the FTA was just beginning, as soon the government will have other projects to sell state shares in privatized enterprises, because the land sales in the Free Zone do not cover the fiscal deficit and will require more sales of state assets.