Government facing prospects of stormy new year

The government could be facing a stormy new year with renewed demonstrations and pressure from three communities awaiting implementation of negotiated agreements.

The previous confrontations over government plan to sell land in the Colon Free Zone led to the deaths of three people, including a woman and a nine year old, and the use of heavily armed border police who have been singled led out as a sign of increasing militarization in the country.

The lack of response from the government on a date for the resumption of the dialogue with the Frente Amplio por Colón (FAC) and other civic groups is causing uncertainty among citizens.
FAC leader Edgardo Voitier warned the government of President Ricardo Martinelli that it should return to the dialogue table if it does not want to see the “fury” of the citizens who will return to the streets says La Prensa.
"The government is accustomed to grabbing what it wants from the Panamanian people, its members cannot govern and that has created instability," said Voitier, referring to the way in which members of the Executive Branch left the dialogue without proposing a date to return.
"We feel taken for fools, because the government suspended the dialogue but has not suspended their politicking," he said.
The FAC plans to meet Jan. 12 with groups from Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro to discuss how they can pressure the government to uphold agreements it has made in all three provinces.
"We will reiterate that President Martinelli cannot play with the people because we are determined to ensure the best days are ahead for us," Voitier said.
Government Minister Jorge Ricardo Fábrega has said the dialogue will resume when the Cabinet Council decides to lift the state of emergency declared for Colón due to flooding in November.