Panamas historic flag back home, will be on view to public

THE PANAMANIAN FLAG whose raising changed the history of Panama, and cost the lives of numerous students, returned to the city on Saturday January 4, and was received with full military honors.

The national homeland flag  arrived at Tocumen International Airport at 5:00, from Spain, where it had been restored. Because of its fragile state it traveled in in a temperature controled box.

The flag was received by the Interior Minister, Jorge Ricardo Fabrega, and Rimsky Sucre, president of the Association of the National Institute of 1964.
 Following a tour of the city after leaving Tocumen, the emblem is resting in the Ascanio Arosemena Training Center where it can be seen by the public from January 9, which marks the 50th anniversary of the seminal event that cost the lives of many students, but ultimately led to the signing of an agreement to hand control of the Canal to Panama, at the turn of the century.
The former Ave July 4 was renamed Avenida de Los Martires, which carries a sculpture of the students raising the flag.
The decision to restore the flag was due to an initiative of the Citizens Movement for Strengthening National Identity, which had the support of the board of the Panama Canal Authority.
On January 9 there will be a gala musical activities as part of the centenary of the Panama Canal as a tribute to the meaning the date has to Panamanians.
The tribute will take place right in the place where Panamanian students arrived on January 9, 1964 to claim the right to hoist of the national flag at what was then the School of Balboa in the Canal Zone .
That night, there will be a musical gala in honor of the historic date with the musical performance of the National Symphony Orchestra, the Polyphonic Choir voices Panama and Panamanian Ricardo Velasquez, Janelle Davidson, and Nicole Puga and Manuel Corredera Puga