TOURISM: Panama under a writers microscope

By Dafydd Young

AT LAST,   a guide book to Panama that is more than an imitation of media articles with a glossy image of the country written by fly in-fly-out writers who often sound like an arm of a tour agency.

The Footprint Panama publication by Richard Arghiris with over 300 pages of carefully researched information is a must read for potential visitors and for those expats who are snowbirds or have taken up permanent residence.

Arghiris has well defined environmental concerns clearly and openly expressed over matters ranging from deforestation and replanting to open cast mining and unrestricted tourism development.. He is also not afraid to expound on social issues, including the plight of the indigenous communities and he provides a tightly written history of the country, and pungent summaries of the reigns of Panama’s recent presidents, which some of them, and their PR flacks, will not find enjoyable reading.

The book is encyclopedic in content, but handbook in size, designed to fit easily into pocket of knapsack. It is packed with information you won\t find in  tourist guides, or travel agent brochures.  Some of it may not concern the casual visitor, but it is a useful primer for all those who want to know more of the country in which they live. Apart from being well indexed it contains a useful bibliography of books and films about Panama, for further enlightenment.

Of course it containsanple information, on sites, accommodation and tranporttion. you will need to know when crossing the Isthmus, and for those with limited time provides a list of 12, don’t miss places to visit all neatly identified on a map, followed by six of the best cultural odysseys and six of the best island escapes. It also contains good advice on balancing environmental damage that even the best intentioned tourists create and delves into Panama’s cultural background. ftom music dance and costume to the visual arts.

It’s a guide that provides pleasant bedtime reading and a mine filled with nuggets of useful information. So head off to Amazon or your favorite bookstore before supplies run out.

Meanwhile here are some extracts that you are unlikely to find in glossy travel magazines or tourism brochures.

Environmental challenges

Panama faces a long and difficult battle to protect its natural spaces. Many mega projects are now proceeding with little or no local consultation, falsified environmental impact assessments and little regard for the rule of law. Foreign owned corporations which are behind most of the environmental devestation have created sophisticated green-washing techniques as part of their public relations armory. These include setting up fake environmental groups to champion their green credentials, especially on the contested spaces of the internet.

Deforestation

Deforestation continues to cause significant damage to Panama … logging, mining and hydroelectric projects are rapidly accelerating the deforestation with damage to mangroves by uncontrolled touristic development also becoming common. Unfortunately Panama’s reforestation drive appears to be making matters worse. More than 75% of reforested spaces are commercial teak plantations and despite vociferous claims for their sustainable credentials they are non-native and very harmful to Panama’s environment. Their leaves contain tannins which degrade the soil and prevent anything else from growing.

Politics

If you want an unvarnished tale of the pre-WWII presidential flirtation with Facism, the founding of the PRD and the rise and fall of Noriega, the book is a good starting point.

On some recent presidents:

Mireya Moscoso … her term was sullied by allegations of corruption, nepotism and bribery starting with and nepotism, starting with Christmas gifts of Cartier watches distributed to all 72 members of the Legislative Assembly. In 2002 a scandal erupted  involving the alleged vote-buying  of Supreme Court justices but all of them were immune under Panamanian law … in 2003 Moscoso mysteriously vetoed legislation that would have toughened penalties for embezzlement, fraud and other white collar crimes. …  She ended office with one of the lowest approval ratings of any Panamanian president.

Martin Torrijos As ever the spectre of corruption stalked the political scene with several justices of the Supreme Court  accused of receiving kickbacks from drug traffickers. Towards the end of his term Torrijos issued a number of controversial decrees aimed at reforming the security apparatus which, critics said would effectively re-militarize the police. Above all Torrijos will be remembered as the president who initiated the expansion of the Panama Canal.

Ricardo Martinelli won a landslide victory with 60% of the vote. The honeymoon did not last long and commwntators were soon beginning to question his autocratic style and … quickly gained a reputation for board room bullying, ordering the arrest of Attorney General Ana Matilda Gomez on trumped up charges. Accusations of nepotism have been roundly levelled at the president with appointments of his close friends and allies to the Supreme Court … the president has overseen an uncontrolled sell off of Panama’s natural resources, handing out new construction, hydroelectric and mining concessions with little regard for environmental protection … Add public relations bungling via the president’s Twitter account , soaring public debt and inflation, and Martinelli’s political reign is starting to seem as contemptuous as those who came before him.
Quite the travel guide, but certainly deserving of a place on the bookshelf of anyone interested in visiting or living in Panama.
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