Panama corruption off the Arias radar

CORRUPTION in Panama is rarely out of the headlines, and in the past five years there have been multiple major scandals with little or no retribution or investigation.

They range from a financial brokerage facing allegations of market rigging, to officially approved illegal land grabs in Paitilla Los Hombron and other areas, to matters before the courts in Italy relating to multi-million dollar contracts with the Panamanian government.

Even a handpicked previous ombudsperson is facing trial over payment of grossly inflated contracts.
It’s not a new phenomenon in Panama, and successive presidential candidates, including the current opposition hopefuls have been quick to promise that they will tackle the problem.
But what has been constantly in the spotlight during this administration seems to have disappeared off the radar for CD candidate José Domingo Arias.
Says La Prensa: opposition candidates pose a frontal fight against corruption. The official flagship [Arias] does not recognize the existence of this scourge in the current administration.”
In his plan of government Arias proposed ambiguously to: "ensure proper alignment and strengthening ofthe anti-corruption authority" an entity whose independence and effectiveness is highly questioned by various sectors says La Prensa.
Arias argues that his government will not " politicize the issue of institutions " and "governance " would be his "new style of government."
“The Democratic Change”plan does not propose solutions to the institutional crisis that civil society and unions denounce hard , like the limited independence of the judiciary , embezzlement of public funds, irregular payments and bribes and favoritism in official decisions.”
The presidential candidate for the opposition and Juan Carlos Navarro and Juan Carlos Varela promise reforms to the law to force the authorities to periodically audit financial disclosures.