When culture goes begging

PREVIOUS  administrations have neglected Panama’s  cultural and historical sites  when promoting the country say critics,  but  the country’s Cultural Institute (Inac) has once  again had to go cap in hand to the National Assembly.

The deputies who splurge government funds on distributing goodies to  potential voters, to help ensure their return to the trough, will not likely  lend  a very sympathetic ear.

The situation for many sites has become critical and Inac is seeking additional funds in its 2016 budget to fund a number of urgent projects.

The entity’s budget is $40.7 million, although it had initially requested $95.5 million.

Inac Director Juan Francisco Guerrero says that the amount will exclude a number of key projects, such as the restoration of the Santa María la Antigua Cathedral in San Felipe. That work will cost $6.8 million, but the entity was only allocated $3.5 million.

The agency had also requested $6.1 million for restorations in Casco Antiguo, but was authorized $1.1 million. The agency received $200,000 to restore the San Lorenzo Fort in Colón, when they had requested $1 million. The deputies draw almost $200,000 at Christmas to grease the palms of voters, but if you mention culture they adopt the role of Scrooge before his conversion. During the last election  many illegally used government funds running into millions of dollars to  buy their way baxkelection and have recently ensured that there will be even more legitimate  to spend on making sure they remain on the gravy train by voting to expand official funding.

Meanwhile they vote to shroud their undercover activities with a heinous shield law, something like letting the prisoners in La Joya decide how long they should say in jail.

Inac’s current budget is $33.3 million, and it has received $9 million in additional funding.

Guerrero asked members of the National Assembly Budget Committee to reconsider the agency’s allocation, especially considering the fragile nature of many of the country’s historic sites.

University of Panama History Director Fermina Santana described the situation as “serious.”

Meanwhile Panama will get a $3.7 million dose of Disney culture for an afternoon parade, in  December. “I think that past administrations have forgotten about the importance of cultural sites in the promotion of the country,” Santana said. Not only past administrations