Varela wants Metro Line 2 ready for Christmas 2018

PRESIDENT, Juan Carlos Varela  want is planning a 2018 Christmas gift for Panama’s electorate. During an inspection of the progress of construction of Metro Line 2 on Thursday June 9, he urged the construction team to complete the project in time for Christmas 2018, which is five months before the next election.

While he was touring the project a committee meeting in the presidential palace was being urged to change the laws regarding government contracts so that companies convicted of corruption elsewhere would be prohibited from bidding.

The Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht   heads the metro project, among others, and its president has been sentenced to nearly 20 years imprisonment.

Varela made the tour with the general director of Metro  Panama, Roberto Roy who oversaw the building of Line 1, also by Odebrecht.

Varela said that in this project there are contractors recruited by Odebrecht from five countries (Germany, Spain, Brazil, Italy and France) and a lot of Panamanian labor

He explained that Line 2 will provide connectivity to the city, as people move to Panama from the East and Tocumen International Airport to the Albrook transport terminal.

He said the new line will impact the quality of life of more than 500,000 citizens living in Panama.