President defends multiple travel trips

PRESIDENT Juan Carlos Varela claimed Tuesday, September 13  that the multiple trips he has made  while in office have produced concrete benefits for Panama.

“Trips cost money, but the important thing is that they achieve goals,” the president said. “I do not travel without objectives.”

A recent report by the Ministry of the Presidency shows that, so far, the Varela  government  has spent $1.3 million on trips, including $500,000 for tickets and $800,000 for expenses. Some 150 officials from the Presidency have gone on these trips.

“I did not run for president to travel, but to be near the people and serve for their benefit,” he said prior to a Cabinet Council meeting in El Valle de Antón.

He said  that a recent trip to Japan resulted in financing for line 3 of the Metro and another to Poland resulted in Panama hosting a world youth conference in 2019 that will be attended by Pope Francis. On both trips he was accompanied by his wife Lorena Castillo

To date, the president has traveled abroad  at least 32 times since taking office in July 2014.