OPINION: Ongoing theft by politicians, businessmen

Hoyporhoy La Prensa, April 3

THE NUMBERS  are alarming: Transparency International figures that  the theft of between $20 billion and $ 40 billion resources in third world countries  goes to bank accounts of politicians and businessmen in tax havens. And Panama does not escape this lamentable reality.

Examples abound: Odebrecht bribes  (almost $60 million) for works that politicians provided, the failed Tonosí Valley system project  ($1 million in injury to the State), dehydrated food ($60 million in injury), purchases of Finmeccanica ($25 million, presumably), more than $20 million in the case of Isthmus Collections, tens of millions in the construction of the Amador Convention Center; Tens of millions in unnecessary hospital projects, more than $500 million by deputies in this and the past administration.

All this theft of resources in under our own noses without society in general being alarmed. That’s how politicians pay their voters.