Anti-corruption protesters target Attorney General

SCORES   of Panama citizens used their lunch hour on Tuesday, January 23 to continue the “enough is enough” protest against corruption and impunity that began on the Cinta Costera on Jan 9.

By coincidence, the demonstration began shortly before ex-president    Ricardo Martinelli appeared in court  in Miami  to hear  a US Federal judge endorse an earlier decision that he should be deported  to Panama to face trial,

Martinelli, is  widely believed to have been   the leader and biggest  benefactor  of a “den of thieves” who pillaged the nation’s treasury, and whom he described on CNN as a “cabinet of businessmen”

The protesters assembled  outside the offices of Attorney General Kenia Porcell and while their numbers  fell far short of the 10,000 who gathered on the Coastal Strip two weeks earlier  they  made up for the shortfall with drums, tambourines and creativity in the production of banners carrying their message,

The announced purpose of the latest public outcry was to get Porcell to release the names of over 50 members of the previous administration -and potentially some in the present-  who are under investigation for accepting bribes from the Odebrecht construction company that received billions of State dollars.

Among the protesters were representatives of various sectors of organized civil society, who vociferously repudiated corruption cases that have shaken the country and drained state coffers.

Guillermo Marquez Amado, a former magistrate of the Electoral Tribunal, said that the latest gathering was to keep the memory alive among the citizenship that the Attorney General’s office is in default with its promise to disclose “the list of members of society that have committed acts of delinquency…

“Panamanians need to know who, among us, hurt us,” he said.

“The other issue is the financing that could have been given to political parties and candidates in the last campaign and that should also be a matter of public knowledge, “he said.

Allegations have surfaced that the Democratic Change presidential candidate. Domingo Arias, and then-candidate Juan Carlos Varela received campaign funding from Odebrecht.

Estrella de Calvo, a 78-year-old  said “We are tired of “corruption” and

the country does not want more “companies handing out bribes or corrupt politicians. Enough is enough.”

He is sovereign and we have decided to put an end to this, “the retired woman added.

Rafael Zevallos, one of the organizers, said the issue of corruption is very complex and is not limited to a list. He said that another issue for which they ask for pronouncements is that they no longer prosecute all corruption cases; the cases should be resolved in the courts but there should be jail sentences.

Others  complained about cosy deals in which the wealthy corrupt were able to avoid prison by  paying money  from the loot they had stolen.”