Protests follow student crossing death

Students and faculty at Panama’s Technological University (UTP) are planning activities to protest the death of a student on a crossing in front of the university on Thursday, Jul. 26, in spite of the presence of a police officer helping pedestrians cross.

The young woman, who was studying at the Faculty of Industrial Engineering, was run over when she tried to cross the six lanes between the central campus of the UTP and the Centennial way.

At a  Friday, Jul.28  press conference, the student leaders recalled that a year ago the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) announced the tender for the construction of a pedestrian bridge, but, it was not the order to proceed was not given until a month ago.

“We consider that the bidding processes and proceed order by the MOP was delayed too much and today we see the consequences, ” said a student statement.

On Monday, July 30 at 10:00 a.m., all the students, members of the university community and neighbors of the area will  perform a

“Protest of calculators, books, and helmets”, articles that will be placed along the zebra crossing and  a human train will

The same day they will go to the National Assembly, where they to deliver a petition to the National Assembly asking them to summon the director of the Transit Authority ATTT Julio González, and the Minister of Public Works, Ramón Arosemena to an Assembly plenary.