Bocas streets reopen after four days of protests

The bridge over the Changuinola River in Bocas del Toro was reopened on Saturday, May 11 after over four days of closures by protesters against the re-election of controversial local PRD deputy. Benicio  Robinson who has clung to office for the last 20 years.

The closure persisted through the morning, after Friday night’s proclamation of Robinson for his fifth consecutive term in the National Assembly

There were also blockades in Las Tablas, Fincas 11, 51 and 52 and near the headquarters of the Electoral Tribunal in Changuinola, but after 11:00 a.m. most of the points had already been reopened reports La Prensa. 

The High-Level Commission that dealt with the claims of  Bocatoreños who oppose the re-election of  Robinson, concluded without any agreement.

The commission included  Osman Valdés, director of Electoral Organization of the Electoral Tribunal (TE);   ombudsman, Alfredo Castillero; National Police chief, Alonso Vega Pino; the Electoral Attorney General, Eduardo Peñaloza, and the governor of Bocas del Toro, Esteban Chacón.

  Val’des tried to convince the demonstrators that the corporation does not have the power to annul elections.  He explained that a process should be opened with a challenge after the proclamation.

 Police, chief Alonso Vega Pino,  called on the demonstrators to make the best decisions in favor of the community.

The closures affected the banana company, which was unable to move over 100,000 boxes of fruit   Merchants and farmers were hit by the four days of paralysis preventing delivery of products such as tomatoes, lettuce, and eggs. and the Ministry of Education suspended school classes, to safeguard children during the confrontations.