Human rights conference delayed  as pro-life group protest gay panelist

A  virtual conference on “human rights during a pandemic”, organized by law students at Santa María la Antigua University  (USMA)  has been postponed after Juan Francisco de la Guardia, president of the Panamanian Alliance for Life and Family, allegedly sent a note to the rector, Juan Planells, to protest the participation of two panelists who adverse publicly the principles of our Catholic faith. “

They are the lawyer Iván Chanis, president of the Fundación Iguales, a “recognized homosexual”, and Esmeralda Arosemena de Troitiño, former magistrate of the Third Chamber of the Supreme Court and current president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

The event was originally scheduled for Saturday, July 18, but did not take place, due to problems with the rector’s schedule.

The Association of Law Students of the university , said that the event has been postponed – not canceled – and the decision bears no relation to De la Guardia’s note. And maintains that the Alliance has no interference in the student association or its activities.

“We reject this new attempt at interference by the aforementioned group,” says a statement f issued on Saturday.