President gets uppercut for handout to partying boxer

Panama President Laurentino earned bouquets and brickbats from political observers on the weekend over his use of the discretionary funds which the ruler has at his disposal allowing him to distribute at will.

The praise came because the $313,745  handed out in July was well below the amounts of taxpayer dollars scattered by his predecessors..But the pushback came, over the  $30,751 to pay for treatment, CT scans, laboratory tests, and medical fees for the “not serious” Covid-19 visit of patient Roberto Durán in the National Hospital while Dr. Lourdes  Moreno, a front line member of the health advisory team was treated in a State hospital.

One commentator described the payment as it  as “a  forceful as a left hook to the chin and although it is about a Panamanian who has written memorable pages for the sport of our country, the former boxer did not acquire the coronavirus by distributing bags of food or certificates of the solidarity bonus, but allegedly having a good time with Japanese and other people in his residence, on the occasion of his birthday, without observing the minimum measures of distancing and prevention that were constantly indicated to the population.

“It hurts then that the amount spent in Durán is, for example, greater than the cost of the 50,000 masks and 50,000 gloves for the 12,000 volunteers in Atlapa, who were exposing themselves to help their fellow citizens, or the 10 motor pumps needed to disinfect areas exposed to the virus, required by Sinaproc. With that blow, they threw the town to the canvas. or of the 10 motor pumps necessary to disinfect areas exposed to the virus, required by the Civil Defense Authority (Sinaproc).