IMA boss abandons dialogue table amid confrontations

The director of the Agricultural Marketing Institute (IMA), Carlos Motta, left the dialogue table for Panama on Sunday, August after an exchange of words with leaders of social movements when the issue of the basic food basket was addressed.

The meeting began at 12:25 pm and the civil organizations began to question the representatives of the Executive about the prices of the 72 products that were regulated by decrees.

The leaders affirmed that the authorization of the fairs of the Agricultural Marketing Institute is not enough, since the products that are regulated are not being sold at the price that is frozen in the country’s stores.

They were also questioning why Panamanian products were not in supermarkets. The questions on this point did not stop and Motta stated at the table that the entity was not capable of putting all these products in stores.

“Our team is working to see how we can acquire the 36 products that we have to sell it, but to tell you that in supermarkets and stores nationwide, that… [shaking his head in the negative]. I speak for myself as Carlos Motta as director of the IMA, I am not speaking as a national government,” Motta responded to a question from Armando Espinosa of the National Alliance of Organized People (Anadepo).

there was an exchange of words between Motta and the leaders of the groups, while the facilitator of the Church, Elsy Lezcano, unsuccessfully tried to bring order. Then Motta got up and left the room.