ATP Announces 2025 City Carnival Cancelled Due to Budget Shortage

The administrator of the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP), Gloria De León, confirmed on January 16 that the City’s carnival will not be held this year 2025 due to lack of budget.   She explained that, since she took office in July 2024, and knowing the importance of this celebration for Panamanians, they made efforts and met with the private sector to try to organize the carnival in the city.  On the one hand, the decision has been applauded by a large number of people who maintain that austerity should be applied to different areas, including these types of celebrations. The former director of the National Civil Protection System, Roberto Velásquez, expressed his “total agreement” with the measure, a position that has been supported by hundreds of citizens, who have stressed that governments are not there to pay for or organize carnivals.  On the other hand, citizens are reflecting on the call to private companies that could be made to try to carry out the activity, especially so as not to harm those who obtain economic benefits for those days.

They also point out that travelling to the interior is more expensive than enjoying the carnivals in the capital city.  On Thursday, De León explained that the lack of funding for the carnival in the capital is the reason.  “This year, the ATP does not have the funds allocated for the carnival in the city. This is a time when we must take care of the funds, we all know the situation of the State coffers and the carnival would not be the most responsible thing to do at this time,” she said.  However, the official invited Panamanians to visit the towns in the interior, where the most popular carnivals in the country take place. “I would like to invite everyone to do some domestic tourism, because there is carnival in the interior,” she said.  According to De León, for a carnival to be a tourist product and fill hotels, a significant investment is required, around $3 million, which at this time is not responsible. She also said that there was indeed contact with private companies, but the funds were still insufficient. In this regard, she recalled that the stage, security, among other aspects, have a significant cost.