Panama’s Isla Colón Merchants in Bocas Town: ‘We’re Bankrupt’
According to Manuel Sanjur, president of the Isla Colón Chamber of Commerce, the economic effects of the closure have devastated local commerce, especially tourism, which represents the archipelago’s main driving force.
Amid the prolonged conflict that has blocked the main access roads in Bocas del Toro for 37 days, Manuel Sanjur, president of the Isla Colón Chamber of Commerce, offered a stark diagnosis: “bankruptcy.” Sanjur praised the authorities’ refusal to resort to force against the protesters, but acknowledged that the outlook remains bleak. “The movement needs a martyr, and they—the government—aren’t going to provide one,” he stated. Meanwhile, local businesses are seeking alternative measures to attract visitors, although the island’s image as a safe destination has been severely damaged. “The propaganda this crisis has left us with is terrible,” he lamented.
‘Isla Colón is Without Supplies and Tourists’: Labor Minister on the Crisis in Bocas del Toro
On Friday, Minister of the Presidency Juan Carlos Orillac led a visit to the province of Bocas del Toro with Minister of Labor and Workforce Development Jackeline Muñoz and Tourism Authority Administrator Gloria De León, in an effort to address the serious supply shortages caused by roadblocks. According to Muñoz, only trucks carrying medical supplies and healthcare personnel were able to pass through Bocas del Toro; food was returned due to the blockades. The government delegation arrived in Chiriquí Grande. “It’s unfortunate because there are communities that walk down the mountains to look for rice,” said the minister, who expressed concern for the vulnerable population affected by the food shortage.
