In Panama there is No Teachers Strike in Guacuco: The School that Chose Not to Close
While many schools in Panama are paralyzed by teacher protests, in Guacuco, Tortí, the María Elena Díaz School is defying the crisis and keeping classes going. This is a story of commitment and perseverance that reveals another side of education in difficult times. At 7:06 a.m., three children were walking along the side of the Pan-American Highway. The June sky, still gray, was just beginning to clear over Guacuco, a rural community in the Tortí district of the Chepo district.
They were wearing uniforms, carrying worn backpacks, and the steady pace of those with a clear destination: the María Elena Díaz bilingual school. The scene might seem ordinary, were it not for the fact that in other regions of the country, such as Colón, West Panama, Veraguas, Chiriquí, Coclé, and Bocas del Toro, public schools and colleges are closed, with teachers on strike in protest of Law 462, which reformed social security. In Guacuco, however, classes never stopped.
Guacuco, Panama, is located in the province of Panama Este, specifically within the Corregimiento (district) of Tortí, in the Chepo district. It’s considered part of a larger rural area in eastern Panama, near the border with Darién. Guacuco is actually comprised of two distinct communities: Guacuco Guna, an indigenous community, and Guacuco Latino, a community with Latino and Guna families.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
- Province: Panama Este.
- District: Chepo, specifically the Corregimiento (district) of Tortí.
- Communities: Guacuco Guna (indigenous) and Guacuco Latino.
- Location: Situated along the Pan-American Highway.
- Rural Area: Part of a larger rural area in eastern Panama, near Darién.
