Panama’s Truck Owners in the Azuero Peninsula Demand Inclusion in Regional Projects
They claim that, despite being legally established, they continue to be excluded while trucks from other provinces are hired.
A group of dump truck and truck owners from the provinces of Herrera and Los Santos held a peaceful protest this Thursday with a partial road closure at the San Luis intersection in Los Santos. Gathered in the area where the Los Santos–Macaracas highway project is being built, the truckers protested to demand to be included in the works being being carried out in the region. They stated that they have exhausted all attempts to communicate with authorities and contractors, without obtaining a favorable response that would allow them to work in the area where the projects are being carried out. They claim that, despite being legally established, they continue to be excluded while trucks from other provinces are hired.
“We have waited patiently to be taken into account in state projects. This is a project longed for by the community, but we, the local transporters, have been left out. Our trucks have been displaced,” said Rigoberto Escobar, leader of the freight transporters. Those affected pointed out that this situation directly impacts their family economy, as many have financial commitments and depend exclusively on the transport of materials to survive. They stated that local labor has also been sidelined, as contractors “bring in staff from outside,” reducing job opportunities residents of the Azuero region. “We need support. It’s our way of life. There are about 60 of us truckers in the region, and the same thing happens with every project.
We’re always talking to the authorities, and they ask us to wait, but meanwhile, others are working while we just watch,” the leader added. For his part, Agapito Domínguez, a member of the group, explained that they have formally organized themselves into an association with the goal of operating under clear rules and in unity, seeking to give priority to the local community in the projects that are developed in the area. The transport workers called on the authorities and the contracting companies to establish a dialogue that allows for equitable participation, and warned that they will continue their pressure tactics if they are not heard.
