Distributing Earthquake Aid Among Political Party Members. Mulino Accuses the Mayor of Mariato.

Residents of Torio pictured below, a community in the Mariato district, in southern Veraguas, closed the main access road to the town to demand food, water and help to repair their homes after the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on Friday, October 9.  According to the protesters, assistance was not arriving.  However, when questioned by journalists about the matter, President José Raúl Mulino offered a different explanation. He blamed the mayor of Mariato, Ángel Batista, for distributing the food supplies that arrived in the district among his party members.  “I saw a video of a case in Torio.  

That happened because the mayor distributed what had arrived to his party members. And of course, the people got angry,” the president stated.  He said he raised the issue with the deputies, mayors, and representatives who accompanied him on a tour of the area this Sunday. Mulino added that, after seeing the video, he called the Minister of Security, Frank Ábrego, to ask what was happening in Torio and was informed that there were burning tires on the road. “No wonder they were angry,” he said.  So far, Mayor Ángel Batista, of the opposition Panameñista Party, had not reacted to the comments of the President of the Republic.

The IMA, House by House.

The government’s response was to remove the distribution from the hands of local authorities. “The IMA will distribute the food, house by house, as it should be,” Mulino said. “I don’t want any political posturing over this tragedy, the food bags, and the water,” he added.  The president extended the warning to the Legislative Assembly: no member of parliament, from the government or the opposition, may use the aid for political purposes. “It applies to everyone equally. There are no Panamanians on one side or Panamanians on the other,” he insisted.

Photograph Showing a Destroyed Road.

The Agricultural Marketing Institute (IMA) transported more than 37,000 bags of food to the affected areas, according to a statement from the institution.  Its director, Nilo Murillo, detailed that some 16,000 pounds were allocated to Herrera, 12,000 to Los Santos, and nearly 12,000 to Penonomé, in Coclé. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Security reported that the National Aeronaval Service transported 57,440 pounds of water and food via air bridge between Saturday and Sunday, and the National Police reported operations in Torio and Malena.  Not everyone agrees with centralizing assistance. Deputy Luis Duke pictured below, from the Vamos party, advocates for the role of local authorities.

“Centralization hinders effectiveness in emergencies like the earthquake. Local governments know their people best. All coordination should be channeled through them to make it more effective. Trying to concentrate everything is synonymous with egocentrism and means aid doesn’t arrive on time. Meanwhile, those left waiting are the most affected Panamanians.” says Luis Duke, deputy of the Vamos bloc

An Isolated District.

Torio is among the hardest-hit communities in Mariato, about 20 kilometers from the epicenter, according to the location of the United States Geological Survey.  The Minister of Public Works, José Luis Andrade, identified between four and five kilometers of road with severe damage in the section towards Torio, and the National Civil Protection System reported that the townships of Arenas, El Cacao and Quebro have no access by land.  A day after the earthquake, Batista himself described to reporters a district without electricity, water or internet, with rural aqueducts collapsed and the municipal building practically lost.  He estimated that around 1,500 people were affected and said that some families took refuge in higher ground, in schools, or in pastures. The mayor said he traveled to Santiago to obtain 35 cases of water, as well as bread and milk for children and the elderly, and requested support from the central government.  Torio’s complaint wasn’t the only one. Residents of Macaracas and Tonosí, in Los Santos, and of Los Pozos and Pesé, in Herrera, also complained about the delays in inspections and aid. Mulino acknowledged that the poor condition of the roads delayed the delivery of food and assured that deliveries began on Saturday to Torio, Mariato, Veraguas.

‘This Isn’t Going to be Resolved Quickly’.

The president asked for patience. He warned that reconstruction would take months and that the first problem was finding housing for those who had lost their homes. “The houses have collapsed, and the families are in the yard, under a pole in a makeshift tent,” he described.  “This won’t be answered all at once,” he said. The first step is already underway, he added, “but it will take time.”  The Cabinet Council declared a national state of emergency on Saturday and authorized up to $100 million for no-bid purchases through December 31. The United States announced $5 million in initial assistance.

The Mayor of Montijo just said on Noticias that not a single bottle of water has arrived from the Government to his district. It’s already been 72 hours and people are desperate. This is not gossip, sir @JoseRaulMulino