The dialogue table opens without key players

The City of Knowledge dialogue table headed by President Cortizo opened on Thursday, July 14. with a religious invocation from the Archbishop of Panama José Domingo Ulloa, without  the participation of the associations, guilds, or unions that are demonstrating. “The doors of the country are open to everyone,” said the president adding: “There are some political people infiltrated in these good movements, but they are contaminating them with bad intentions.” without giving more details.

He was flanked by The Minister of Labor Doris Zapata, the Minister of Education, Maruja Gorday de Villalobos, the Minister of Agricultural Development, Augusto Valderrama, the Minister of Health Luis Francisco Sucre, the Minister Counselor of Health Eyra Ruiz, the director of the Social Security Fund Enrique Lau Cortés, the director of the Government Innovation Authority, Luis Oliva. The National – target of much of the anger on the streets- appointed deputies Crispiano Adames, president of this chamber, Manolo Ruiz, Gabriel Silva, Daniel Ramos, Nelson Jackson, and Luis Ernesto Carles to attend. Also present were representatives of the National Council of Private Enterprise, the Chambers of Commerce of Panama, and Colón and other private sector associations.

While the dialogue table was being set up, outside the, Suntracs and Frenadeso workers continue to protest and reject the talks that they call “I-with-I Dialogue.”