Teatro Nacional repairs still in the air

CLOSED  since 2015, Panama’s much loved Teatro Nacional, a tourist attraction and a staple for cultural performances ranging from  opera and ballet to folklorico  and even   the International Film Festival, may be on the cusp  of being waterproofed, if enough money becomes available.

The National Institute of Culture (INAC) reported that it will proceed with a direct contract for the waterproofing of iconic  theater. which was built in 1908.

Between January and March, two tenders to carry out the works, for a little more than $600,000, were abandoned

The last unsuccessful public act concluded last  week when an evaluation commission appointed by the INAC dismissed the only proposal saying it did not comply with the specifications and requirements.

In the first tender published in January, no proposals were received.

José Batista, director of the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects, said that the price being offered for the work is too low, and local firms do not have the expertise to complete the work.