Artists complete martyrs mural denied by Martinelli

THE KOLECTIVO  ART GROUP  returned  on Friday, January 8, to  a project that had been banned by the Ricardo Martinelli administration.

They  were in action  near  the National Institute on Avenida de los Martires creating a  mural honoring  the martyrs of January 9, 1964.  Students  from the Institute  spearheaded the events that were ultimately to lead to a treaty handing the Panama Canal over to the country it straddled.

In 2014, during the government of Ricardo Martinelli, several Kolectivo murals , “whose purpose was to rescue and preserve the historical memory of Panamawere systematically deleted leading us to a long struggle that we finally won thanks to popular support of the Panamanian people.  The murals again give color and memory to the streets of Panama ” says a statement from the organization.

The dispute between the Kolectivo and government (Ministry of Public Works) reached the Supreme Court.

At the time, the authorities of the Ministry stated that it was forbidden to paint or stain public and private walls, according to Mayoral Decree No. 1466 of 2010 on beautification in the city.

The group claimed that Article 37 of the Constitution allows the artists to  present their art in a public space.

The  article states that:  “every person may freely express their thoughts in writing or by any other means, without prior censorship

The US  Embassy has issued an advisory note to its citizens to be vigilant  on the day of national mourning.