Commission underway to mark Martyrs Day

A NATIONAL Commission is being formed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Martyrs Day when 21 Panamanian high school students were killed in confrontation with US troops.

The January 9, 1964 event led to the renaming of Avenida July 4 to Avenida de Los Martires and ultimately to an agreement transferring the canal to Panama,

President, Ricardo Martinelli, has issued a decree ordering the creation of the Commission to organize events commemorating the anniversary of the “patriotic deeds.:
The Commission will consist of a representative of the National Institute of Culture (Inac), the Panamanian Institute of Sport, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of the Presidency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Government.
The group may also “meet with” or integrate individuals, corporations, institutions, organizations and other representative groups”