Cultural assault at former U.S. Embassy
A collective “cultural assault” calling for more public places for Panama’s creative community, will be launched at the former U.S. Embassy on Avenida Balboa on Saturday April 9.
Taking part will be citizens, artists, students and professionals seeking to re-take the site and propose the creation of a Museum and a House of Culture to remember Panama’s history and promote art and civic values.
Participating groups will be launching the website of the initiative, and providing the second paint free workshop for children on the history of Panama with the U.S., along with a musical concert and a festival of shadows. {jathumbnail off}
Last week 15 artists painted murals at the entrance to the embassy and along the fences, calling for the building to be used as a museum insterad of being demolished to make way for a 70 story government office building, claimed to be the tallest in Latin America, and housing the president on the 62nd floor.
If they are hoping for a stay of execution on the building, It’s likely their efforts, backed by architects, engineers and historians will be in vain.The design of the new multi million dollar structure has already been published and,. on Thursday, April 7, men were at work on the tiles of the old embassy. It’s unlikely they were there to replace them as the contract for demolishing the building has already been awarded,
The race now, will be to complete the building for an official opening before President Ricardo Martinelli’s mandate expires.
But the entertainment will proceed on Saturday, starting at 3 p.m.
With talk in the air of museums, on the cards is a plan to open a museum devoted to documentsing the years of the military dictatorship from 1969 to 1989, when Panama was invaded by the U.S. and General Manuel Noriega taken away to face 17 years of imprisonment in An American jail, and a sentence in France of another seve, for money laundering.
He faces trial in Panama on multiple murder charges, and his former mansions are up for auction by the state.
