OPINION: Panama’s garbage whitewash

The Cerro Patacón concession for waste management in the district of Panama is about to end. But although since 2008 it was known that this contract had a duration of 15 years, it is now (eleven days before its expiration) that the Urban and Home Cleaning Authority (AAUD) remembered it and began the search for the company that will manage the garbage in the landfill, from March 26. It is a complete and utter shame that the AAUD has not promoted the creation of recycling companies with all the garbage that is generated daily in the country. At this point, Panama continues to use Jurassic methods, such as open-air landfills, and dangerous sources of environmental contamination at all levels. The ineptitude of the officials is such that they do not even know what to do with the garbage, going through the fact that they provide a highly ineffective service because simply in these positions – which must be of a technical and not political nature – they name the friend, the sidekick, the ally or the accomplice and the result is a city awash in garbage. It couldn’t be any other way, because in this government everything is handled that way as if it were waste. – LA PRENSA, Mar. 14.