22 protesting teachers arrested after clashes with police

Twenty-two striking teachers, from the provinces of Herrera and Los Santos were arrested Tuesday after clashes with crowd control agents of the National Police when they tried to block the passage of vehicles at a bridge over the La Villa river.

Herreran teachers marched from Chitré and so did their colleagues from Los Santos, who walked from the Nicanor Villalaz school, until they reached the bridge that divides both provinces.

When the teachers were about to close the road, they were dispersed with tear gas and pepper spray.

The National Police confirmed that 22 Santeño teachers were apprehended, and placed under the orders of the Justice of the Peace of La Villa de Los Santos.

Ángel Raúl Mitre, general secretary of the Herrerano Educators Association, expressed his rejection of the police action.

“They did not respect anyone,” Miter said, indicating that a teacher was sprayed with pepper spray on her face. and another educator was affected when a tear gas bomb exploded near his foot.

“This has been out of control as in times of the dictatorship,” he said. He pointed out that instead of giving answers to their claims they are repressing them. “They have not respected the children, and one of them was affected,” she said.

After about two and a half hours of clashes, the teachers left the area anticipating that their fight will continue reports La Prensa.

The protests took place in several provincial capitals. In Veraguas, teachers, and owners of school buses, in the district of Santiago, also joined the demonstrations that are taking place at the national level, to demand responses to the rise in the basic basket of food and fuel.

In addition, in Coclé, Chiriquí, Panamá Oeste and Panamá, protests and marches were registered. In the capital city, members of the National Union of Educators of Panama demonstrated – for the second day – at the National Assembly.