Update — 4:05 — calls are being made to open up some roads for humanitarian purposes. Farmers are losing lots of money. Many towns are out of fuel. But the canal appears to have remained open. I have seen three ships go through today.
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Update- 1:15 — Some holiday celebrations for next week are starting to get cancelled.
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Update — noon- Friday 27 October — 445 protestors have been arrested so far. Looting at night has started. Tear gas now today near the Bridge of the Americas. Cross country bus trips not at all.
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It has indeed been a busy week. No need to list all the news here, except for the one that has been really ignored.
Protests here in Panama this week have made things feel like Covid lockdown again. For more details, go here
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/panama-protesters-detained-mine-contract-clashes-police-injured-2023-10-24/
In brief, last Friday President Cortizo signed the new mine contract with First Quantum (Canadian). It is largely a copper mine (and a really huge one) but the issues in question are other mine products, environmental degradation, indigenous lands, general corruption and wages of course. Protests started on Monday. Most major highways are closed for at least part of each day, some for longer.
The metro in Panama City has mostly kept in business but protestors have closed some stations. Some towns went to rationing fuel and are now out. Some towns are now reporting food shortages. Teachers have been on strike all week. Doctors and dentists joined in mid week. Some bus drivers joined in too. Farmers are unable to bring produce to market. And there is unconfirmed gossip that the fishermen will be blocking the canal today.
From what I have personally seen, protesters stand in the roadways and traffic stops. Sometimes there are burning tires to add more to the message. There have been a few instances of gunfire. Tear gas almost every night. Some businesses have nailed plywood to their windows and closed. Some major vandalism to some government buildings.
So many of us have simply stayed to home. No need for gas as there is no where to be able to go. Personally I tend to agree with the protestors as the gap between the Haves and Have Nots is rather vast here. The canal brings in heaps of money but schools are often without water. The US State Department had scheduled a visit here sometime this week to chat about corruption but that trip was cancelled. Not that this visit coulda/woulda changed anything for sure anyway.
But if the canal is closed today I suspect this all might make news in the US.