Larry's Central American Travels

The Democracy In Panama

Democracy is the worst form of government,
except for all those other forms.
          - Winston Churchill

(Mis-)Managing Social Programs In Panama

The Foundation for Economic and Social Development of Panama's most recent study re-emphasizes that poverty is the most pressing issue facing the federal government.  The study notes that about half the country's budget, some $4 billion, is directly or indirectly spent on social programs.  However, these programs have not proven effective in ending poverty, primarily, according to the study, because the programs are poorly planned and managed. The study concludes, " ..the programs are scattered, uncoordinated, often duplicated, and are not measured or evaluated."  (Roughly half the national budget!)

Planning?  Since 1985, the government has created 11 separate agencies to deal with various poverty and social issues.  In effect, every time the government targeted a 'new' problem, a new agency was created.  This hodge-podge of agencies all operate independently, absent any requirements to coordinate with one another.  The foundation's report recommends, among other things, that all these agencies be combined and consolidated under the Minister of Social Development.

The problems are further complicated by the infrastructure (or lack of same) in the country's 'interior'.  In the comarca (reservation) of the Kuna Yala indigenous tribe, 4,273 families receive welfare payments, and an additional 850 other families are in the agency's eligibility screening cycle.  Each family receives $100 every two months plus a $50 'bonus' at Christmas time. 

However, as of January 24, the December checks due before Christmas have not been received.  The Minister of Social Development's representative for the Kunta Yala blames "continuing problems distributing checks," further explaining the, "distribution of the money is not as easy as in some other areas of the country."  He added that the only branch of Banco National in the entire region has problems with its computer system.  Plus, the local post office needs to bring in additional staff when the checks arrive, and that staff is not always available on short notice.

Can you believe that bureaucratic tap-dance?  Any brand new U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. who couldn't handle this ´big´problem would be sent back home to his momma!  And to add insult to idiocy, the agency representative has recommended to the Ministry that they not process further the 850 pending applications until "the government addresses the problems with the distribution system."

The Various Faces Of Justice

The office of the Panamanian ambassador's office in Brussels, whose sole purpose for existence is to  manage the preferential tariff relationship with the European Union, did not submit the paperwork required to extend their preferential agreement by the Oct 31 deadline. Therefore, Panama lost it's long-standing 'favored' status, and therefore it's reduced tariff status effective on Jan 1, 2009  (The EU also says that the preferred status can not be re-instated before 2010).

The EU says it sent numerous reminders starting six months before the submittal deadline to all the countries involved.  In addition, a detailed reminder was sent specifically to Panama's Brussels office two months before the submittal deadline - a reminder that included a sample of the required submission documents all completely filled-out properly. As a result of this fiasco, Panama's National Assembly has had to set aside $32 million to reimburse exporters for their loses of preferential tariffs on exports to the European Union.

Three months after this 'oversight' became  public, the Panamanian government says they are "still investigating how this happened and who is responsible."  Critics speculate that the reason for the extended length of the investigation is, like many things in Panama, politically motivated.  The political-appointee ambassador in the Brussels office is the brother of Balbina Herrera, the  candidate for the PRC party in the upcoming presidential elections.

The consequences?  In all probability, based on historical patterns of government - none!.

In the midst of the financial crises in the U.S., which has impacted not only every single U.S. citizen, but economies around the entire world, Bank of America used a big chunk of their $25 billion government handout to buy ailing Merrill Lynch.  To insure that he personally qualified for the 'Sleaze-Ball Hall of Fame', John Thain, the CEO of Merrill Lynch, rushed through millions of dollars of  year-end bonuses for Merrill employees, paying them just before Bank of America completed the acquisition.  Ironically, some of the employees were receiving their bonuses as they were preparing a report revealing that Merrill Lynch had a fourth-quarter loss of $15.3 billion. Because of these losses and the bonuses, Bank of America has requested additional billions of bail-out funds from the government.

The consequences?  Bank of America executives did not want to embarrass Thain, so he was allowed to just resign.

In China, two milk suppliers, in an effort to make a few extra pennies per gallon, were watering-down the milk they were supplying to a large dairy.  Then they added melamine to artificially inflate the protein so the milk would pass testing and inspection.  When this hoax was discovered, the top executive of the dairy admitted she knew of the suppliers actions for a month before 'blowing the whistle'.  Six babies died due to this hoax, and thousands of others may suffer from kidney stones.

The consequences?  A government investigation and the resultant trials of the three culprits were all completed in less than four months.  The dairy manager received a life sentence - the two rouge suppliers were given the death penalty.

Questions?

NOTE: As I went to press with this update, it was revealed this AM that some officials of the U.S. company that was distributing tainted peanut butter products, were aware of the contamination prior to the products being shipped.  Their 'defense' is that there was no government regulations requiring them to take action.  Suppose there will be any 'death penalties'?  Maybe we should extradite these clowns to China for trial, and throw in a few financial industry corporate CEOs for good measure. Ha!

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

 Where The money is!

Panama - A Difficult Democracy

Governing A Nation Of Contrasts

To say that Panama is a nation of contrasts is an understatement.  The contrasts are so diverse that it is almost impossible for the American mind to comprehend.  For one thing, we have no frame of reference to fall back on when observing the differences.  And, unlike third-world countries where the poverty and political problems smack visitors in the face, the inequities and social disparities in Panama are very low-profile, virtually off-the-radar-screen of the visiting tourist.

[I have included a map of Panama for those of you who want to really get in to this.  For the rest of you, just say, 'nice map' and read on.]

The country of Panama, is roughly the land area of South Carolina, and has a similar population - 3.5 million people - vs -approximately 4 million people  in S. Carolina. Almost 1.6 million of the total population live in the Province of Panama, which includes Panama City and the Canal Zone.  Panama City, fast becoming the trade and commerce center of the western Hemisphere (the Singapore or Hong Kong of the Americas), is as modern as any city in the world, and is presently experiencing a multi-year building boom.  Skyscrapers seem to bloom overnight, multi-national corporations are flocking to the country in record numbers, and the million-dollar condo market is booming.  And, yes, like most any growing metropolis, Panama City (or, just 'Panama' to the locals), has big city problems - traffic, un-managed/un-planned growth, rising crime rates, drug trafficking, gangs, inadequate public transportation, inflation, inadequate infrastructure, etc.

In addition to Panama City, there are about a half-a-dozen medium-sized cities strung throughout the country.  The two biggest are the Caribbean port city of Colon at the northern entrance to The Canal, and David, the capitol of the agricultural province of Chiriqui, about 300 miles east of Panama City near the border with Costa Rica.  (Picture is a march in David protesting a proposed initiative to nationalize electric production companies)  The best way to describe what I have termed the 'medium-sized' cities, is that the are large enough to provide all the basic services one requires for day-to-day living, e.g., infra-structure, education, health care, transportation, entertainment, etc.  I have often described living in David (population approx. 250 thousand) as similar to living in a medium-sized town in the U.S. Midwest (say Wichita, Ks) in the 1990s.  [Note that there are people who live in some of the outlying smaller cities in Chiriqui who might object, based on their population, to not being consider a 'medium-sized' city.  However, in all their cases, there are regular buses running every day from their cities to bring them to David to shop, visit the hospital, buy a car, etc.]  The interests and concerns of the population in  Panama's medium-sized  cities (about 850 thousand) is more oriented towards what we in the U.S. would call middle-class values, e.g., kids education, taxes, additional medical facilities, inflation, gas prices, etc.

The remainder of the population (about 1.1 million people) live in what the Panamanians refer to as 'the interior'.  And, it is this 'interior' where the real divergence from our U.S. experience comes in.  Each of you recall for a second some of the most remote areas of the U.S. that you have seen (deep in the mountains of West Virginia, or the boondocks of West Texas, or where ever).  That area was probably consider remote because it was miles away from a store, or so far back in the sticks that it wasn't wired for cable TV (and it most cases that problem was solved by satellite TV).  In Panama's interior (which is over half the land area), 35% of the residents have no electricity, and usually as a result, no running water.  Even basic medical facilities may be miles away, connected only by roads that are impassable during the six months of the rainy season. Schools are widespread and are seldom go past grade school.  Except for some basic staples, residents basically live off the land.

In the same country that brags about being the ´Singapore of the Western Hemisphere´, for roughly a third of the population that resides in the interior, the life expectancy is 9 years less than in the rest of the country, the infant mortality rate in the first two years after birth is 50%, the literacy rate is less than 50% (a figure that has not improved in years), and the portion of the people living below the government-defined 'severe poverty' level exceeds 65%.

As you can see, the divergence of the issues that the Panamanian government faces is daunting. Yes, in the U.S. the residents of Mayberry may have some different priorities than the folks in NYC.  However, both groups have far more interests and issues in common than they do significant differences.  In Panama, many of the residents of Panama City and its suburbs feel that the government is incapable of solving the big issues.  The roughly 1/3 of the population that lives in the medium-sized cities feels that the federal government's priorities are not addressing the problems of their cities.  And, the million people in the interior view the federal government as more an intellectual concept than a problem solving entity.

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

The View From Panama

Nothing Is Ever Good For Everyone

The legislation authorizing the latest round of 'bailout' assistance for U.S. financial institutions included a provision that dictated that executives of banks receiving government funds could no longer use corporate aircraft, whether corporate-owned or leased.  Given the existing political climate, and the previous public furor about that very subject, you sure won't find anyone to argue with that restriction.

Well, the private jet ban was stricken from the legislation by the Kansas congressional contingent.  The Kansans insist that the restriction would kill the nation's civil aviation aircraft manufacturing industry.  The majority of those U.S. companies are located in the Sunflower State.

An Update On The Atalaya Jesus Statue

The crises over the renovation of the Jesus Nazareno statue is seemingly resolved.  (See the posting on Jan 15, for details)   I say 'seemingly' because the 'resolution' exposed a rather strange twist.  It now comes out that the root cause of the furor is the fact that the statue was removed from the basilica for restoration and replaced by a replica in a clandestine manner.  The parish's Committee for the Rescue of the Image of the Nazarene, which for 70 years has been responsible for maintaining the statue, was not informed, much less consulted.  Then when the swap was uncovered, two different conflicting explanations came from the diocese.  This then triggered rumors in the community that ranged from the statue having been shipped off to Europe for restoration to a story about the actual sale of the statue to parties unknown.

When the statue was returned by the bishop on Wednesday evening (Jan 14),  applause, cheers and even tears burst from the thousands of townspeople and pilgrims from around the country who had gathered to view the return.  Fireworks displays were launched all over town and the basilica's bells reverberated through the province.  The bishop (the same one who had been held hostage by 'the faithful' two days before) promised that the needed restoration of the statue would be handled properly and openly.  The priest who was responsible for this fiasco was "escorted from his quarters by the police to pacify the growing crowds."

Why do I get the feeling that we still do not know the 'real story'.  And, that we have not heard the end of this?

==========

The Rest Of The Story - Suspicions Confirmed.   On Sunday, Jan 25, additional information about this fiasco was reported in the Panamanian version of the Miami Herald, and just as I suspected there was more to this story than met the eye (or was being reported).  It turns out that the priest that seemed to be at the center of the turmoil, Father Gonzales, is not even assigned to the parish in Atalaya.  He was, however, assigned to the parish for nine years until 2004, when he was exposed by students at about the same time that the Catholic Church's global pedophilia scandal exploded in the media.  In 2006, Gonzales was convicted of "crimes against decency, integrity and sexual innocence of minors", and sentenced to 20 months imprisonment and "dismissal of his sacerdotal duties."  A prolonged appeals process ultimately reduced the punishment to a fine of $375.

Many members of the Catholic Church, and of the Atalaya parish in particular, thought that Gonzales' career should have ended with the conviction.  However, Bishop Oscar Brown assigned Gonzales to a parish in a remote part of the camarca (reservation) of the Noble Bugle, a village of El Bale with just 144 residents, to serve out a form of ecclesiastical exile.  The bishop is said to have advised Gonzales ' to keep a low profile´, possibly keeping his past under wraps for the rest of his days.  Instead, Gonzales chose to keep visiting Atalaya and continued  to appear in public there.  And somehow he got in the middle of the statue renovation.  I guess the folks in Atalaya have memories? Go figure.

A Crises With The Central American Parliament

Bet you have never heard of the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN).  Well, PARLACEN is a diplomatic forum of Central American countries that meets periodically to discuss political and trade issues affecting the region.

The crises?  One of the 13 members selected by the PRD party to represent Panama on the PARLACEN is Sandra Noriega, daughter of former dictator Manuel Noriega.  The PRD evidently somehow forgot that this entire country is 'Noriega paranoid'.  In August 2008, a proposed national police force reorganization that resulted  in an organization that "too closely resembled a military organization" resulted in a national furor (memories of the Noriega military police).  In December, the furor was rekindled when President Torrios selected a professional police officer to head the national police.  No, no, NO said the people.  An civilian outsider to oversee the uniformed national police was required - civilian oversight over the military.

"Children can't be made to pay for the mistakes of their parents," was the PRD's explanation for the Sandra Noriega selection.  The public is not buying the PRD's explanation. 

What We Have Here, Is A Failure to Communicate

I just discovered a communication problem I was having that turned out to be kind of amusing.  When someone was telling me something, and I didn't understand, I would say, "Yo no entiendo". (I don't understand)  Then when they repeated, or reworded so I did understand, I would, almost automatically, say, "Ahhh, si."  And, I couldn't figure out why the conversation didn't proceed from there.  Instead, more often than not, my response led to more explanations or rewordings on their part. This made no sense to me - couldn't figure out why.

Well after months of frustration, it finally dawned on me.  I was saying, "Ahhh, si," (I understand, go ahead).  What they were hearing was the Spanish word, "Asi." which translates in English to "So?" (Thus, I don't understand).   I was inadvertently asking for further explanation. Duh!

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida.

Tina, the cafeteria manager in the hotel. Sweetheart!

 A slow day?

Obama's Inauguration Viewed From Panama

Inauguration Day Started Early In David

On Inauguration Day (Tuesday) morning, per my normal routine, about 6:30 I put on the coffee and flipped on the TV.  Fox News was already broadcasting live from the Capitol Mall, and there were already thousands of people milling around, some who reportedly had already been there for hours.  I thought, "My God."  I stepped out on the balcony to check out the day, and standing there barefooted in shorts, thought about all those people wrapped up against the bitter cold - cold that they would contend with for hours to come - and thought, "Oh, my God!"  This is almost surreal.

When I continued my daily routine by venturing downstairs (en route to the pharmacy across the street to get a copy of The Miami Herald), the desk clerk asked me a question, which I never could decipher.  Being only half awake, and not exactly a Chatty-Kathy in the morning, I offered my apologies and pressed on to the store.  I hadn't gone 20 feet down the sidewalk when a passer-by stopped me with what I recognized as a similar, if not the same, question.  I concentrated a little harder on the repeat of the question, only partially because the questioner was a stunningly pretty college student.  I realized that my problem understanding the questions I was being asked was that I did not pick up on the Spanish pronunciation of the word  ´inauguración´.  I was being offered good wishes, or congratulations or something about the pending inauguration.  I got the same greetings from the ladies in the pharmacy, and two more strangers on the short walk back to the hotel.  Hmm, there is something going on here.

I took up my normal perch in the easy chair on the balcony to read the paper and drink my coffee.  When the music on the park's loud speaker system came on, promptly at 10AM (as always), the first song they played was a symphony orchestra's version of  'God, Bless America'.  What?  And it was only when the applause started at the conclusion of the song, that I realized that the park was beginning to fill up with people.  And, when I stood up so I could look over the rail down into the park, I saw that technicians were setting up a huge big screen TV.  Even in festival-crazy Panama, this was becoming a truly unique event.

I went back in my room and switched the TV over to  TV Canal, which is a  Panamanian all-news channel, similar in format to CNN or Fox News.  TV Canal was broadcasting live from the Capitol Mall. I needed some clarification about what was going on. I knew that my friend, Jorge, would be opening up the Orly (the Orly is closed on Sun and Mon), so I walked over to talk to him.

I asked, "Jorge, what is going on.  I thought the Panamanians were blase about politics and politicians?"

What Jorge said, basically and loosely translated on my part, was, "That indifference is only for Panamanian politics. In Panama, we know nothing is really going to change when we elect a new president, except the people who are 'in', and what groups are on the 'take'.  Obama can do much more for the Panamanian people than any of our politicians.  And, many people think Obama wants to be our partner and will be."

As I walked back to the hotel, I found that the street vendors were now out and about.  Vendors were hawking USA baseball hats (in red, white and blue, of course), American flag lapel pins, USA T-shirts, and (AND) Obama hats, shirts, buttons and commemorative plates.  And a hot dog vendor (the hot dogs here are as authentic American as in any U.S. ballpark), had covered the front of his cart with an American flag replica overwritten with the words 'American Dogs.'  A sno-cone guy, not to be outdone,  was also offering 'Obama Cones'.

I got back to my perch on the balcony just in time for a choir made up of, as I found out later, students from David's four English schools (kindergarten through High School, English only) performing 'America the Beautiful.'  And just before the Biden's swearing-in, they did a beautiful rendition of our national anthem.  A bunch of kids in a foreign country, most of whom will never actually observe 'sea to shining sea', and none of whom will ever be able to even imagine what it is like to be a member of the 'land of the free and the home of the brave'.   Moving! And the crowd, from what I've observed in the past, showed more reverence to 'The Star Spangled Banner' than they normally do to their own national anthem.   Very moving!

As noon approached (we are on U.S. EST), the town came to a stop.  I could see across the park that a crowd had also gathered in front of Audio-Photo, the big electronics store.  They had set up two big-screens in their front window. (The lady who manages Audio-Photo told me later that they were basically out-of-business about 10AM.  People had packed inside the store like sardines to take advantage of the 30+ TVs they have on display in the rear of the store.)  Friends also told me that in both TGI Fridays and Hotel Nacional (both of whom have sports bars with multi-TVs that I thought were permanently tuned to soccer-only channels) where packed with both customers and staff.

At the conclusion of Obama's swearing-in, a murmur went through the crowd in the park, until someone hollered over the PA system, almost as if in disbelief,  "Se hace. Si, se hace" (It is done. Yes, it is done!).  A roar went up from the crowd that went on for several minutes.  Then the music started, and all the people who were crowded in the surrounding businesses poured into the park. And people started dancing in the park and streets. Cars started honking there horns, and the police cars in the area started blowing their sirens. And the festival went on for a couple of hours.

This was an experience of a lifetime, and one that is almost impossible to describe properly.  In the next few days I intend to write a series of articles about Panama and some of the things that are that are going on down here.  My purpose is not to make you an expert on Panama, make light of their society, or denigrate in any way the problems that these people are wrestling with.  Rather, I hope that a look at the workings of the version of democracy in Panama will give you a better and/or renewed appreciation of how mature the U.S. form of democracy truly is. 

Even with all our warts, throughout the freedom-loving world, America is still the society to be admired and emulated.  And, it is shocking to observe the degree to which Panamanians see our future as their national and personal hope. It is sobering to think how many other people, in how many other countries may feel the same way

God Bless America!

Democracy is the worst form of government,
except for all those other forms.
          - Winston Churchill

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida.

Reflections On Inauguration Day

The Obama Inauguration

The Obama Inauguration cranked up my American History juices a bit.  Did you know that the Obama's will be the 43rd occupants of the official presidential residence. Construction of the Executive Mansion, later renamed the White House, was completed during the term of  the nation's second president, John Adams. So,  the Obamas become the 42nd occupants of the White House.
 
And here is a good White House trivia question for you.  What single thing do Presidents Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Tyler, Polk and Taylor have in common with the second president to occupy  the presidential residence - our nation's third president, Thomas Jefferson. The answer.  They were all slave owners during the time that they resided in the White House.

So while I'm viewing the 2009 inauguration, it will occur to me that when Thomas Jefferson moved into the Executive Mansion, part of the domestic staff that he brought with him were slaves he owned.  And that will cause me to wonder - wonder if there may have been (may have been), at some time or the other over the years, little black girls who resided in the building . If so, I bet they didn't spend their time on the top floor.  Hmm!

I am also old enough to remember clearly when the Supreme Court decision on Brown -vs- The Kansas Board of Education came down.  I can't help but think - though it may not have always been easy, and was not without some setbacks - "My God, how far we as a nation have come."

Obama And The Lincoln Connection

There has been a lot made of Obama's connection to the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, much of it nurtured by Obama himself.  We have all heard the 'talking heads' drawing the similarities.  However, one I heard on TV was, I thought, a real stretch.  The commentator made the point that both Lincoln and Obama came to office with the U.S. in very similar states of distress and disarray.  Wait a minute, let's think about this.

When Lincoln came to office, six of the states had ceded from the Union, and foreign countries were providing support to the Confederacy.  And, as I'm sure you heard, when Lincoln's train passed through Baltimore en route to D.C., he was obliged to be in disguise.  And, according to several historians, it wasn't just because of death threats.  Baltimore was considered enemy territory. 

As for Lincoln reaching the safe haven of the capitol city? Cross the Potomac river south out of D.C. and you are in home state of the capitol of the Confederacy. And, several of the biggest battlefields of the civil war are literally in the outer Virginia suburbs of D.C.  And Gettysburg is just up the road to the north. 

Further, I will suggest to you that in this day and age we can not even imagine the emotions that must have surrounded the Civil War.  We all have personal experiences with our own emotions relative to Americans fighting and dying in combat with Taliban  in Kandahar, or militant terrorists in Anbar or even Viet Cong in Khe Sanh.  But, can you even imagine, brother killing brother right down the road in Leesburg where we used to go on Sunday's to grandpa's farm?  Good God!

Additionally, there was no Lincoln-mania sweeping Lincoln onto center-stage.  The expectations for his presidency were not very high. He wasn't even very popular in his own party.  The economy was in shambles, and throughout the war, Lincoln had to fight tooth-and-nail with Congress to fund the war, while only he seemed to have a vision for success.  Plus he had to both contend with, and ride herd on, more than one army general who thought he was fighting his own personal war, and certainly didn't need any 'guidance' from this hayseed from Ohio.

It is also documented that the world's reaction to Lincoln's inauguration was, "Who?"   I feel certain that Lincoln would have welcomed even just a little Lincoln-mania. 

And expectations for Obama are off the chart.  Many people are absolutely convinced that we are about to see the end of the global economic crises, an end to the war in Iraq, the capture of Osama bin Laden, a Middle-East peace accord, improved relations with Latin America, Africa and Asia, a slap-down on Iran, an increasingly troublesome Russia brought to heel, an end to dictatorships - and a whole lot of other issues that the last 10 American presidents combined could not resolve.

So, Mr. Obama, with people all over the world pulling for you in a way that is unparalleled in our history, we wish you well.  But, now the magic-and-flowing rhetoric period is over.  "Now, on the 1st tee, from Ohio, Barack Obama. Quiet, please!"

Other Signs On How Far We Have Come

My friend, Ron, convinced me last week to go to the movies with him.  I haven't gone into a movie theater for years primarily because the distractions in the audience drive me nuts: people talking, cell phone conversations, a light shining in your face as someone in front of you carries on a text messaging conversation, etc.  Well Ron was right, the very modern David multi-plex theater was relatively irritant-free and I enjoyed the flick.

Three days later I was watching a news conference by New York Mayor Bloomberg following the near-tragedy involving the U.S. Air flight landing in the Hudson river. And suddenly, the two events suddenly intersected in a sort of flash-back in my memory. 

First off, the movies.  I thought about the irony of me sitting in that theater in Latin America - me, a guy whose initial movie-going experience as a kid was in a theater in Kansas City where there was a 'special section' of the theater for the Mexicans to sit in. (Since I don't remember a 'Negro section' I assume they may not have been welcome.) 

And, the Bloomberg press conference?  A NYC rescue honcho briefed the press about the operation, and then answered all their question.  He was replaced by a second rescue supervisor who did the whole thing again, but this time in Spanish.

It is a new world! ¡Es un nuevo mundo!

Yes, The U.S. Is Politically A Leftist Country

Proof positive?  It is estimated that approximately 10% of the U.S. population is left-handed.  However, six of the last 12 (50%) U.S. presidents are left-handed.

By The Way

The movie, "Australia" is an awesome movie!  I will predict multiple Oscars. For all of you except the terminally theater-adverse, don't wait for the DVD or TV release.  Be sure and see it in one of those wide-screen, surround-sound movie houses.  All the modern fancy audio/video technology was developed specifically for movies like "Australia".

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida.

More From Panama

A Model of Latino Efficiency?

The statue of Jesus Nazareno is a Panamanian national heirloom located in a cathedral in the town of Atalaya.  The statue was created by Spanish craftsmen, under supervision of priests, in the early 1800s.  Every year, on numerous religious holidays, hundreds of religious followers travel from all over the country to pay homage at the shrine.  A big crises has now developed surrounding some restoration work recently undertaken on the statue.

Community leaders and restoration experts agree that the work done by Senor Casimiro Garcia, the craftsman hired by the Diocese of Veragus, is totally unacceptable as it constitutes "remodeling, not restoring".  A noted restoration expert, Senor German Perez, who does this type of restoration work throughout Latin America, points out that the restored image now ´sports an inaccurate 18th century attire´.  He goes on to note that the restored work also differs significantly from the file photos of the statue taken in 1956, prior to a previous restoration project.

In defense of Garcia's work, however, Perez explained that Garcia, who is a sculpturer not a restoration expert, was paid only $300 for what constituted a $3,000 (minimum) restoration  project.  Perez then invoked what I guess is an old Spanish saying - "So, they got what they paid for."   The Verguas diocese has not offered any comments on the controversy.

UPDATE:  The day after I wrote the entry above, this appeared in the newspaper.
Police and security officers remain posted around the basilica and priest's quarters on Saturday morning as local authorities feared that unrest would continue over the botched restoration of the town's Jesus of Nazarene statue.  On Friday night, hundreds of angry villagers matched into the cathedral and took Bishop of Veraguas Oscar Mario Brown captive for two hours in protest of the decisions made on the statue restoration.  Brown was released after negotiators reached agreement that Brown had until Jan. 16 to return the original statue to the basilica.  (Ed. note: A replica was placed in the basilica during the restoration.)

UPDATE #2:  This is the latest per Monday's newspaper.
Authorities of the Catholic Church of Veraguas were forced to replace priests in Atalaya after parishioners warned they would not let priest Gilberto Hernandez (who ordered the restoration of the Jesus of Nazarene statue) back into the church.  On Saturday night, police were called to the church (again) when Hernandez was prevented by protesters from conducting baptism at the church.

Just When You Think You've Heard It All

- A 6-year-old Virginia boy, after missing his school bus, took the keys to the family's Ford Taurus and drove nearly six miles towards school before crashing.  The boy was not injured, but his parents were charged with child endangerment.

- More than 1,000 of the 5,000 drug-gang related deaths in all of Mexico in 2008 occurred in Ciudad Juarez.  Murder and kidnapping in Juarez has reached the level that the city's mayor, members of the Juarez city council and the majority of the town's police officials now reside across the border in El Paso, Texas.  They commute to and from their offices in Juarez under heavy security and only during daylight hours. ¡Dé la bienvenida a Juarez!

-  Recent statistics released by the U.S. Department of Education are rather shocking.  One out of seven adult Americans (32 million people) are illiterate, e.g., can not read at the 5th grade level.  And, even more shocking:  that number is not being reduced year-to-year, but, instead is increasing.  When countries are rank by literacy rates, best to worst, our 'land of opportunity' now ranks only 14th.  No child left behind?  Guess adults don't count?

-  I see where President Mugabe continues to 'fix' Zimbabwe.  You know Zimbabwe - the starving country that use to feed most of its neighboring African countries before Mugabe 'fixed' Zimbabwe's farming industry.  Well, guess what Mugabe's latest fix on the country's meteoric inflation is?  Zimbabwe now prints a 50 million dollar bill.  Inflation had progressed to the point that the 10 million dollar bill would no longer buy anything.

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

   

What's Going On In Panama

News Bites From Panama

-  The 6th annual Panama Jazz Festival kicked off on Jan. 12th in the Teatro Ascanio Arosemena in the Balboa section of Panama City.  Jazz artists from around the world will perform for five days in various venues throughout the city.  Organizers expect this years' festival to draw 20,000 jazz lovers.

-  The Colombian government's long-standing initiative to stamp out the guerrilla organization FARC continues to be very highly successful.  However, one of the side-effects has been increased FARC activity in Panama's southern province of Darien, which borders Columbia.  Darien's sparsely populated, and largely jungle terrain allows for unwanted FARC movement, causing some special problems in small isolated villages in the area.  Increased Panamanian police presence in the area has also resulted in increasing numbers of armed encounters.  Note that for years Panama has refused to complete the last 30 miles of the Pan American highway that would link up with the continuation of the highway at the Columbian border.  Panama authorities express concerns about "unwanted traffic of all types" that would result.

-  In Boquete, farmers make special use of wild mushrooms.  First off, farmers know that the soil conditions are right for planting cash crops when they observe the mushrooms sprouting.  In addition, they scour the fields looking for mushrooms which are surrounded by dead insects.. They pick those mushrooms, transport them to a fertilizer company's lab where the mushrooms are turned into a liquid.   The resultant insecticide when sprayed on the crops effectively controls insects but is harmless to humans.

An Orchid Problem

The Panamanian Environmental Protection Agency has issued a report that identifies 473 of the 1,300 orchid species native to Panama as endangered.  The causes of this are identified as 'habitat destruction' (building and urban development) and 'illegal trafficking' (extraction from the jungles by collectors and dealers). 

Of particular concern is that the Holy Ghost Orchid (Flor del Espiritu Santo) is on the endangered list.  The  Flor del Espiritu Santo is the Panamanian national flower.

Ironically last week, Senor Bonarge Rodriguez, a noted orchid biologist for the last 25 years, just identified 70 species of the Warrea Warreana orchid deep in the southern jungles of Darien in the Colombian border area. Or maybe, 'discovered' may be the better word since heretofore the Warrea Warreana was thought to be exclusive to certain specific areas in South America.

It is interesting to note that, since we here in Panama are not in the U.S., neither global warming nor George Bush were identified as the leading factor endangering the orchid population.

One For The YGBSM (You Gotta Be Kidding Me) Files

Panama's National Assembly has set aside $32 million to reimburse exporters for their loses of preferential tariffs on exports to the European Union.  This reimbursement will allow the exporters to remain competitive in the European market.  The crises was triggered by Panama losing it's long-standing 'favored' status with the EU, and therefore it's reduced tariff status effective on Jan 1, 2009.  The EU also says that the preferred status can not be re-instated before 2010.

How did Panama lose it's tariff preference with the EU?  After all, Panama has a nine-person office in Brussels, headed-up by a political appointee with diplomatic ambassador status, whose sole purpose is to support and manage the preferential tariff relationship with the EU.  Well, according to a EU spokesman, Panama's Brussels office did not submit the paperwork required to extend the preferential agreement by the Oct 31 deadline. Huh? 

The 'ambassador' says his office was not aware of the submittal requirement.  However, The EU says it sent numerous reminders starting six months before the submittal deadline to all the countries involved.  In addition, a detailed reminder was sent specifically to the Panamanian Brussels office two months before the submittal deadline - a reminder that included a sample of the required submission documents all completely filled-out properly.  The Panamanian government says (some two months later) that "the investigation into the cause of loss of the tariff preferences is ongoing."

Critics speculate that the reason for the extended length of the investigation is, like many things in Panama, politically motivated.  The political-appointee ambassador in the Brussels office is the brother of Balbina Herrera, the PRC party's candidate in the upcoming presidential elections.

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida

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The cobbler´s

children have

no shirts?

More Adventures In Panama

A Home Away From Home

There is a TGI Fridays franchise here in David.  Most gringos do not frequent it very much - it's a pricing thing.  In a city where you can buy a nice multi-course lunch in a lot of nice places for $3 and a beer to wash it down for 50 cents, U.S. state-side pricing (and maybe, more) is a little steep. 

However, several of us do go to Fridays about once a week because it does have its unique attractions, and it's a nice diversion occasionally.

I just realized that the first picture is a little misleading.  The real attraction at TGI Fridays can be seen on the TV screens behind the bartender who is blocking the view.  The NFL is live on the left screen and the PGA golf tournament on the middle screen. 

They also feature the famous Jack Daniels Ribs, is the only place in town that stocks Canadian blended whiskeys, and they extend the Senor Jubilado (senior's discount) of 25% off the tab as well.  Is this heaven, or what?

 

 

Panamanian Pest - Ants and Uncles.

Yes, ants!  They appear out of nowhere.  If you drop a crumb on the floor and don't police it up immediately, within minutes it will begin to move seemingly of its own accord.  And, if you (or someone else) eats something in one of the easy chairs on the balcony, nine out of ten times the next occupant of the chair will find that the ants are all over them.  The ants are real tiny things - you cannot even feel them when they are crawling on you until they bite you.  Even then, when you look at the spot on your arm where you felt the bite, you can't see them until they move.  As protection, I won't even eat a potato chip in my room while I am watching TV.  And the first thing I do in the morning when I take my coffee out to the big easy chair outside my door, is wipe the chair down and then 'mist' it with an ant spray.  There, take that!

And, uncles?  I am convinced that every old man in this country (Yea, guys my age) considers himself a wise old sage of some kind who must share his unique insights into life with someone (everyone?).  Most of these old gents seems to have, at some point in their life, worked with/for an American or an American company, or actually lived and worked in the States for some period of time.  As a result, they think they speak English, which - like anything else that is not used frequently - is no longer true, if it ever was.  In fact for most of them, even granting them good Spanglish is a stretch. But not to be deterred, who is a better recipient for all this knowledge than an old gringo (me) who is sitting there in the restaurant, or standing in line in the pharmacy or walking through the park. I can not repeat enough "No hablar'.  All they do is turn up the volume, and repeat.  After several minutes of nodding/smiling and shrugging, the only defense is just to walk off and leave them talking.  Even then, you know that if you run across them in the next week or so, they will greet you like a long-lost friend and pick up the conversation where they left off. 

"Alex, I'll take 'Ants' for $200."

It's A Cultural Thing? - From ´The Stranger Than Fiction´Files

The statement that Venezuela is a nation of dichotomies doesn't even begin to describe the situation.  The country's oil-riches do not filter down to the population.  The vast majority of Venezuelans live at or below the poverty level, managing to scratch out an existence only because of numerous government aid programs.  And, all of those programs are themselves on shaky ground due to the falling prices of oil.  Expert Venezuela-watchers say that spending for President Chavez's programs goes into the red when the price of crude oil falls below $95 a barrel (as of this writing oil is hanging around $40 a barrel).

Yet while Chavez is attempting to remake Venezuela into a 'pure' socialist nation, ironically the plastic surgery industry is booming, having doubled in the last five years.  According to a spokeman from the Venezuelan Society of Plastic Surgery, "A Venezuelan women may not have enough money for her home, but she will spend money on plastic surgery. .. It's seen as a priority."  The Society estimates that 35% of Venezuelan women ages 18 to 40 have had breast implants.  They further estimate that 40,000 women will have the procedure done in 2009 - a number that is growing at almost 25% a year.  The nation's banks will finance up to 90% of the cost of plastic surgery - a breast augmentation procedure costs 25,000 bolivares (about $10,000 at the present exchange rate).

As a result of this phenomena, Venezuela has something that is similar to the practice in the U.S. of each football team having a team doctor.  Dr. Peter Romer serves as the plastic surgeon for the Miss Venezuela Pageant, though he will not comment on the plastic surgery history of any of the pageant contestants, past or present.

I guess, knowing all this, that it would be accurate to say that Venezuela truly has a 'boom or bust' economy?  (Sorry. Couldn't resist.  Too good to pass up)  I also decided, in an effort to maintain my PG rating, not to include photos of any kind.

Another Expose In Panama

The Panamanian government just reported that the Social Security agency is owed over $75 million in back payments from business, $32 million of which is considered noncollectable because the companies have gone out of business.  There are over 20,000 pending cases against companies that owe money to Social Security.  In addition, anti-corruption prosecutors say they receive 25 to 30 cases a month involving employers pocketing their employees Social Security payments.

This review of the Social Security system was triggered by several cases in recent months where long-time employees of various companies found, when they tried to retire, that they had no Social Security retirement because their employers had not been paying into the system.  In two cases employers had never paid into the system for over 20 years.

Interestingly, the maximum penalty under Panamanian law for employers pocketing Social Security payments is four years, regardless of the amount of money or the duration of the skimming.

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida.

   

Everyday Life In Panama

Call Out The Security Guys.

I have been in this hotel for 16 months and security was never a concern.  The front desk controls access to the 'room floors' (so there are no 'non-guests' roaming around), and there had never been a room burglarized (at least that I was aware of).  Security was not something you even gave a second thought.

Last week, a room was broken into and a laptop computer and a camera were stolen.  Ouch.  It also appeared (and the police inspectors agreed) that the lock in the door handle had been 'jimmyed', e.g., it was not a 'forced entry'.  So, since my room is one of the only rooms in the hotel that has a second lock, I decided it was time to get a key made for the never-used dead-bolt lock installed in my door.

Directed to a locksmith on the other side of town, I was able to explain my problem to the owner using my expansive(?) Spanglish and considerable hand/sign language.  Mr Cortez then rounded up his number #1 man, Jose, loaded us all in his personal car and back across town we went to my hotel.  Cortez parked his car directly in front of the hotel (a 'no-parking' zone), and put two items under his windshield wipers before we went into the hotel - a red tag that said something about 'security emergency' in big letters, and, (as a backup, I guess) a parking ticket he had been issued previously.

After they looked at the lock is when I realized that they had not come just to see what was needed.  The little black bag that Jose was carrying (see photo) was, in fact his repair tool kit.  Jose went through numerous driver bits and Allen wrenches until he found the right ones to take the deadbolt out of the door. He dis-assembled it on the table to make sure everything was working properly.  He then searched through a ring that had a couple hundred key blanks on it until he found the right two.  Jose then hand-cut two new keys, using a rat-tailed file (no power tools) before re-assembling the lock and re-installing it.

Just like that!  Total elapsed time from the time I walked into Cortez's shop until the job was done? 65 minutes.  Total cost?  $12 (and, no charge for the ride across town)

Come Share Christmas in Panama.

Turn on your sound and enjoy.

Traffic Problems In Panama?

Panama's director of traffic operations, Juan Herrera, confirmed that 430 people lost their lives in traffic-related incidents in 2009.  That is eight more deaths than experienced the previous year.  Only 142 of the total fatalities were a result of vehicle collisions.  Single car accidents accounted for 61 deaths, and 171 were "vehicle-pedestrian collisions".

The rising number of pedestrian deaths in recent years has resulted in several law changes.  A Presidential Executive Order issued in May of 2008 requires that pedestrians involved in traffic accidents be administered alcohol and drug tests the same as the automobile drivers.  The Order was expanded in September allowing for testing of pedestrians who were not involved in an accident, but are walking in designated 'high- or dangerous-traffic areas'.  So, it is obvious that Walking While Intoxicated (WWI) is a no-no.  Ditto, I suppose WUI.

Till Next Time. Pura Vida.

Mommy, when are we going home?

  
 

Happy New Year From Panama

A Panamanian New Year's Tradition.

You thought you had heard of everything?   In many of the small 'interior' cities in Panama there is a long-standing New Year's tradition to create life-sized dolls using straw, paper mache and clothing items called Judas-es.  The dolls, which are displayed along side the highway,  represent major figures in the news during the past year.  In some cases the Judas is dressed/accessorized to allow on-lookers to identify the news-maker represented.  In other cases, the creator just puts up a sign next to the Judas as part of the display.

At precisely midnight on New Year's eve, the spectators who have gathered for the show, are treated to the spectacle of the Judas(s) being set on fire.  Some of the more dramatic exhibitors wrap their Judas in a firecracker string, thereby blowing it up and setting it on fire simultaneously.  Sort of like the ball dropping in Times Square, I guess? 

The tradition says that the symbols are burned to symbolize starting the new year with a clean slate.  Well, OK.  What doesn't make any sense (at least to me) is that the Judas may represent either a 'bad guy' or a national hero.  Many of this year's Judas figures where either disgraced public officials or corrupt politicians who were exposed in 2008.  However, there were also many Judas figures displayed for Panama's Latin American Idol winner, Margarita Henriquez, and Panama's one-and-only-ever Olympic gold medal winner, Irving Saladino.  Go figure!

Speaking Of Things That Don't Make Sense

Latino logic is often elusive, especially to the uninitiated.  For instance, all good businessmen want to prominently post their establishment's operating hours so that their customers have no doubts about when they are open for business.  Right?

Well this beauty of a sign is posted on the front door of a large appliance store in downtown David.  Tell me that you can figure out what time they open on Thursday.  OK, now convince me that tomorrow you will be able to remember the store hours.  Ha!

Till Next Time.  Pura Vida