From the first of July into the early days of August, Panama has been caught in a wave of change. Thousands of people march on the streets dreaming of progress, causing a time warp for the status quo, announcing "We want to send a clear message to the government that we are willing to fight for a better quality of life, for a better salary, down with the high fuel costs! Without struggle, there can be no victories”.
Peoples Dispatch has been reporting extensively on the Panamanian situation, collecting testimonies from the organizers mobilizing the historical national strike against the right-wing government of President Laurentino Cortizo.
“The mobilizations are organized by social movements and trade unions from across diverse sectors of Panamanian society that came together in the People United for Life Alliance including the National Front for the Defense of Economic and Social Rights (FRENADESO) and the Single Union of Construction Workers (SUNTRACS). During a meeting in May, the Alliance created a list of 32 demands “in light of the grave economic, political, and social situation the country is suffering under and the lack of response and attention of the authorities.”
Despite the repression, schemes to stop the negotiations, and the imprisoning of their leaders the popular coalition of the social movement continues to march. The coalition will keep up the strike until they leverage all demands, .
“The demands include freezing the price of fuel and basic commodities, a general increase in salaries and pensions, freezing the price of medicine and resolving the lack of supply, greater budget for public education and healthcare sectors, better working conditions in the education and health sectors, repairing of schools, hospitals, roads, and other public infrastructure, measures to combat corruption, rejecting the four bilateral US-Panama military bases, policies to support the Indigenous communities and ensure the respect of their autonomy, withdrawal of the austerity measures such as 10% reduction of the state workforce and a voluntary retirement program for public sector employees, among others.”
In the dawn of globalization, the southern movements struggle for better lives against the odds. We are witnessing a new radical future in the making.
