Panama Faces Shortages As Protests Enter 3rd Week

Facts

• Panama has entered its third week of protests and road blockades, including a blockage of the Pan-American Highway, leading to shortages of food, fuel, and medicine.¹
• On Thurs., talks between groups of protesters and Panama's government were expected to take place in Penonome, in the Coclé province.²
• This comes after a humanitarian caravan carrying tons of food was held up by armed people and prevented from reaching Panama City. Manuel Murillo and Jiménez Oliva, registered members of the Alianza País Party and Cambio Democrático Party, respectively, were identified as suspects.³
• On Sun., the government announced a new cut in petrol price – now down to $3.25 per gallon – but it failed to meet the protesters' demands, which also include food, electricity, medicine, salaries, and education.⁴
• Last week, the Archbishop of Panama, José Domingo Ulloa, announced he has agreed to moderate talks to solve Panama's crisis.⁵
• Since protests started on July 6 - mostly due to the rising cost of living and unemployment - clashes between demonstrators and the police have been reported in Panama City as well as the province of Veraguas.⁶

Sources: ¹Washington Post, ²Havana Times, ³Newsroom Panama, ⁴Al Jazeera, ⁵Vatican News and ⁶teleSUR English.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by La Prensa Latina Media. These protests are part of a healthy democracy and the Cortizo admin has stressed the importance of a candid dialogue to address demands. However, some ill-intentioned politicians have infiltrated social movements to push their agenda even if it harms the most vulnerable populations.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Peoples Dispatch. The Cortizo admin is the one responsible for carrying out a hypocritical 'double agenda' in this crisis. While officials open negotiations with protesters who are seeking to find solutions through dialogue, other security forces keep ruthlessly cracking down mass demonstrations.