At a press conference, the general secretary of the National Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (Conusi), Marco Andrade, pointed out that people have no choice but to demand that measures such as food price controls be respected at these demonstrations.
Speaking on behalf of the People United for Life alliance, one of the protagonists of the protests, Andrade commented that the businessmen refuse to stick to the agreements reached in the negotiations that began on July 21 in the province of Coclé, such as the Reduction of prices for about 72 products from the basic family basket.
Faced with this, he said, instead of defending the feeding of the population, the executive branch is not reacting.
We hope that other organizations and people in general will join tomorrow morning and noon the demonstrations that will take place across the country this Wednesday, August 10th.
Things must be put in order, he noted, alluding to the exorbitant prices corporations charge for food in order to make more profits to the detriment of the humblest sectors.
The coordinator of the National Front for Economic and Social Rights, Jorge Guzmán, also criticized the media appearances at the table of representatives of the executive who claim they complied and that the people have no right to demonstrate.
For these officials, among whom he mentioned Deputy Minister for Agricultural Development Carlos Rognoni; and Social Security Fund (CSS) Director Enrique Lau: “To consent means to sign a law, to turn our backs and then to let the businessmen do what they want,” he said.
Others, including the President of the Panama Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Marcela Galindo, believe they should attend the talks and do not feel obliged to what is agreed there because they are excluded.
It is a message that distorts reality, he said, because the Catholic Church, which acts as a mediator, rightly pointed out that, in a first phase, the representatives of the government and the strike groups are having a dialogue on the streets; but in a second phase, other sectors will be invited.
The unified dialogue table was due to resume its sessions on Thursday this week to discuss corruption, pending reaching conclusions on controversial issues such as cuts in electricity tariffs, medicines and the Social Security Fund crisis.
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