After several threats of a nationwide strike, teachers and Department of Education officials agreed that all outstanding repayments of around $34 million since 2020 would be settled next August.
The head of the branch, Maruja Gorday, reiterated that the response was achieved in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, thus avoiding a suspension of classes in the public system.
Also, the representatives of the Teachers’ Association of the Republic of Panama (Asoprof), the Teachers’ Association of Veragüenses and the Confederation of the Trade Union Movement called for the allocation of 5.5 percent of the gross domestic product, which was agreed last year, but has not been fulfilled.
Calls for strikes over the high cost of living in the Isthmus are growing louder, particularly due to uncertainty over a second phase of talks between the communities, the Laurentino Cortizo government and the private sector after the Catholic Church withdrew from its role as moderator. These claims were also echoed by the students from the University of Panama, who during the week blocked the central Transístmica road, causing traffic chaos in this capital.
The demonstrators demanded concrete solutions for the high prices for the basic service basket and electricity.
According to a statement circulated by university students, the skyrocketing high cost of living is compounded by other issues, such as the deal the executive branch and Minera Panama, a subsidiary of Canadian transnational First Quantum, signed to eliminate the cost of living in the country’s most valuable natural land resources like copper.
For the past seven days, independent presidential candidate Maribel Gordón has denounced irregularities in collecting support signatures ahead of the 2024 general election.
The economist, who represents progressive forces and the La Opción Correcta project, sent a letter to the electoral court judges, demanding an investigation into what was a prelude to fraud in this consultation.
Gordón, who has already moved up to third place among those candidates, overtaking Francisco Carreira – only the three with the most signatures take part in the election – expressed in the letter his concerns about alleged “inconsistencies” in the platform for collecting signatures .
In addition, he believed that this situation shows that the systems of the electoral court are seriously compromised by constant failures and irregularities and, in our opinion, are vulnerable to cyber attacks and even corrupt management.
During the week, the judiciary’s decision was made to hold the May 23-June 5 hearing in the New Business case, in which former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014) appears as one of the defendants.
The 164-volume investigation began in 2017 when the Ministry of State (MP) learned of the commission of a crime against the economic order by illegally purchasing a news media conglomerate.
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