Martinelli amateurism causes chaos and violence

As much as Martinelli is the product of the internal rot of Panama's entrepreneurial and political class, the violence and shoplifting are the result of decades of ignoring Colon, of ignoring the fact that Panama has one of the highest differences between rich and poor in the hemisphere, of allowing massive corruption and exploitation.

Panama Cupola Holds Secret Meeting to Rescue Canal Campaign

Last week was the pivoting point. The small support margin for the proposed Panama Canal expansion project disappeared and if a referendum would be held today, the proposal would be rejected. The pro-government newspapers have stopped publishing polls. There are protest marches in the streets by schoolteachers who demand decent pay for their work. The police quashes protests in the interior with tear gas when teachers march on the Panamerican Highway.