It's carnival in Panama and everybody is complaining. That is, in the capital. In the interior things are proceeding as usual; the drunk, the raped, the dead. But Panama City's Via España is empty, and one carnival hotshot after the other is being fined, brought up on charges, and it rains complaints.
For example: Carlos Arias, the president of the Carnival Council, was dragged before the corregidor because he was operating an unlicensed discotheque and selling alcohol to minors. Then he was also fined for "disrespect" of the authorities and obstructing the police in its work.
Then there is an unofficial Carnival Council, and its president is also facing charges for "corrupting minors". Then there are complaints by the sellers of food and drinks that they were promised to be able to work until after midnight, and then they were told to go pack at midnight instead, and this guy Carlos Arias sold the same permit various times - for $250 each - so now various vendors have to share the same space. The residents of the area complain about music and that they can't leave their homes. Visitors get angry because they suddenly have to pay $1 to enter a party zone on Via Brazil. Tourism minister Shlomo Salmon goes around reassuring everybody that nothing is wrong.
Carnival.... wasn't that supposed to be, ummmm, fun?