While the Ngöbe people and their allies continue to block the Panamerican highway as well as several roads in Bocas del Toro in protest against Martinelli's plans to break his promise of "no mining in the comarca", a US embassy warden is fantasizing on public forums about killing one or more of the protesters.
The fascist wing of the US expat community is at it again. As soon as some of the poorest people in Panama protest against being exploited, you can count on these rabid racists to rant and rave against workers and indigenous people. Just like in 2010 for example, scam pimp, terrorist PR flack and right-wing lunatic Don Winner is running blatant fabrications on his website stating that "the opposition" has "infiltrated" the indigenous protesters and that 40 Costa Rican tourists had been "taken hostage". None of that is even remotely true or proven, but that has never stopped Martinelli's English language propagandist from spreading his poisoned gospel.
Yet, not even Don Winner went as far as Mike Hinton, a US expatriate who lives near Arenosa and who happens to be a US embassy warden. What is a US embassy warden? From a random US embassy website:
The American Embassy Warden System is a communication cascade that allows Americans to receive security warnings and other important notices as quickly as possible. Wardens are resident American citizens who volunteer to contact other Americans in their area or organization with important information from the Embassy or the Department of State.
So, in cases of trouble - and the indigenous protest is clearly a case of trouble - they play an important part in communicating truthfully with their fellow citizens.
And what is Mike Hinton, the US embassy warden, communicating these days? He fantasizes about killing one or more protesters. On yahoo group "Panama Forum" (click on the picture for a screenshot) he wrote today:
they are lucky it is not me on the bus as there would be one or more bodies! i do not give a rats ass what their grievance is when you deny another person their freedom or their right to travel you get what you ask for!
Is this part of the messaging of the US embassy to American citizens in Panama, we wonder? Is the embassy trying to infuriate the Ngöbe protesters even further, into organizing lynch mobs against any Americans who might venture too close to San Felix or other sites of protest and road blocks?
Or is the US embassy inexplicably unaware it has a dangerous redneck violent drunk enlisted as one of its communication volunteers?
UPDATE June 10, 2012: Done. New US ambassador arrived, apparently things were reviewed, and that punk Hinton is now no longer a US embassy warden. Bye, Mike!
He is probably of the republican persuasion.
I think he’s way to the right of that. More like American Nazi Party.
Unfortunately I knew Mr. Hinton when he first arrived in Panama Fortunately I haven’t seen him since other on some website hits.
My impression has proven my instincts correct nothing more than an AFAB “anything for a buck” hustler who has now hustled and convinced the U.S. Embassy that he can be their Junior “G” man in Panama. He and the Wanker make a great pair………
The views expressed in the Panama Forum do not reflect the views of the U.S. Embassy in Panama.
I really hope they don’t express the views of the U.S Embassy in Panama. But he is spreading lies and manipulating a part of the expat population that rely on people like him, Embassy wardens, for honest security news here in Panama. Everybody with a brain in this country knows this president has gone too far and is now just a bumbling hard right version of Hugo Chavez. But you have your hardcore business right expats here in Panama which, in my opinion, don’t even deserve to live in this country and they only socialize with other rich Americans or foreigners. They”re opinions on the events here in Panama are worth s**t and they are better off just keeping their mouths shut instead of inciting violence against poor indigenous groups who only want our dictatorial president to keep his word.