PanamaTimes

Friday, May 09, 2025

Highway blocked as Panama protests persist

Highway blocked as Panama protests persist

Large trucks and banner-waving demonstrators blocked the Panamerican Highway and other roads in Panama on Friday as two weeks of revolt against high prices and corruption showed no signs of abating.
As protesters ignored government calls for negotiations to end the angry mobilization, dozens of blockades were maintained on the critical highway that connects the country of 4.4 million people to the rest of Central America.

At one roadblock, outside the city of Aguadulce, protester Nelly Jaen, a 63-year-old homemaker, told AFP: "We are desperate. Panama cannot take any more of this."

"Lower the price of food, fuel and medicine, because we can't stand it in this country any longer," added truck driver Arnulfo Sarmiento, 53.

Its economy hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's war on Ukraine, Panama is experiencing one of its most difficult periods since the military dictatorship of General Manuel Antonio Noriega fell in 1989.

Year-on-year inflation of 4.2 percent was recorded in May, along with an unemployment rate of about 10 percent and fuel price hikes of nearly 50 percent since January.

Despite its dollarized economy and high growth figures, the country has a high rate of social inequality.

Economic woes have led to a shortage of fuel in some parts of the country, and stalls at food markets in the capital have run out of products to sell.

"Politicians are the biggest thieves," said another of the Aguadulce protesters, 41-year-old homemaker Mitzila Chanis.

"But it is also partly the fault of the people who keep electing swindlers, scoundrels and liars... That's what they are. While they are eating ham, the people have nothing."

In a bid to calm the mood, President Laurentino Cortizo has announced reductions on the price of fuel and some foods, but unions rejected the measure as insufficient and refused to take part in negotiations scheduled for Thursday with mediation by the Catholic Church.

"The social explosion we are experiencing is not the product of an isolated event or of short-term increases in fuel and food," ex-president Martin Torrijos said on Friday.

"It is the accumulation of neglected demands... and an evident deterioration in the quality of life of Panamanians," he added.
Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
How do you fix this culture?
Corrupted from Within: How Deep State Power and Unelected Judges Hijacked Democracy Against the Will of the People
World Leaders Gather in Rome for Pope Francis's Funeral
Milwaukee Judge Arrested on Allegations of Aiding Undocumented Immigrant’s Escape
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
El Salvador Proposes Prisoner Exchange with Venezuela Amid Deportation Controversy
US Government Defends Deportation of Salvadoran National Kilmar Abrego Garcia
A casino in Mexico burns at the hands of cartels
Pope Francis Makes Brief Appearance at Easter Sunday Mass
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
US Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Rapid Deportation Policy
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
Helicopter crashes from the sky in NYC with four people aboard.
Spain Encounters Nationwide Demonstrations Amid Rising Housing Crisis
Alisha Lehmann's Modeling Campaign and Public Controversy Stir Debate Ahead of UEFA Women's Euro
Global Markets Dive as U.S.-China Trade Disputes Intensify
Tom Cruise Honors Val Kilmer at CinemaCon
OpenAI Attains Unprecedented $40 Billion Investment
Argentina’s “Magician” or a PR Illusion? “Individuals Are Sifting Through Garbage and Resting on the Streets”
Ecuador Gears Up for Influx of US Military as Measures Intensify Against Violent Drug Cartels
The Trump Administration Withdraws Legal Status for More than 530,000 Immigrants from Four Nations.
Deportation of Alleged Venezuelan Gang Members to El Salvador Raises Legal and Human Rights Concerns
Leaders of the US and Ukraine Hold Constructive Discussion During Ongoing Crisis
US Federal Reserve Revises Down Economic Growth Projections Due to Tariff Ambiguities
EU Charges US Tech Giants with Violating Digital Regulations
Trump Administration's Deportation of Alleged Gang Members Sparks Legal Dispute
Intense Tornadoes and Dust Storms Result in 33 Deaths Throughout Central and Southern United States
CK Hutchison, led by Li Ka-shing, encounters backlash from China regarding the sale of Panama Canal ports to a consortium led by BlackRock.
Meta to Introduce Community Notes Feature in March as Part of New Content Moderation Approach
Trump's ambassador nominee confirmed Canada's sovereignty during trade disputes.
The ICC’s retaliation on behalf of drug traffickers against Philippine President Duterte, who took a stand against them and shielded 100 million Filipinos from the drugs-death trade—overlooking the reality that every triumph carries its own price.
×