News
Wednesday 12th March 2025.
March 11, 2025
A meeting between representatives of the Vamos party was overshadowed by shouting and insults among its own members on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 11, in the National Assembly.
“He has damaged this caucus,” was heard in the meeting room, apparently from Representative Alexandra Brenes. The phrase echoed amid the tumult as Representatives Jonathan Vega, Betserai Richards, and Augusto Tuto Palacios left the chamber.
Sources within the Assembly informed La Prensa that shouts were exchanged, at least, between representatives Yamireliz Chong, Alexandra Brenes, Walkiria Chandler, and representatives Betserai Richards and Jonathan Vega.
Deputies who attended the meeting told La Prensa that at one point, Jonathan Vega criticized his colleagues Chandler, Brenes, and Chong for their attitude during the debate on the bill reforming the CSS.
For his part, Representative Richards told the representatives that they had allied themselves with Suntracs and the PRD. This prompted complaints from Chandler, Brenes, and Chong. “And everything got out of control,” said one of those present.
In the midst of the dispute, Chandler, Brenes, and Chong repeatedly claimed that they stood “on the side of the people.”
When tempers were at their highest , Representative Chandler was also seen handing Representative Vega a gift. “So he can wear it,” she said.
Defiant shouts of “come, come” echoed through the meeting room, further escalating the confrontation.
The shouts prompted calls for calm from other coalition deputies.
Within the Assembly, it was reported that the meeting aimed to evaluate various issues, including reforms to the Social Security Fund (CSS) and also future reforms to the Electoral Code.
Specifically on the subject of CSS, Representative Chong told the media after the meeting that she “was verbally attacked” by Representative Richards.
“We were verbally attacked by Representative Betserai Richards. He believes that voting against the [CSS] bill affects him personally. That’s not the responsibility of any of us who voted against it,” Chong explained.
The alleged nomination of Walkiria Chandler as Vamos’ spokesperson regarding electoral reforms was also reportedly one of the topics that heated the meeting. It was also revealed that Representative Jorge Bloise was another representative seeking to represent the coalition in this space.
Later, it was learned that the vote ended with 10 votes for Jorge Bloise and 9 votes for Valkyrie Chandler.
One of the articles included in Bill 163, which reforms Organic Law 51 of the Social Security Fund (CSS) and was approved in the second reading last Monday, opens the door to dismissing people who are paid but not working (colloquially known as “bottles”), have poor performance, or similar characteristics.
The law, promoted by Graciela Grace Hernández, Ernesto Cedeño and José Pérez Barboni of the Another Way Movement , allows for the dismissal of administrative, professional and technical public servants of the CSS who enjoy job security, under certain specific reasons.
The causes include: engaging in negligent conduct that directly affects the insured or the institution, failure to comply with work schedules, obtaining two consecutive unsatisfactory performance evaluations, and failure to present proof of recertification of professional competence when applicable.
The proposal received 46 votes in favor, 21 against and two abstentions.
Among those who voted against were the representatives of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD): Arquesio Arias, Benicio Robinson, Crispiano Adames, Flor Brenes Medina, Jaime Vargas, Jairo Bolota Salazar, Javier Sucre, Joana Cedeño (substitute for Raúl Pineda), Marcos Castillero, Néstor Tin Guardia, Nixon Andrade and Raphael Buchanan.
Janine Prado and Alexandra Brenes of Vamos also voted against, as did Patsy Lee of the Popular Party, among others.
The CSS has 35,600 employees (65% in the health area and 35% in administration), according to official data from the entity.
Administration after administration, the entity has been labeled a “political prize.” The entity’s former director, Enrique Lau Cortés, admitted at the time that “about 55 of the 71 deputies in the National Assembly, from all parties, had asked him to appoint people” to the institution. Although Cortés justified these appointments by arguing that “Panama is small” and needed them, the shadow of politicization looms over the CSS payroll.
Lau Cortés led the entity between August 2019 and September 1, 2024.
Representative Benicio Robinson , president of the PRD, had influence within the institution. His son, Benicio Robinson Gutiérrez , joined the organization in 2014 and rose to become the director of Legal Counsel, one of the CSS’s most important offices, managing legal processes such as bidding processes, lawsuits, project addenda, and others.
Robinson’s last salary at CSS was $3,000 , along with another $3,000 in representation expenses.
Last Monday, March 10, the National Assembly approved the reforms to the CSS (Sectoral Social Security System) in its second reading after a process of consultation, debate, and political tension. The proposal, originally presented by the Executive Branch, underwent several modifications; however, the retirement age remained unchanged: 57 for women and 62 for men. However, to ensure the financial sustainability of the system, mandatory annual actuarial studies will be conducted.
Various groups protested on Tuesday, March 11, against the approval in the second debate of Bill 163, which establishes reforms to the Social Security Fund (CSS).
This afternoon, one of the protest actions took place on the Transístmica highway, in front of the University of Panama, when protesters closed the road, placing garbage bins.
The University of Panama announced this afternoon that academic and administrative activities have been suspended until Tuesday, March 11, at the Octavio Méndez Pereira Campus in the Faculties of Business Administration, Education, and Public Administration.
At around 2:40 p.m., riot police arrived at the University of Panama campus and dispersed the protesters, firing tear gas.
The Single Union of Construction and Similar Workers (Suntracs) distributed leaflets and held marches in different places, such as Costa del Este, at the entrance to Panama Pacifico, in the Azuero region and the province of Coclé.
Likewise, it was reported that teachers from the Pedro J. Sosa school, in Calidonia, held a demonstration in front of the school.
In the capital city, traffic congestion was recorded on several main roads due to the protest actions.
Heavy traffic congestion is reported on Via España, Via Ricardo J. Alfaro, and Avenida Central.
Sectors such as Bella Vista and Calidonia are affected by the protests.
Rubén De León submitted his resignation as secretary general of the National Executive Committee of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) on Tuesday, March 11, effective August 30, 2025.
De León, who was a national deputy and a member of the Central American Parliament, stated in his letter that his resignation is in response to the commitment made on September 24, 2024, to the National Board of Directors (CDN) and that the decision is due to the need to ensure sufficient time for all those interested in applying for the position to do so.
” I invite my colleagues to comply with the CDN’s mandate and submit their respective resignations , with the aim of paving the way for new ideas and leadership that will strengthen our party,” De León wrote in his resignation letter.
Furthermore, he argues that it is time to provide space and opportunities for new leaders who will contribute to the growth and consolidation of the political community.
“Renewal is not only a necessity, but an opportunity to refresh our strategies and approaches, thus ensuring a strong and promising future for the party and its ideals.”
The Marea Verde Foundation , led by Mirei Endara, launched the project called ‘7 basins’ together with the international organization “ The Ocean Cleanup” .
This project seeks to intervene in the seven rivers that flow into the Bay of Panama with a system of barriers designed to prevent trash, especially plastic waste, from reaching the ocean. Manual workers are responsible for collecting this trash, rescuing recyclable materials and properly disposing of the rest.
One of the minds behind this plan is Boyan Slat, president of the organization ‘The Ocean Cleanup’. He has been a pioneer in tackling the cleanup of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a mass of waste in the ocean that is twice the size of the state of Texas, United States.
Every year, at least 13 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans, the equivalent of a truckload of waste being dumped into the sea every minute.
Slat has also led international projects in eight countries, Panama being the ninth. Currently, his work in oceans and rivers has managed to remove 20 million kilos of waste.
In an interview with La Prensa, he explained that they will deploy these interceptors in all the rivers of Panama City “with the objective of restoring the Bay of Panama to its original and pristine state . ”
Together with his team, he will provide technical advice, part of the financing and support to the Marea Verde Foundation to install these interceptor systems in the rivers.
In the first phase (which will begin in the following months) they will be working on the Abajo River , which flows into the marine section in front of Panama Viejo, and later on the Matías Hernández River , which flows into Costa del Este.
The Marea Verde Foundation has implemented a garbage interceptor in the Juan Díaz River in conjunction with a collector called ‘Wanda’ , which is a water wheel that facilitates the collection of plastics in urban rivers.
The ‘7 basins’ project will also implement environmental education programmes, research initiatives and coordinated work with local authorities and communities to promote cultural change in waste management.
On Monday, in Panama City, a media meeting was held to explain future plans. Local and ministerial authorities attended.
The Minister of the Environment, Juan Carlos Navarro, declared that they had the full support of the national government to clean up these 7 rivers.
The mayor of the capital, Mayer Mizrachi, spoke about the importance of private enterprise.
The mayor of San Miguelito, Irma Hernández, expressed her admiration for Slat for the global impact he has had since his youth and also called on private companies to seek more environmentally sustainable alternatives when offering their products to ordinary citizens. Representatives from Juan Díaz, Parque Lefevre, and Don Bosco were also present.
Boyan reaffirmed that these initiatives help to make the necessary changes to create a future without trash in our rivers and seas. Regardless of political ideology, everyone wants pollution to be eliminated, but it will depend on Panama and the Panamanians to make this a reality.