Nationwide Protests

 About two weeks ago some indigenous of eastern Chiriqui and western Veraguas blocked the Panameriacn Highway (or Interamericana, as it is referred to here) in protest to the rising costs of gas and everything else as well. These folks work often for 10$ a day or less. Last time I filed up my car I paid more than 70$ - and my car is not a 4x4 pickup truck, which is what these folks need to use on their farms.

So this situation is really threatening their survival.

Unfortunately, the situation has since been highjacked by hoodlooms and "maldidos", who are taking advantage of the situation.

Interamericana between David and Santiago

Well, The interamericana is the only connection of Chiriqui and Bocas del Toro with the rest of Panama. As it happens to be, Chiriqui is the vegetable garden and dairy farm of all of Panama. And all the gasoline and diesel is being imported through Colon. 

So, blocking this highway is a real threat to life in Panama! There is a shortage of food in eastern Panama (Veraguas, Panama City, and places in between and around), and there is a fuel shortage in Chiriqui.

Areal view of interamericana (Photo: retenchiriqui on facebook)

Here in Chiriqui, many of the businesses and plants have closed. Schools are closed, too. 

Fueltrucks stuck en route (Photo: retenchiriqui on fcaebook)

Gas stations have no more gas. Upon hearing, that one gas station received a load of gas, my neighbor left early yesterday morning to try to fill up his car. He didn't get back home until after 7 pm! He was waiting in line all day, and when he finally got to the pump in the evening, they only gave him gas for 20$!

My other neighbor lined up yesterday afternoon. He spent the night in the car, and when I talked to him last around 4pm today he still hasn't gotten gas.

The area where the land of my future home is located is dairy farming area. Usually, everyday early in the morning there are trucks collecting all the milk to transport it to the dairy plant. However, the dairy plant is now closed. The farmers are trying to find something to do with the milk, but those with more than a cow or two are having to throw away most of the milk. 

As you can imagine, this is a terrible situation! It is threatening their livelihood!

My friend Maryorie has a fruit stand along the interamericana. She has hardly any business any more, since hardly anybody has enough gas to be driving anywhere. And, on the other hand, she's getting calls and messages from her suppliers, desperately begging her to buy some of their produce. They, too, have to throw away the produce - it is harvested the day before it is being sold to the general population. What's harvested today, is distributed among the fruitstands and mercados over night, and sold the very next day. That stuff can't be harvested much longer than a few days later, because it will spoil in the field. Nor can it be stored for more than a day, either. The whole system here is geared towards fresh from the farm straight to the table. There are no cool storages, nor other facilities to allow for longer retention of freshness...

I am only 30km (20 miles) away from the border to Costa Rica. I thought, heck, let me go there to fill up my car. In Austria they call that phenomenon "fuel tourism", which happens when gas prices in Germany and Austria differ significantly...

Well, all went well until about 5km before the border. There, some hoodlooms blocked the intermericana. As it turns out, they allow you to pass if you pay them 20$ per car. Great business! Simply throw a few old tires on the road, cut a few of your neighbors' trees and voila: 20$ per car!

Well, we (my neighbor Sergio, who cam with me, and I) decided to simply park the car, walk across the blockage, and hop on a bus beyond. There were about 10 buses already waiting there (as were on our side). All the people who need to travel between the Frontera or Puerto Armuelles and Bugaba or David have to get off their bus, walk across the blockage and hop on another bus on the other side to continue their trip.

We took our gas canisters with us, and filled them at the one gas station at the border, who seems to get supplied from Costa Rica. However, they limit the amount to 15$ per person. So our two 15 Liter canisters weren't even filled all the way. Then back on a bus, back to the blockage, shlepp the canisters across to our car, and return home... Luckily, I still have 1/2 a tank of gas, so I can make another one of these trips in a few days if needed...

It occurred to me, that this is a perfect example of what happens when people only think of themselves: everybody suffers! All the little mom-no-pop businesses along the road: closed. Gas stations: closed. Schools: closed. All the people that are day laborers: out of work, out of income. Many people here live basically from hand in mouth: so no income for a day, often means no food on the table that day! (except plain rice, and whatever grows in the back yard)

This is going on for two weeks now. It used to be peaceful. Now it is turning violent. Last night, a police truck was set on fire in Santiago (the capital of Veraguas). Today, Senafront (border protection police) was sent there in riot gear to help the local police.

The government has instituted a fuel subsidy. When filling up the car, you simply provide the license plate and your cedula number (personal id), and you pay less than a dollar per liter - the government pays the rest. With that, the original demand of the indigenous is met - in a way that's quite amazing to me! Non of the European countries has come up with a similar idea! The government first asked people to register on a website, but the indigenous often don't have access to the internet. This requirement since has been removed, and providing the cedula and licenseplate number is sufficient.

Imagine this! This developing country's government is able to put up a website in one day (!!!) - how long did it take the "developed countries" to develop the covid websites? A month? two? And, since that requirement fell, they are able to implement a system, where this subsidy is possible without the previous registration! Very impressive, I have to say!

Anyhow, I am curious to see how this situation is going to develop, how long it is going to take for it to be resolved, and how it is going to be resolved...