This article was posted on www.panamanews.com
Roberto
Because the legislature has passed a mining law on first reading (more action required to pass it) without the promised section banning mining in the Ngabe-Bugle Comarca, there will be a gathering at or near the Pan-American Highway in San Felix tomorrow. It could lead to some serious road blockages, and these might build over several days. People are coming down on horseback and foot. There have already been some roadblocks to protest the mining thrown up in Bocas.
Tomorrow the legislature takes up the Fifth Bench (Sala Quinta) of the Supreme Court issue on second reading (they need three to pass it), and a heated propaganda war is underway. It's a crucial battle on many levels, and Martinelli has the votes but the polls say most Panamanians are against him on this court-packing move. There will be protests outside the legislature tomorrow afternoon and thing might get a bit confrontational, again possibly building over a few days.
You may want to plan any driving around these possibilities. If you have to risk being blocked, you may want to take water, wet wipes and a good book or two to help you wait out a monumental traffic jam.
If you are not a citizen, you run the risk of being thrown out of the country for participating in the protests. If you try to force your way through a blockade with your car, it may well get damaged and you may well get hurt. But if you are stuck in one of these things and you deal with people like human beings, the odds are that the cops will be eager to tell you what awful thugs they have to put up with and the protesters will be eager top tell you that they are doing what they are doing because of the awful thugs running the government, and if you are not in the way neither side is likely to attack you. These things may inconvenience you, but they are not ABOUT you.
