From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: PANAMA: COLON EDGES DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO CHAOS
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 09:23:32 GMT

/** reg.panama: 51.0 **/
** Topic: IPS: Colon Edges Dangerously **
** Written  8:13 am  Aug 10, 1992 by hrcoord in cdp:reg.panama **
From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: IPS: Colon Edges Dangerously

/* Written 12:13 am  Aug 10, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: PANAMA: COLON EDGES DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO CHAOS

an inter press service feature

by silvio hernandez

panama, aug 7 (ips) -- panama's caribbean coast city of colon
edged dangerously close to chaos friday, following thursday's
veto by president guillermo endara of a proposal to make the city
a freeport.

despite the presence of some one hundred anti-riot police sent
from the capital city to reinforce the local lawmen, residents of
the town, which is paralysed by a general strike, remained
''ready for war.''

since wednesday, truck drivers and transportation workers have
blocked the only highway entering this city of 85,000.

the blockade has prevented workers from entering the panama
canal's international free zone and the country's only oil
refinery, creating the threat of a nationwide gas shortage.

however, the crisis is most directly affecting the people of
colon, who are already experiencing shortages of basic supplies,
according to a local radio station.

the coordinating council of colon's productive forces, made up
of small and mid-sized business leaders, transportation workers
and both opposition and ruling party politicians, called on
friday for further demonstrations.

on wednesday, the coordinating council initiated the general
strike and blockade in an attempt to persuade endara to ratify
the freeport proposal, approved by the panamanian parliament in
july.

endara, who promised the coordinating council that he would
study the plan, decided to veto the proposal thursday claiming it
was ''inconvenient and unbalanced.''

the president returned the proposal to parliament recommending
further study and revision ''to ensure the technical, financial
and social-economic feasibility'' of the plan.

alfredo elhers, governor of the province, accused endara of
having given colon ''a slap in the face'' and announced that he
would resign as soon as the president named a replacement.

spokespersons for the city government said that elhers'
departure could generate a flood of resignations amongst regional
officials.

on wednesday, the conflict in colon was tense following the
arrest of 27 business and labour leaders and three national
deputies the arrests were ordered by panama's attorney general
rogelio cruz. (more/ips)
----


panama: colon (2)

following his resignation announcement, elhers joined the 30
prisoners in solidarity and vowed to stay with them until the
central government offered a viable solution to the problem.

colon's mayor, alcibiades gonzalez, has come out in favour of
the popular protests, saying ''the war against hunger, misery and
desperation continues (in colon).''

some 400 people have maintained a vigil outside colon's
government hall, where the 30 prisoners, governor and mayor are
holed up.

on thursday, colon's citizens prevented the landing of
helicopters sent by attorney general cruz to transfer the
prisoners to panama city for trial on charges of obstructing
transport and circulation.

gonzalez said that the lack of governmental response to the
social and economic problems plaguing the region, along with
cruz's repressive measures, ''are bringing colon to the border of
violence.''

in april and may, the city was the site of violent protests
called by the movement of colon's unemployed and the colon
salvation front, demanding ''urgent solutions'' to the over 50
percent unemployment affecting the city.
(end/ips/trd/so/sh-sfi/eli/kb/92)
----


** End of text from cdp:reg.panama **
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