Social unrest in Panama due to constitutional reforms

The accusations of privatizing higher education and the attempts to favor interests alien to the majority’s welfare are the foundations of the demands from demonstrators, who have taken to the streets in the capital and other major cities of the country over the past two days. Prior to the popular protests, altercations and contradictions were reported among lawmakers in Parliament, while local media quoted statements by some of them who accused their colleagues of taking stances that differ from the reforms or modifications to the original document.

Vice President Gabriel Carrizo noted that if consensus is not reached, President Laurentino Cortizo would call a parallel Constituent Assembly, whose members would draw up the text of the new Constitution.

The Presidency admitted in a press release that the progress made at Wednesday’s session resulted from intensive dialogue with all political benches in a framework of respect for the separation of powers.

The catalyst of the social crisis was the long line of 10,000 people who departed on Tuesday from the University of Panama to the premises of the National Assembly to demand the elimination of two articles on higher education, in addition to criticizing the method used to make the reforms.