While President Bush and Prince Minister Blair fight their war on terrorism, here in Panama the war is against corruption. Every day, Panama’s two broadsheets and four tabloids are full of news and comment about this problem. This is important because the public is now beginning to realise that corruption is a cancer, which eats at the heart of the nation.

Panamanians, in common will other Latin people, have always had a cynical view of corruption and nepotism. Until recently people who lined their pockets in these areas were to many Panamanians what Ned Kelly is to Australians, maybe not folk heroes but certainly looked upon with envy.

After the US invasion of Panama and the ouster of the military regime of Noriega, the presidential tenure of Guillermo Endara was seen to be the "cleanest". Corruption returned, however, in the next PRD government of Ernesto Pérez Balladares and even more so in the subsequent Arnulfista administration of Mireya Moscoso.

Election promise
A principal platform of the last year’s election between two major contenders, Endara and Martin Torrijos, son of PRD founder Gen. Omar Torrijos was the promise to fight corruption.

Despite Endara’s good reputation against the often questionable record of the PRD, Torrijos was elected with his "zero corruption" slogan. So after a year in the "Palace of the Herons" what has be done about it?.

New reports of corrupt officials hit the headlines every few days. They are coming to light largely through the appoinment of Ana Matilde Gómez, the country’s new Attorney General who, since she took the job last year, has demonstrated a tough stand against corruption in much publicized cases, As soon as she was appointed, she initiated a series of audits in the 151 judicial branches of her own office, to discover that the evil was greater than she had imagined. There are 46 disciplinary processes underway against public prosecutors and spokespersons.

Recent Cases
Here is a list of some of the most recent cases in the headlines.
* (June/July, 2005) Rosendo Miranda Miranda, a drug prosecutor was investigated for tampering with property seized during anti-drug cases (cars, animals).

* July/August, 2005) At University of Panama a band of professors and officials was discovered to be issuing, false degrees and certificates.

* Early August, 2005. Cirilo Carrasco, a high-ranking member of Gómez own anticorruption team, was arrested for asking for US$500.00 bribe from a person under arrest. Another member of the judicial system was caught almost simultaneously after requesting sexual favors from the mother of a prisoner.

* Late August 2005. A former district prosecutor from La Chorrera was caught redhanded after receiving a bribe to liberate a young, incarcerated woman. The bribe turned out to be a trap orchestrated by Gómez.

* Late August, 2005. An attorney in the Azuero region, known to have tampered with a number of homicide cases (sometimes sending reports a year after a crime was committed) was recently dismissed.

* Many officials were accused of being members of a ring which has stolen millions from the tolls collected on the Chorrera Autopista.

More mysteries
Gómez, is leading an aggressive anti-corruption campaign with the aid of a number of private and public organizations. Road signs attacking bribing and other forms of corruption are seen everywhere. Nevertheless, she still has her hands full with many unresolved cases, such as:
1. The mysterious death of Vanessa Márquez, a 19-year-old victim of what appears to be foul play during a sex-and-drug party in an exclusive Panama City neighborhood three months ago. It is believed that an important public figure was present at the party. (Due to a number of contradictions in the original report, the case’s coroner was recently fired).

2. The disappearance of approximately $11 million to be used in the construction of Frank Ghery’s Bio-Diversity Museum in Amador. Everything indicates the money was spent in numerous luxurious trips abroad and expensive gifts to foreign Dignitaries.

Meanwhile a battle is being waged between the press and Winston Spadafora, Supreme Court Judge who has been criticised for certain decisions. He became so incensed at the criticism that he embargoed the salary of a reporter of the daily "La Prensa", which set off an even greater furore.

Gómez has complained publicly that laws giving immunity to deputies of the National Assembly, where political power is concentrated and where the most accusations of corruption have been made, prevent her office from investigating them. Also, in order to investigate a magistrate of the higher courts, her office has to obtain authorization from the Assembly.

A new law obliges public
servants to present a sworn Statement of Patrimonial Possessions. Of 1707 officials only 349 had complied. The rest have been given a deadline ultimatum.

As the drama unfolds, one thing is certain: The problem of official corruption is being tackled.

Yvette Weir-Gladstone:

There are no enrollment fees nor time constraints at 100% kids.

Many expats are contributing to improve quality-of-life standards in Panama and are having fun in doing so. One of them is Yvette Weir-Gladstone, a Canadian-born resident of Maryland, U.S.A., who recently opened "100% Kids" –an educational center where children are motivated to experiment with their imagination without electronic gadgets or computers. "It’s all about building, concentrating on something and putting things together," she said.

Aware of the existing limitations in Panama in regards to her career (the practice of dentistry is only reserved for Panamanian citizens), Weir, an extrovert, versatile persona, has found no hindrance in exercising her true passion: that of an "educator by heart."

A well-traveled lover of foreign cultures, children and books, Weir has introduced to Panama what she calls "Educationment". She said: "Parenting in Western societies has become so mechanized nowadays that children are not able to fully develop their intellectual abilities."

Located at the Bal Harbor shopping center in Paitilla, 100% Kids is open to children 3 to 13. With no enrollment fees or time limits, the establishment offers seven theme areas, where they can learn to build a bridge, or create a scientific experiment with basic tools.

The Weir-Gladstone family.

Younger children have an area for growth/physical development, where they are free to jump and move around. There is also a dress up area where, with the aid of costumes and makeup, they can learn about foreign cultures, historical figures, or animals.

Old fashioned, physical activity is also encouraged among older children with devices such as hoola-hoopes, jumping ropes and other activities.

The young visitors of 100% Kids may also have the opportunity to create works of art with recycled materials, or learn a foreign language (French, English or Japanese without the need of tutors. The sciences are an important part of the concept, allowing children to learn how plants grow and enter into the fascinating world of microscopes. There is always something new at 100% Kids: cultural festivals, field trips, summer camps. In other words, learning opportunities are simply endless.

Weir arrived from Costa Rica six months ago along with her husband and three young children, ages 10, 8 and ten months. Wanting their children to grow up in a multi-cultural environment, the Weirs have lived in countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Yvette Weir-Gladstone’s experience an expat in Panama has been very gratifying so far. In just a matter of days after her arrival, she was able to find her new home congregation and her favorite vegetarian restaurant. "I feel as if I’ve lived here for years," she said.

For more information on 100% Kids, call: 215-4545.

Children at 100% kids are free to touch, learn and experiment.

Panama Unknown

As with every other country, during the last decade or so, Panama has tried to adjust to the term “globalization” and the meaning thereof. As international economists were labeling Panama the most globalized nation in Latin America a couple of months ago, a group of members of the National Assembly embarked on a much-debated project to make English the country’s second commercial language -an idea prompted by the world’s present “globalized” environment.

Yet, what most economists, legislators and common folk ignore is that, decades before the term globalization as we know it today was even coined, a renowned Panamanian had already tried to unite the world through a common language.

Best known as the son of Panama’s first president and the creator of the National Flag, Manuel E. Amador was also the father of Panamane (pronounced Pah-Nah-Mann), an artificial language which, like Zamenhof’s Esperanto, was created to be the universal means of communication.

Seeking to promote peace and good will in a world devastated by the Great War (WW I), Amador, a well-known painter and diplomat, published the concept of his new language in a long-forgotten, 400-page book in the early 1920’s. The first text written in Panamane was Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address.

The language, which, in our opinion resembles a local Indian dialect, was to be pronounced with Spanish-language vowels and consonants, with some exceptions. The letter “h”, for example, could sometimes have an English pronunciation, while “j” always exhibited the Anglo-Saxon sound. Another English sound included in Panamane was the “th”, pronunciation of which is similar to the sound of “z” in Spain.

(Part of the information in this article was taken from the “Raíces” section of La Prensa. July 7, 2002).

The Centennial Bridge, over the Panama Canal.

President Martín Torrijos recently inaugurated the two expressways leading to the new Centennial Bridge, the second constructed over the Panama Canal.

The new bridge is expected to relieve the daily heavy traffic on the Bridge of The Americas, caused by the growing suburban population of western Panama province, and will give east-bound drivers direct access to the province of Colón, avoiding the heavy traffic of the Panama City metro area.

Originaly scheduled for inauguration in June, the four-lane roads linking the eastern and western banks of the Canal were not completed as intended due to a number of factors, including a land dispute between the Panamanian government and a private-sector construction company.

Built during the government of former president Mireya Moscoso, the Centennial Bridge was officially inaugurated a year ago, but could not be used because the access roads were still unfishished.

La Mejorana Folklore Festival is a tribute to Panama's most deeply rooted traditions, such as those kept by Arcelio "Chelo" Espino Díaz, an 84-year-old native of Guararé who has spent most of his life manufacturing fireworks for Panama's numerous folklore festivities.

Mr. Díaz, considered by many the most experienced fireworks expert in Panama, will be honored with a special series of events at the fair on September 24.

Dear Mr. Editor:

Having moved to Panama in June, and recently discovered The Visitor, I just wanted to say I think your paper is excellent. Apart from the useful information, the fact that articles appear in two languages is actually helping me to learn Spanish.

Regards,
Bryan