Moving ahead, sort of...

The Panama Canal Rail Road just might be a good metaphor for Panama at the moment. The reconstruction of the world's first Atlanti-Pacific rail link is well underway, but a little behind schedule. A lot of labor has gone into it, which is what has given the project its monetary value. And, as should have been expected, various sharks are now circling - the essence of what Panamanians call the "juega vivo" is to profit from other people's labor, to BE the risk that other investors take.

And thus a Mr. Lamb, whom The Panama News, unlike a number of other prestigious and not-so-prestigious US and Panamanian dailies, has never taken seriously, recently had his lawyers in court, claiming that since he owns some stock certificates from the old Panama Railroad, which the US government took over in 1904 and transferred to Panama in 1979, he owns the Kansas City Railway's investment in the new Panama Canal Railway. Lamb and his associates are also claiming that they own the Colon Free Zone. A few years ago, just before the Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen opened their brand-new Coco Solo Norte port, lawyers showed up to call dibs on that, too.

Whether you look at them from the perspective of US, Panamanian or international law, these claims are legally defective. Though some lower court judge might be bribed or hoodwinked to rule in Lamb's favor, the implications of a ruling that sets aside a series of international treaties with respect to the railroad and the former Canal Zone is so profoundly against Panama's national interest that it would never be upheld in the end. Such lawsuits can, however, make lawyers rich and add temporary value to stock certificates that are worthless except for their historic value.

(For another unrelated tale of obnoxious land claims, check out the photo and story from Santa Clara in our Business section.)

Meanwhile, Colon is desperately hungry, and organizations of the unemployed are striking out at everyone who has more money than they do, including the railroad company. The protests, and police reactions to them, have been getting more violent more quickly of late. Recent disturbances paralyzed Colon for several days, left one police officer one demonstrator and two journalists wounded by gunshots, put another cop in the hospital after being hit on the head by a typewriter thrown from an upper-floor window, and had much of the city choking on the tear gas that police used.

Colon's unemployed have legitimate grievances, but such demands as they tend to put forward have very little to do with economic or political realities. The railroad is not going to rebuild Rainbow City or employ hundreds of unnecessary workers. The government is not going to hand out money for "scholarships" for Colon's unemployed to learn the necessary skills for jobs that don't and won't exist. The Free Zone and the ports will no more accede to the demands of the unemployed groups than they will to those of Mr. Lamb and his friends. What we are seeing in Colon is not so much a rational movement for political and social change, but an explosion of frustration and rage.

My natural response to such circumstances is pretty much that of an American-style New Deal Democrat. Colon needs labor-intensive projects akin to Franklin Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps and WPA. There are forests and urban infrastructures that need to be restored, streams and city neighborhoods that need to be cleaned and a lot of angry, hungry people who have nothing better to do. Dignified and productive jobs - even though they'll have to be low-paying - are the way to peace on the streets of Colon.

Though the Colon protests and student street blockades in the capital snarled traffic several times in the past few weeks, this issue includes a larger-than-usual Travel section, with a photo feature on the railroad's progress and a tale of terror on Panama City's buses.

Meanwhile, across the border in Colombia the terror of that nation's never-ending warfare has escalated a few notches, and our Opinion section includes statements by the Pastrana administration and the FARC guerrillas about the situation. Our publication of these documents does not mean that we support either side in Colombia's civil war - the truth is that all of the combatant factions have a surplus of dirty laundry, and one of the great advantages of Panamanian independence is that this country does not have to align itself with any of them. However, it is also true that events in Colombia tend to spill over our border, so for our own protection we do need to pay attention.

As the American version of Labor Day approaches, the English-language schools are back in session and, as you will notice in our Arts section, the Theatre Guild of Ancon is about to start a new season. The last of the season's mangoes are falling from the trees, so check out the Dining section for a Hindu-style way to preserve some of them.

Finally, notice that there are five Fridays in August, so it will be three weeks before we upload the next edition of The Panama News Online. Look for volume 7, issue 17 on or about September 14.