In the past two weeks the separate but complementary movements against corruption have been turning more people out for their street protests. The photos here were taken at the March 14 human chain along Avenida Balboa, which was organized by a mostly middle class coalition of groups including, among others Transparency International, Libertad Ciudadana and the Colegio de Abogados. The Partido Popular (former Christian Democrats) mobilized their supporters for the event, and prominent among the individuals who showed up were former President Guillermo Endara, a dissident Arnulfista, and former Comptroller General Rubén Carles, a MOLIRENA member who doesn't seem too happy about the current government in which his party is a junior partner.

A week later, on March 21, the left and the labor unions, led by the radical priest Conrado Sanjur, turned out about 3,000 people to march against corruption and certain economic policies they allege are linked to it. That was about three times the turnout for the Avenida Balboa protest.

These are times when the public discussion is more political and more intelligent that is usually the case.

The radical SUNTRACS construction workers' union marched a week after the human chain, but they did put in their token appearance at the Avenida Balboa protest.

On Avenida Balboa, it was much more of a family affair, and the crowd had a slight female majority. A week later when the leftists marched, it was overwhelmingly a young adult crowd, and predominantly male.

From buses and limousines, people in passing vehicles honked or shouted their support for the protest.

A lot of working women went straight from their jobs to the Avenida Balboa protest, which also drew quite a few housewives.

The equation among corruption, impunity and legislators' immunity is a popular concept these days.

There were gaps in the human chain, which didn't really get going until more than an hour after the appointed time.

If the leaders of Panama's major political parties feel the power of citizens' outrage over the recent string of scandals, they're not admitting it.