news

President Moscoso chose a Catholic school, Maria Auxiliadora, for her back-to-school photo opportunity. Seeing as he she has little to do with the parochial schools and ultimate control over the public schools, why did she choose this one?

Probably because this is an election season, and her campaigning on behalf of Mireyista candidates would not have been helped had she shown her face in a public school. In Panama City teachers staged a demonstration at which they burned the party flags of MOLIRENA --- the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement, a racket run by the Rosas family and a junior partner in Mireya's government --- to protest Education Minister Doris Rosas de Mata's nepotism and political patronage in teaching assignments. In a number of schools around the country, there were strikes or protests about dilapidated facilities or unfilled teaching positions. At one public school that's missing part of it roof, Mireya sent in the SPI presidential guard, who were decked out in their camouflage comat fatigues.

Thus, had the president gone to a public school the odds would have been very high that she wouldn't have received such a polite reception.

Photo by Adolfo Chamorro, courtesy of the Presidencia


Also in this section:
Panama News Briefs
Back to school
On the campaign trail
Corruption in Honduras
Slavery and rape in the Sudan
Cops and prosecutors haul Eisenmann in for interrogation

Back to top

Panama Information, Hotels of Panama - Executive Hotel
Panama Information, Real estate in Boquete - Valle Escondido
Panama Information, Real Estate in Las Cumbres - Villa Concordia
Panama Information - Online guide to information about Panama - www.panama-information.executivehotel-panama.com
Panama Tourism - Online info for the Tourist Panama - www.travel-to-panama.com
Panama Pictures - Collection of pictures of Panama - www.panama-pictures.com