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Torrijos announces public works In Guarare. Photo courtesy of the Presidencia

Torrijos on the campaign trail

Officially, the massive propaganda campaign that's being waged on behalf of the PRD administration is not about the party retaining power in the 2009 elections --- the Electoral Tribunal, two-thirds of its members from the PRD, will draw that distinction. You hear the campaign in hip-hop radio commercials about what a cool environmentalist President Torrijos is, see it on billboards predicting how many jobs the current administration is going to create, see it in ads in the daily newspapers and on the TV stations. (It's a wonderful business for the ad agency cartel, which the president's father-in-law founded.)

The campaign is also carried out in appearances before selected audiences, usually in the Interior, in which the president announces or inaugurates public works or hands out things like land titles or envelopes with $35 in cash.

Here in Guarare, Los Santos, the president got a little carried away when he announced some public works projects for the district. In his speech, which was transcribed and published on his website, Torrijos said that 150,000 people would benefit from these local improvements. But La Estella noted that Guarare has a population of less than 10,000 and all of Los Santos province has fewer than 90,000 residents.

No correction or clarification was issued, but the 150,000 number quickly came down from the presidential website after the incongruity was pointed out.

Also in this section:

Two bomberos electrocuted, five others injured, in Colon Free Zone blaze
Police open fire with shotguns, arrest 97 in Kuna protest

Martín Torrijos on the campaign trail

Miguel Antonio Bernal on the campaign trail

Partido Alternativa Popular on the campaign trail

Méndez fights charges that he tried to set up a shooting incident
Panama News Briefs