Caribbean & Central America - February 2008 (ISSN 1741-4458)

Widespread protests took place this month after a construction worker was shot dead by a policeman during a protest over lax safety standards. Despite government concessions in the form of new safety legislation, the construction workers' union Suntracs has already warned that the protests go far beyond labour safety conditions. It is demanding the resignation of interior minister Daniel Delgado and police chief Rolando Mirones, as well as a freeze in living costs.

After the shooting of Iromi Smith in the Colón region on 12 February, some 40,000 members of Suntracs took to the streets across the country. By the end of 14 February, clashes with the police had resulted in some 500 arrests, over 30 Suntracs members being wounded by birdshot and 16 police officers injured.

Clearly concerned by these events, Panamanian President Martí­n Torrijos cancelled a trip to El Salvador to participate in the Central American integration system (SICA) summit, and appeared on national television urging calm.

More concretely, in response to one of Suntracs' demands, on 16 February the government passed a decree to improve health and safety standards for construction workers. The union has long protested lax safety standards at the Panamanian capital's many building sites, which led to 29 deaths last year.

The measure nevertheless failed to satisfy Suntracs, which has said that it will not call off further action until its other demands are met. These include the resignation of Delgado and Mirones, whom the union blames for Smith's death as well as for the murders of two other unarmed members of Suntracs last August. Also high on their list of demands are better wages, a lower cost of living, and a freeze on the price of basic groceries.

The latter issue, in particular, is striking a chord with the public, who are already dissatisfied with the government over inflation. According to figures released by the comptroller general, Panama registered 6.4% inflation in 2007, the highest rate in 17 years. The next presidential elections are scheduled for May 2009, and the constant increase in living costs has already topped the list of voters' concerns, ahead of security and unemployment.