Central America
Panama government reduces fuel prices in face of protests
AFP
Panama’s president announced a reduction in gasoline prices and freezing of rates for several other essential products Monday in the face of continuing protests against inflation and corruption.
“I understand the dissatisfaction of various sectors with the situation we are experiencing, caused by the effects of the pandemic and the consequences of the conflict in Ukraine,” Laurentino Cortizo said in a statement.
The price of gasoline for private vehicles will be reduced to $3.95 per gallon from July 15, he said, a drop of 24 percent from the price at the end of June.
Public transportation has already benefited from the lower price since May.
On Monday, hundreds protested in Panama in the second week of demonstrations against increases in fuel prices, which have risen 47 percent since January.
Cortizo also announced that his government would draft a decree to freeze the prices of a dozen essential food products.
Several unions, however, say that protests will continue until there is a general reduction in prices and gasoline rates drop below $3 per gallon.
In the western provinces of Veraguas and Chiriqui, near the border with Costa Rica, protesters blocked the Inter-American Highway, which connects the country to the rest of Central America.
In Panama City, a group of students clashed with police around the University of Panama, where a group of people temporarily seized a patrol car and broke its windows.
Inflation “means that fewer and fewer people can live in dignity,” said Saul Mendez, secretary-general of the country’s main construction union.
According to Mendez, for citizens to regain their purchasing power, the prices of medicine, food, electricity and fuel must be lowered or frozen, in addition to a general wage increase.
The Panamanian government set up a round table on Monday in the city of Santiago de Veraguas, one of the hotbeds of the protest, but no agreement was reached.
Central America
El Salvador extends condolences to Turkey following deadly hotel fire
The Government of El Salvador extends its condolences and expresses solidarity with the Government of Turkey following the death of at least 76 people and more than 50 injuries in the fire at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Bolu Province on January 21.
“El Salvador offers its hopes for the swift recovery of those affected and expresses its deepest sympathy to the families of the deceased due to this tragic event,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Our country reaffirms the strong bonds of friendship shared with the Republic of Turkey, especially during this time of profound sorrow.”
The Turkish government began burying the victims on Wednesday, amid accusations of negligence.
Central America
ANDA to replace 49 km of pipelines in San Salvador by 2025
The president of the National Administration of Aqueducts and Sewers (ANDA), Jorge Castaneda, announced that the complete replacement of pipelines in San Salvador will continue in 2025 as part of efforts to reduce water leaks and modernize the distribution system.
Castaneda explained that in the northern area of the San Salvador Metropolitan Area (AMSS), which supplies 30% of its users, approximately 24 kilometers of pipelines will be replaced. Meanwhile, an additional 25 kilometers will be renewed in the eastern zone of the AMSS. These interventions are part of a strategic plan to minimize unaccounted-for water losses caused by decades of neglect and lack of maintenance of the infrastructure.
“We will continue repairing leaks, but it’s essential to go further and implement complete infrastructure replacements. This is a long-term investment project,” said Castaneda.
The official also highlighted that in the first months of 2025, over 27,000 leak repairs have been carried out, while more than 3,000 interventions have already been registered this year.
Among the projects underway, Castaneda mentioned the pipeline replacement in the Los Héroes neighborhood near Cuscatlán Stadium, where 3 kilometers of pipelines are being renewed, directly benefiting 2,500 people.
Central America
Venezuelan opposition leader to meet Costa Rican president Rodrigo Chaves on thursday
Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia will meet with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves this Thursday, the Presidential Office of Costa Rica announced today.
“We will give a warm welcome to the person who won the July elections in Venezuela, and we continue to denounce electoral fraud,” President Chaves stated during his weekly press conference.
Meanwhile, Costa Rican Foreign Minister Arnoldo André explained that González Urrutia is visiting Costa Rica to “inform the president and provide details about the situation in Venezuela, the victory he achieved with over 7 million votes on July 28, and the electoral fraud committed by Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which fraudulently swore him in as president.”
González Urrutia is currently in Guatemala, having arrived from the Dominican Republic as part of a tour through several countries ahead of the controversial inauguration on January 10, during which the Chavista leader Nicolás Maduro was sworn in as president by the National Assembly, controlled by the ruling party.
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