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- Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive
- Path: sparky!uunet!wupost!mont!pencil.cs.missouri.edu!rich
- From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
- Subject: PANAMA: ARREST OF BUSINESS LEADERS WORSENS CRISIS IN COLON
- Message-ID: <1992Aug13.232149.21238@mont.cs.missouri.edu>
- Followup-To: alt.activism.d
- Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Sender: news@mont.cs.missouri.edu
- Nntp-Posting-Host: pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Organization: PACH
- Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 23:21:49 GMT
- Approved: map@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
- Lines: 93
-
- /** reg.panama: 50.0 **/
- ** Topic: IPS:Panama: Arrest of Business **
- ** Written 10:40 am Aug 9, 1992 by hrcoord in cdp:reg.panama **
- From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
- Subject: IPS:Panama: Arrest of Business
-
- /* Written 12:09 am Aug 9, 1992 by newsdesk in
- cdp:ips.englibrary */ Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all
- rights reserved. Permission to re- print within 7 days of
- original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.
-
- Title: PANAMA: ARREST OF BUSINESS LEADERS WORSENS CRISIS IN COLON
-
- an inter press service feature
-
- by silvio hernandez
-
- panama, aug 6 (ips) -- the arrest of some 30 business leaders,
- three deputies and two journalists has worsened the crisis in the
- the caribbean port of colon, which entered a new phase wednesday
- when police clashed with businessmen.
-
- spokespersons for the businesses and transportation union that
- called wednesday's general strike, said on thursday it would
- continue at least until the prisoners were released.
-
- the strike leaders, who also held demonstrations and blockaded the
- main highway entering colon, have demanded that president
- guillermo endara declare colon's downtown business district a
- ''duty free port,'' a measure approved by parliament in late
- july.
-
- amongst those arrested on wednesday night were deputies miguel
- bush of the opposition revolutionary democratic party, alfredo
- elhers, of the christian democratic party, and alonso fernandez,
- author of the duty free port proposal, of the ruling national
- liberal republican movement (molirena).
-
- leaders from the spanish, jewish and indian communities, as well
- as local businessmen, were also taken into custody.
-
- despite, or perhaps in response to, the arrests and orders by
- panama's attorney-general rogelio cruz for further police action,
- colon greeted the dawn thursay completely paralysed and isolated
- from the rest of the country.
-
- for the second consecutive day, dozens of buses and trucks blocked
- the only highway into the city.
-
- colon, one of the poorest and most conflictive zones in the
- country, was the site of violent protests three months ago, called
- by the movement of colon's unemployed (modesco) and the colon
- salvation front (csf).
-
- in addition to over 50 percent unemployment, and a severe shortage
- of housing and basic services, colon's economic and social crises
- have ruined a majority of the small and medium-sized businesses.
-
- many business, civic and labour leaders are convinced that making
- colon a duty free port ''is our last resort.''
-
- speaking by phone from his jail cell on thursday, deputy fernandez
- said ''i feel very optimistic'' over the possibility of solving
- the conflict. (more/ips)
- ----
-
- panama: arrests (2)
-
- he said that wednesday's strike and protests were ''the decision
- of a people that has suffered for many years and is demanding
- justice.''
-
- however, modesco leader alfredo allen said that the current
- conflict simply pits wealthy business men from colon, who support
- the free port proposal, against rich businessmen in the rest of
- the country, who would be hurt by the measure.
-
- on thursday, guillermo fernandez, president of the chamber of
- commerce, came out against the free port proposal, saying ''it was
- not the result of a serious study'' that offers ''an integral
- solution to the economic crisis that is affecting the entire
- region.''
-
- wednesday's protests in colon coincided with an indefinite general
- strike called by banana workers in the eastern caribbean coast
- province of bocas del toro.
-
- the banana workers are demanding the construction of a hospital, a
- water treatment plant and economic loans.
- (end/ips/trd/so/sh-cs/eli/kb/92)
- ----
- ** End of text from cdp:reg.panama **
-
-