Protest over infrastructure turns violent in Panama's Colon
Arnulfo Franco and Juan Zamorano, Associated Press
Updated 8:24 pm, Tuesday, March 13, 2018
COLON, Panama (AP) — A protest over infrastructure and insecurity turned into violent clashes with police Tuesday in Panama's second biggest city, which is home to a strategic port at the northern end of the Panama Canal.
Preliminary reports from national police said four officers and one protester were injured, while 35 people were arrested for crimes such as looting, vandalism and attacks on police.
Demonstrators are angry over what they see as the slow pace of a project to revitalize Colon's collapsed sewer system, deficient water supply and crumbling housing. Ditches left open for protracted periods have regularly filled with dirty water and flooded streets, giving off a foul stench and making life more unpleasant in an already dilapidated city.
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Residents of Colon "have been abused for many decades, and the current president promised them that he was going to improve their quality of life," said Marco Gandasegui, a sociologist at the University of Panama. "Nearly four years have gone by and not only has that promise become hollow, it has hurt the great majority (of people) with a project that openly cheated them."
More:
https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Protest-over-infrastructure-turns-violent-in-12750631.php