Vandalism and looting, following the protests in Colon
20 | 10 | 2012
The city awoke to loud protests that lasted all day, creating chaos in the streets.Three policemen were injured by bullets and less than nine years died of a gunshot to the abdomen.
Atmosphere tense and uncertainty
7- in the morning, and demonstrations began about 10 am There was street closures.
- pm, it was decreed a curfew, however, hostilities continued.
- armed youths fired at police from balconies and alleys.
In heavy fighting and vandalism sparked protests against the reforms approved the decree that created the Colon Free Zone and allowing the sale of land where operates the free trade area.
The pickets, street closures and violence in different streets of the city of Colon began from the early hours of the day, prompting the intervention of National Police units. However, operations of force by different groups raged past 8:00 am, when they learned that the rule allowing the sale of the land of the FTA had been approved on third reading by the National Assembly.
The vandalism was directed against local businesses and, among these the seat of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Agriculture of Colon and a gas station manager's ownership of the FTA, Leopoldo Benedetti.
The situation worsened with the passage of time, to the extent that was seen groups of people looting stores and different stores, forcing the mayor of Colon, Damaso Garcia to declare a curfew from 4:00 pm to yesterday. Despite the mayor's decision hostilities continued at different points.
Even, there were exchanges of gunfire between police and youths who barricaded themselves on balconies and alleys.
After the violence seen yesterday, less than 10 years was killed due to a gunshot wound he received in the abdomen and three police units, wounds.
The manager of the Colon Free Zone, Leopoldo Benedetti, regretted the incident and confirmed that some workers also inwardly manifested frank area, but did not pass over. "They had concerns and were told there were no problems," he said.
Meanwhile, the leader Luis Ladeutt colonense there are a hundred detainees reported that product and that these protests will continue throughout the weekend.
"The slogan is not to stop, resist and overcome," said the leader colonense.
Due to the violent actions raised in the last hours in Colon, the bishop of the diocese of the province, Audilio Aguilar called sanity and tolerance to the various sectors involved in this situation.
When initiated demonstrations in Colon, at about 7 am, in the capital city of the Republic president, Ricardo Martinelli, accused a Palestinian lawyer Walid name of being behind the protests, even linked him to drug trafficking and Colombian guerrillas.
"We are going to start a process, it is possible to revoke citizenship and deport him," said Martinelli, while the Director of Immigration, Javier Carrillo declined to comment on the issue.
Hours later the lawyer Walid Zayed acknowledged that the president was referring to him, but said it strange accusations against him.
Another who made accusations about inciting violence in Colon was the president of the National Assembly, Sergio Gálvez, who said that a candidate for Congress for the Panamanian Party was also trying to destabilize the province.
The controversial bill passed Friday in the third debate in less than an hour and in the afternoon it became Law 72, after being sanctioned by the president and published in Official Gazette.
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