P. 2 - LA PLAYA
JUNE / JUNIO 2014
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JUAN CARLOS VARELA’S PROMISES
NEW LUXURY HOME
in SAN JOSE
By Aníbal Díaz
J
uan Carlos Varela, belonging to
the Panameñista Party, has
been elected to be the next
president of Panama. During his
electoral campaign, Varela made an
alliance with “El Partido Popular” (The
Popular Party).
They called the
alliance “El Pueblo Primero” (the
people first).
As power begins to shift to Varela’s
administration, the working alliance with
The Popular Party remains strong.
Varela’s team has presented the
governmental proposals using the same
slogan, “El Pueblo Primero.” While the
new government’s promises are many,
among them are the following:
Price controls in the basic basket
Juan Carlos Varela has promised he
will sign an executive decree that will
freeze the price of 22 products in the
Basic Basket. These price freezes
could result in a monthly savings of
about $58.00 per family. The 22
products listed in the basic basket
include meat, dairy, eggs, vegetables,
rice, lentils, and more. We have
already begun to see the cost of basic
food items becoming inflated in some
supermarkets, due to speculation of
coming restrictions.
Basic Health
Varela intends to support the Basic
Health Project, “100% potable water /
zero latrines.” This project aims to
provide the entire country with a
24-hour potable water service. Today,
according to Panameñista Party
statistics, only 66% of the population
has a 24-hour potable water supply.
Moreover, the project will focus on the
elimination of latrines. A key goal in
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published monthly in English with
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distributed to restaurants, hotels and
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El Valle.
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a community news, events and
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Our office is located at El Rincon del
this plan is to replace
latrines
with
hygienic
bathrooms in more than
300
thousand
homes
nationwide.
The newly
elected President said he
would personally follow
this project to make sure
its goals are accomplished.
Fourth Bridge over the Panama
Canal
Part of Juan Carlos Varela’s electoral
platform was the construction of the
fourth bridge over the Panama Canal.
This will be the fourth, not the third
bridge, as The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) will build the third bridge
near the Gatún floodgates on the
Atlantic end of the Canal, near Colón.
Bilingual Education
Juan Carlos Varela promises “Better
Opportunities” for all students. This
project
intends
boost
English
language studies in all public schools
throughout the Republic of Panama.
Decentralization of the Country
Varela has promised to increase the
decentralization of the country. One
of the biggest administrative problems
Panama faces is that districts nationwide are too dependent on the central
government. This can be inefficient
and costly in handling municipal
problems. By decentralizing these
activities, municipalities will acquire
more autonomy over their own
resources. More independence with
resources and in managing institutions that provide public services,
municipal powers could become more
efficient.
Universal Scholarship and $120 at
age 65
Varela promises to continue the
Universal
Scholarship
program
started by Ricardo Martinelli’s government and extend it to reach college
students. He also promises to lower
the minimum age required to become
a beneficiary of the program.
Panama’s Metro Lines 2 and 3
Juan Carlos Varela plans to continue
construction on Panama’s Metro. He
will spend his fourth day in charge
(July 4) in Arraiján, announcing the
commencement of lines 2 and 3 of the
country’s metro system.
Construction
of
Permanent
Markets
With this project, Varela promises to
build more permanent food markets to
increase
competition,
providing
quality food and lower food prices.
Farmers Support
Juan Carlos Varela has promised
support of Panama’s agricultural
sector. In his proposal to offer farmers
support, Varela aims to not only
upturn farm production, but also to
increase the quality of their products.
The agricultural sector has witness a
radical decrease in production, and
this has caused a dependence on
imported products.
Chef Plaza in Coronado on Roberto
Eisenmann Drive. Hours: Monday –
Friday 10:00am – 4:00 pm.
Phone: 344-7505
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ACERCA DE NOSOTROS
La Playa Community News es
publicado mensualmente en Inglés y
Español. Copias gratis son distribuidas en restaurantes, hoteles y
lugares populares a travéz de las
playas desde Punta Chame hasta
Rio Hato y El Valle.
Constituent Assembly
One of the most ambitious projects to
be taken on by Juan Carlos Varela is
the proposal of a Parallel Constituent
Assembly. This assembly’s aim would
be reforming the current Political
Constitution of 1972. Two years ago,
the Martinelli government had asked
prominent political science experts Ѽ)