An event of huge significance to expats

[Tony Orta]

Even as the elections are unfolding, it appears that the citizenry of Panama is electing a new President.
It also appears they are about to elect a person who does not believe in huge government, entitlements,
and who favors free enterprise, individual responsibility, and a republican form of goverment.
This is also bucking the trend of American continental governments, where the USA, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Brazil,
Ecuador, Bolivia and even Costa Rica have taken hard turns to the left and to a pro socialistic form of government.
This, if confirmed, will be yet another, and very large reason, why I have chosen to move to Panama.
It may be an island of freedom in the continent.
Tony Orta

[Ellen Ring]

Your comments on Martinelli are complete 180 to my understanding of him. Please do tell me why you think he is more than a pawn.
Quick example: He wants to help public schools. Isn't that the same thing that turned the USA into a bunch of blubbering, under-educated, medicated idiots? Government said, 'Oh education needs our help' and now we're dumbed- down so that few peoples' voices are powerful enough to be heard through the storm.
Folks say that when it's cold in New York, he wears a coat. We've seen that Obama eloquently says one thing and does the exact opposite, aren't they supporters of Martinelli? Personally, I don't like Balbina much, but why I was willing to support PRD is because the US seemed not to support her. Actually, it seemed as though they supported her until Martinelli came onto the scene. I think it's because she's too much of an individual un-controllable like Noriega became.
Please share your view.

Furthermore, I'm concerned that because he's a businessman with only 5 years to get-er-done, he'll abandon prudence in building, accept foreign creditors, cow-tow to bank globalization and privacy, continue the big development, which will inflate prices, create debt, and cause a bubble and eminent collapse.

Fortunately, it seems like Panama could pay off it's debt, but the G20 focus was on giving credit to 3rd world countries, handing them the book on global banking relations,and the default agreement says that the country has to give up their natural resources. The profits to the banks will be extracted from the people in the form of taxes. What makes you think Martinelli won't cow-tow?

We all moved here for the same reasons. Please tell me how you came to this understanding. Perhaps it would help me sleep better.

[Lee Zeltzer]

Tony you are correct. The people of Panama have spoken against corruption and the past. The majority have hopes that the next five years will be a vast improvement over the past.