POLITICS

Navarro speaks out on Torrijos

Photo: Archives

Navarro and Torrijos together in happier times.

Panama City’s mayor claims Martin failed as president, governing for the oligarchy as he expects Martinelli to do

NEIR CARRASCO/ GUIDO BILBAO

PANAMA. In a recent interview, Panama City mayor Juan Carlos Navarro continued his incessant criticism of President Martin Torrijos and his administration, accusing him of governing for the oligarchy, of betraying the ideals of his father Omar Torrijos, of putting roadblocks to his proper management of the mayoralty, and of disrespecting internal PRD agreements.

According to Navarro, he was asked by the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) to be vice-president in the party ticket last election, and he obliged as a sacrifice for the country and the party. “I felt it was my obligation to do what was in my power, as I effectively did, so we had an opportunity to win.”

The mayor deems catastrophic the goings-on in the PRD and not only from an electoral stand point. “What an irony,” he said, Omar Torrijos took political power away from the oligarchy, and his son’s mistakes returned it (power) to them.” He sees no change in the status quo with the new administration, foreseeing president-elect Ricardo Martinelli as someone who will also rule for the oligarchy.

He claimed that Torrijos father provided the country with security, something he blames Torrijos son of diminishing. “Look what happened in Martin’s five years: we let the country turn into a country of criminals,” he said. Recognizing that under Omar Torrijos’ reign there were without doubt mistakes made, he argued that at least back then this was a safe country.

“The country has turned into no man’s land. Reading the newspaper in the morning is showering in blood.”

According to Navarro, the PRD’s problem, including his, was handing Martin a blank check. “We should have demanded a PRD government, commitment to the social tenets of Torrijismo.”

He disagrees with polls that show Torrijos with a high approval rating, saying he does not share the positive perception of the president. “My impression is that the shortcomings of this government are more evident every passing day.

I would have liked our government to solve the insecurity problem, to leave the State’s coffers in a solid state? to give more support to the local producer? that we had had a transparent administration. as in the mayoralty.”

Similarly, he refutes claims that he started the dirty campaigns and internal rifts within the PRD, saying that the dirtiest campaign was treason, committed by Martin and Balbina. Navarro said Martin and he had agreed in 2003 that Torrijos would run in the 2004 elections and support Navarro in 2009.

He said: “Martin violated it (the verbal agreement), and did not care about the country nor the party. This hurt me because Martin is still Omar Torrijos’ son and if anything characterized Omar was that he was a man of his word, who priced loyalty? Martin lacks what Omar had plenty of.”

As for the mayor’s plans after he leaves office, Navarro says he has no idea: “I was going to take vacations, and now I don’t even know who my successor will be. I never prepared to lose.”

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