Colosso to be demolished

PANAMA. The historic Juan Demostenes Arosemena baseball stadium is to be knocked down and replaced with 1,000 homes for Curundu families, said President Ricardo Martinelli on Saturday.

He said that the stadium had to go soon so that construction work on the houses could begin, but that a new stadium would be rebuilt close by.

The stadium has made news headlines recently because of its dilapidated condition and the need for improved maintenance, despite the renovations carried out just six years ago.

A recent clean-up campaign failed to make significant improvements.

The Coloso de Cabo Verde, as it is known, was built in 1938 for the Central American and Caribbean games and hosted the Pan-American Major League baseball tournament in 2003.

The stadium was named after President Juan Demostenes Areosemena who died in 1939, the same year that he was elected.

Martinelli was speaking at his first town hall meeting organized by the Community Development Program (PRODEC) with representatives from Pablo Nuevo, Santa Ana, Calidonia, San Felipe and Curundu.

Besides the demolition of the stadium, Martinelli also discussed the creation of all weather basketball courts, improved parks and avenues and parking spaces.

He said that the Bay of Panama cleaning project will mean that: “by 2014 Panamanians will even be able to swim there.”

“Politicians always talk about helping the poor, building up infrastructure, improving roads and security, of the cost of living, and then when they get into power they forget everything they promised,” he said.

“We are going to fulfill the promises made to a forgotten people,” he said, referring to projects that were approved by PRODEC in 2007 but still have not been implemented.

He said that his government would oversee the projects approved by PRODEC to ensure that they are carried out honestly, transparently and rapidly.

Martinelli is crusading to put those involved in corruption behind bars and to increase taxes on businesses.