PRESIDENT Juan Carlos Varela remains unapologetic for his snap decision to declare  Wednesday, Oct .11 a public holiday because Panama’s soccer team qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

“I am happy when the people are happy,” he said on Friday, Oct. 20 when questioned about the lawsuit presented to the Supreme Court by the Libertad Foundation calling for the annulment of the executive decree which ordered the closure of private offices after the classification of the team.

Varela explained that he left the stadium on October 10 at 10:30 p.m. and at midnight cars were not moving.

“Those who question the free day decree do not know that many are up at 3:00 a.m. to arrive at work at 7:00 a.m. "

However, "people celebrated the triumph of Panama in the streets, it was a difficult decision which I took,  - if I had to do it again, I would,” he said.

Varela made his comments during a tour of the Barú, district in Chiriquí.

The Freedom Foundation asked the magistrates to declare the  decree signed by Varela and Labor Minister, Luis Ernesto Carles "null and illegal."

The decree was criticized by business groups, faced with extra payments, The Colon Free Zone already suffering from slowdowns,  logistic centers, faced with delayed or canceled deliveries and hospitals and patients where thousands of medical appointments and surgeries had to be re-scheduled.