Furniture removers  and staff from the Judicial Branch were at the Balboa Theater on Monday, May 31  setting the stage  for some live courtroom  drama after an agreement was reached with the Ministry of Culture (Micultura) for the use of the theater to hold hearings with a large number of defendants and lawyers

Sources of the Judicial Branch said that the entity does not have adequate facilities to carry out processes with a large number of people and that for this an understanding was reached with Micultura.

The situation provoked a protest by the Association of Teachers of Panama, who claim that they had a prior agreement with Micultura to use the Balboa Theater until December 2021, but they were informed that they will no longer be able to use the facilities.

The Judicial Branch has not specified what processes would take place in the theater, but Lava Jato - which has a hearing scheduled for June 1, could be the curtain-raiser. 

New Business, Blue Apple, and Odebrecht which have large numbers of defendants plus their lawyers and media are expected to top the bill in the months ahead.