You may have been seeing and hearing around Panama, many trucks and cars honking horns, loaded up with kids, teens, pets and balloons, shouting and singing and having a great time.  It is election time in Panama.  The most recent Presidential Debate happened last night.  Outside the building, a few meters ahead of the first security fence, two batucadas happened. (lots of drumming and music noises).  That takes us back to the era of the Popular Party candidate Martin Torrijos. The other was from the Democratic Change candidate Rómulo Roux. It seemed like a competition as to who could make the most noise.

José Gabriel Carrizo, candidate of the ruling Democratic Revolutionary Party, was the last candidate to arrive. He appeared 20 minutes before 7:30 pm. He was not present in the room when they took the official photo of the event.   The clock struck 7:30 pm when Roux, Gordón, Arrocha, Carrizo, Torrijos, Lombana and Zulay Rodríguez took their positions. The order was determined in a draw on February 27.  Roux could be seen reviewing his notes. Gordon looked at the audience without any major nerves. Arrocha, who was also reviewing his notes, looked calm. He made eye contact when the other candidates intervened, sometimes turning his body toward them. Carrizo's body language said something else: disinterest and nervousness. At times he crossed his arms and moved his left foot non-stop. Torrijos also looked at the audience and seemed relaxed. Lombana began swaying back and forth, a movement of apparent nerves seen in other debates that he lost as his interventions progressed.  Rodríguez, who had a book on the podium that she read from time to time, took notes, and reviewed notes written in a pink notebook. 

It takes “will,” Roux said. Gordon wants a “dignified life” because “everyone has been in government.”  Carrizo began his intervention as usual, thanking “God and the Virgin.” Lombana and Rodríguez spoke of eliminating “monopolies” and “oligopolies.” Among the few specific attacks, all without mentioning names, some drew attention: when Lombana used one of his interventions in the second block to question the millions and millions proposed by some of his opponents. “This looked like an auction for Promtur,” he said.  Arrocha said that during his government he would not allow the closure of streets. Rodríguez, who is also a candidate for mayor of San Miguelito, came to shouts in her last intervention to ask again for a cable car to be built in that township.  Carrizo said that despite the fact that Panama lost its investment grade last week, “we are doing well.”  Panama is a country as safe as or safer than France,” Carrizo said before the cameras. “How are you going to say that we are not doing well if Panama grew 7.3%…”  “Panama is not a country that is doing badly as they want to say, Panama is a country that is moving forward.”