According to a statement from the Archdiocese of Panama, the National Alliance for the Rights of the Organized People, organized groups from the original Ngäbe Bugle region and the United People for Life alliance, in the capital, decided to send their representatives to the talks.

The President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo, expressed the willingness of the Executive Branch to participate in the negotiations, under the pressure of a wave of demonstrations against the high cost of living, which has already entered its third week.

The Archbishop of Panama will serve as facilitator of the talks to discuss a list of demands, including the skyrocketing prices of fuel, food, medicine and electricity rates.

Among the demands of the groups on strike is also the issue of a general increase in wages, dedicating six percent of the Gross Domestic Product to education, and measures to combat corruption in the country were added in the last few hours.

The Church, faced with the emergency situation suffered by the populations, both in the countryside and in the cities, is encouraging all the participants in the dialogue to show “signs of good will” and to build consensus in a climate of peace, having as its center social justice and the common good, indicates the official note.

The idea of the single table arose after the failed agreement between the Executive and the National Alliance for the Rights of the Organized People, signed last July 17th, in which they agreed to freeze the price of fuel at $3.25 per gallon (3.78 liters), effective starting this Tuesday.

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