Amid tensions deriving from public surveys on the issue, which also triggered streets protests that reached the town of Changuinola, in the western province of Bocas del Toro, the Legislature is left with only 20 days until the closing of extraordinary sessions to address this matter.

Mendez assured that organized grass-roots groups will not allow the CSS financial reserves be transferred to banks, pension administrators or insurance companies and are determined to stop the process of privatizing the only public entity that serves retirees.

He also denounced the media campaign that seeks to show differences between the current President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino – one of the bill promoters – and former president Ricardo Martinelli (2009-2014), sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for money laundering and sheltered in the Nicaraguan embassy since February 7.

“It is not true that Martinelli is behind the people’s demonstrations against Bill 163,” he said, and commented that the disputes between Mulino and Martinelli derive from the general elections last May, in which the former – he said- managed to get to the presidency by virtue of a multimillion-dollar backing.

For his part, the general secretary of the National Confederation of Independent Trade Union Unity (Conusi), Marco Andrade, indicated they are in contact with lawmakers from different parties, such as the Democratic Revolutionary Party, to brief them on grass-roots proposals and attempt to rescue decent pensions and better medical benefits.

“We are committed to the solidarity system in the payment of pensions and we demand that Bill 163 in its current version be withdrawn from the National Assembly (unicameral parliament), because it threatens the well-being, now and in the future, of workers and their families.

ied/arc/ga