Fernando Ábrego, General Secretary of the Teachers Association of Panama (Asoprof) and spokesperson for the Pueblo Unido por la Vida alliance, advised parents not to send their children to school, adding that other organizations might join the strike with street closures. Ábrego emphasized that the protest aims to repeal the government-backed law, which he claims privatizes the CSS and allows its funds to be handed over to banks and pension management companies.

He warned the strike could extend indefinitely until the law is repealed. Teachers are demanding a return to a solidarity-based pension system, rejecting individual accounts and the hidden increase in the retirement age established by the law.

Education Minister Lucy Molinar countered, stating that regular classes would be held on Friday, jrr/jav/mem/ga