[Onthebarricades] PANAMA: Workers revolt after police shooting

[Andy]

*  Protest in Panama City after police shoot trade union activist in 
suspected imitation of Colombian murders
*  Workers went on strike and blocked roads with burning tyres
*  Protesters clashed with police in protests over several days
*  Workers have been on strike over lax safety standards in Panama's booming 
building sector
*  Hundreds were arrested off building sites in police retaliation

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/PAN01.htm

PWNED PLZ

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15367402.htm

Panama workers, police clash; hundreds arrested
15 Feb 2008 20:35:54 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Updates arrests, adds detail)
PANAMA CITY, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Nearly 300 protesters were arrested in 
Panama on Friday as construction workers clashed with police for the third 
day running over the shooting death of a fellow worker earlier this week.
A dozen police were injured in Friday's protest, which kept much of the 
capital paralyzed, with piles of tires burning on busy roads and highways 
across the city.
Police reported 286 arrests, bringing the number of people detained since 
Tuesday to around 780, police said.
Protesters also threw stones at riot police in the affluent Paitilla area of 
the city, home to many of Panama's glass-covered skyscrapers, local 
television images showed.
It was the latest in a series of clashes since the fatal shooting of a 
construction worker from the SUNTRACS union during a demonstration on 
Tuesday over safety conditions.
A construction boom has boosted the country's economy and created a 
shimmering skyline in Panama City, but union members have been protesting at 
they say are lax safety standards at the city's many building sites.
SUNTRACS leaders accuse the police of killing Airomi Smith, a union leader, 
during Tuesday's confrontation as part of an orchestrated campaign. The 
government says it will investigate.
Speaking to RPC TV on Friday, Panama City Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro called 
for calm and for the union to return to the negotiating table.
Hundreds of workers marched to the presidential palace late on Thursday to 
present a series of demands to the government.
They called for new laws governing building-site safety and the resignation 
of the minister of justice and the head of the national police force. 
(Reporting by Andrew Beatty)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15550675.htm

Panama construction workers, police clash again
15 Feb 2008 14:43:33 GMT
Source: Reuters
PANAMA CITY, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Panamanian construction workers clashed 
violently with police and blocked major roads on Friday, the third day of 
protests that have paralyzed the capital since the death of a worker earlier 
this week.
Local television showed piles of tires burning on roads and highways across 
the capital that would ordinarily be choked with rush hour traffic.
Protesters also threw stones at riot police in the affluent Paitilla area of 
the city, home to many of Panama's glass-covered skyscrapers.
It is the latest in a series of clashes since the fatal shooting of a 
construction worker from the SUNTRACS union on Tuesday during a protest.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13393570.htm

Panama unions clash with police over shooting death
14 Feb 2008 00:57:11 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds detail and byline; updates number arrested)
By Andrew Beatty
PANAMA CITY, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Panamanian construction workers clashed with 
police on Wednesday, and nearly 200 people were arrested, after the fatal 
shooting of a labor leader inflamed tensions over building site safety 
concerns.
Officials said 193 people were arrested and 10 police officers injured in 
clashes across the capital, after a worker was shot dead during a protest on 
Tuesday.
A construction boom has boosted Panama's economy and created a shimmering 
skyline in Panama City, but members of the SUNTRACS construction workers 
union have taken to the streets in recent months to protest what they say 
are lax safety standards at the city's many building sites.
On Wednesday, hundreds of carpenters and brick masons took to the streets. 
Many hurled rocks at police, who fired tear gas canisters and doused the 
protesters with water cannons.
Police carried injured officers away from the melee as piles of tires burned 
in the streets.
The union says police shot dead Airomi Smith, a union leader, in the 
province of Colon during a confrontation with workers on Tuesday. Images of 
the incident broadcast on local television showed a police officer shooting 
his weapon after a scuffle with workers.
Justice Minister Daniel Delgado said the government would investigate the 
shooting and appealed for calm.
"The government ... deplores the death of a Panamanian citizen," he told a 
news conference, but added: "The situation is intolerable. It is putting the 
safety of Panamanians at risk. It is not possible for it to continue."
Wednesday's clashes left debris strewn across many of Panama City's main 
thoroughfares, with sirens from emergency vehicles blaring for much of the 
day.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13385110.htm

Panama unions clash with police over shooting death
13 Feb 2008 22:39:16 GMT
Source: Reuters
PANAMA CITY, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Panamanian construction workers clashed with 
police on Wednesday after the fatal shooting of a labor leader inflamed 
tensions over union complaints of unsafe working conditions at building 
sites.
Police said at least 60 people were arrested and six police officers injured 
in clashes across the capital, after a worker was shot dead during a protest 
on Tuesday.
A construction boom has boosted the economy and created a shimmering skyline 
in Panama City, but members of the SUNTRACS construction workers union have 
taken to the streets in recent months to protest what they say are lax 
safety standards at the city's building sites.
On Wednesday, carpenters and brick masons hurled rocks at police, who doused 
the protesters with water cannons.
The union says police shot dead Airomi Smith, a union leader, in the 
province of Colon during a confrontation with workers on Tuesday. Images of 
the incident broadcast on local television showed a police officer shooting 
his weapon after a scuffle with workers.
Justice Minister Daniel Delgado said the government would investigate the 
shooting and appealed for calm.
"The government ... deplores the death of a Panamanian citizen," he told a 
news conference, but added: "The situation is intolerable. It is putting the 
safety of Panamanians at risk. It is not possible for it to continue."
Wednesday's clashes left debris strewn across many of Panama City's main 
thoroughfares. Sirens from emergency vehicles blared for much of the day and 
there was little traffic on the streets. (Reporting by Andrew Beatty; 
Editing by Jason Lange)

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/185837,hundreds-arrested-in-demonstrations-in-panama.html

Hundreds arrested in demonstrations in Panama
Posted : Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:49:08 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : World
News Alerts by Email click here )

Panama City - Some 478 workers and students were arrested in connection with 
violent protests in Panama, police said Thursday. Genaro Lopez, secretary of 
the construction trade union Suntracs, complained that those arrested 
Wednesday were being kept in isolation. He said authorities had denied 
lawyers access to their clients, in a "violation" of the country's 
constitution.
Relatives of the workers and students arrested in Wednesday's protests 
demanded information on the legal status and physical condition of their 
loved ones.
The Suntracs leadership alleged that many arrested workers had not taken 
part in the protests but were taken into custody when police stormed 
construction sites in Panama City.
Some 25 people - demonstrators and police - were injured in the clashes, in 
the capital and the provinces of Bocas del Toro, Colon, Cocle and Chiriqui.
Lopez said Suntracs union members were indignant following the death of 
worker Iromi Smith, who was shot in the back Tuesday when he took part in a 
protest in the Caribbean city of Colon to demand rules on health, hygiene 
and safety in the industry.
The clashes wreaked havoc in urban areas and caused the destruction of 
bridges, bus-stops, advertising billboards, shop windows and cars.
The authorities confirmed that unknown attackers raided a police station in 
Colon late Wednesday. Four police officers suffered bullet wounds.
Domingo Latorraca, president of the Panamanian Chamber of Commerce, Industry 
and Agriculture, estimated that the clashes have caused more than 12 million 
dollars in damage.
On Thursday, Suntracs planned to march to the seat of the Panamanian 
Presidency to denounce the repression and demand the sacking of National 
Police Chief Rolando Mirones and Interior and Justice Minister Daniel 
Delgado Diamante, whom they blame for the crisis.
Delgado Diamante stressed that the authorities are obligated to guarantee 
public safety and free transit.

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?section=theworld&xfile=data/theworld/2008/february/theworld_february533.xml

Panama construction workers clash with police
(AFP)

16 February 2008

PANAMA CITY - Thousands of construction workers protesting the death of 
three colleagues and demanding higher wages clashed with police Friday in 
Panama City leaving dozens of people injured.
Angry workers brandishing clubs, rocks and crowbars confronted riot police 
armed with tear gas and rubber bullets, blocking traffic on several busy 
streets.
Police said dozens of people were injured and they made several hundred 
arrests.
The demonstrations were part of a week-long, nationwide protest by the 
National Union of Construction Workers (SUNTRACS) that on Tuesday resulted 
in the death by gunfire of union leader Airomi Smith.
Clashes Wednesday left 14 police officers injured and more than 200 people 
arrested.
President Martin Torrijos on Friday called for "dialogue and tolerance," and 
said authorities were investigating Smith's death, who was shot in the back 
by a police officer during a demonstration in Colon, 70 kilomters (43 miles) 
northeast of here.
Attorney General Ana Gomez said a police officer has been arrested and 
charged in Smith's shooting.
The workers are demanding higher wages, better safety regulations - they 
allege 25 workers fell to their death last year - and investigations into 
the death of another two SUNTRACS leaders killed last year.
A union leader said there would be more protests on Saturday and hinted at a 
possible general strike by 80,000 workers that would affect 1,000 
construction sites around the country.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7244758.stm

Construction workers and police clashed in Panama's capital, Panama City, 
over the fatal shooting of a union leader during an earlier protest.

Some students joined the demonstration by hundreds of carpenters and brick 
masons, hurling stones at police.

Police responded by firing tear gas and dousing protesters with jets from 
water cannon.

Protesters blocked roads, while some shopkeepers shut up shop to avoid 
sustaining damage to their property.

Some 500 people were detained and 26 people hurt during the clashes.

The government called for order to be restored in Panama City and other 
towns where protests took place.

Tuesday's death happened during a demonstration led by a builders' union 
over working conditions at building sites in Panama City, which is enjoying 
a construction boom.

http://www.sglnetwork.com/people/mark.friesen/?p=33

Panama Riots
It could take some time for Panama to recover from the past four days of 
intense demonstrations. Construction workers have been battling police in 
both Panama City and Colón (located at the Atlantic end of the canal). The 
high level of emotion and the large areas of both cities affected is not 
something Panama has experienced for many years.
Without actually visiting Panama, I think it would be hard to understand the 
magnitude of the construction boom here. There are nearly 1500 commercial 
construction sites in Panama City. For a country that has a population of 
around 1.5M people, that is one site for every 1000 people in Panama. It 
seems that nearly every family, both rich and poor, has at least one person 
working full-time in the real-estate/construction industry.
Panama has seen its share of street demonstrations. They are mostly 
organized by a few labor unions that represent construction workers. The 
most predominant of these is SUNTRACS, which is the largest construction 
labor union in Panama. The unions and the police have had an understanding 
on how these protests proceed: workers at a particular job site will go out 
on the street and bring traffic to a complete standstill for 30 minutes to 
an hour. They then go back to work. The police's response has been to direct 
traffic around the demonstration. The cooperation between the demonstrators 
and the police even goes so far as to have an informal agreement to clear 
the way for any emergency vehicle - including police cars - if they have 
lights flashing.
That arrangement abruptly came to end Tuesday, when a protest in Colón by 
SUNTRACS' workers somehow got a little out of hand. Two workers were injured 
and transported to a medical clinic. The police show up at the clinic, 
apparently to arrest the two workers. A showdown transpired between union 
members and the police, and one union organizer was shot and killed.
Why that particular protest did not follow the typical modus operandi will 
perhaps never be known. The new Minister of Government and Justice, Daniel 
Delgado Diamante, was installed, in part, because the previous minister was 
perceived as weak when handling these demonstrations. It is possible that 
this was Triple D's (what many in Panama call Diamante) opportunity to show 
a tough hand. It is equally possible that it was an inevitability; given 
enough protests, one was eventually going to turn violent.
What is clear is that any previous gentleman's agreement between police and 
protesters is now moot.
By Wednesday morning there were protests at nearly every SUNTRACS 
construction site in the country. This time, protesters used permanent 
barricades and burning debris to keep streets closed.
Diamante's response was one of force. Throughout Panama City and Colón, 
protesters and police alike exchanged rocks, bricks, tear gas, and rubber 
bullets. The police attempted to respond to every protest, but they were 
badly outnumbered and poorly positioned. The now emboldened demonstrators 
started taking over larger areas than just the usual intersections in front 
of construction sites, and, in some cases, they surrounded police squads who 
were running out of non-lethal ammunition.
While thousands of commuters were stranded for hours, somehow there were no 
additional fatalities on Wednesday.
On Thursday it seemed as if things may have calmed down. Protests were 
scheduled for the evening and remained peaceful. But this was not to last.
This morning, construction workers again snarled traffic throughout Panama 
City. Diamante had seemed to learn his lesson from Wednesday. He picked his 
battles and used overwhelming force.
What is happening now looks more like urban warfare than protests: as police 
arrive at a construction site, the workers leave the street and go back into 
the building. The police surround the building and attempt to take the first 
floor. The workers respond by throwing bricks and bags of cement from the 
upper floors. Once the police gain access, they gradually work their way up 
the floors using tear gas, rubber bullets, and bird shot to subdue the 
workers. The workers are then handcuffed and loaded into buses.
This is being repeated throughout the city, and the demonstrators are 
starting to change tactics in response.
The lasting impact of these demonstrations for Panama could be significant. 
Panama's astounding economic growth has been possible because its reputation 
for stability and safety has attracted foreign investment and tourism.
Representatives from SUNTRACS, the government, and human rights NGOs are 
meeting as I write. The outcome is still unclear, but it will take more than 
one afternoon of talks to repair Panama's image as the sleepy, tropical 
paradise for both travelers and off-shore investors.

http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/newsfeed/2008/02/17/007-star-craig-s-riot-terror-78057-20322528/

007 Star Craig's Riot Terror
Feb 17 2008
BOND star Daniel Craig has been given armed bodyguards to protect him while 
filming in riot-hit Panama City.
Violence erupted last week after police shot dead a union leader and clashes 
forced shooting on 007 flick Quantum Of Solace - due out in November - to 
halt.
The riots are not the first problem to hit the production. Crew members were 
also robbed by locals last month.

http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20080214090613741

Protests and Riots Hurt Tourism and Cause Millions in Losses
Thursday, February 14 2008 @ 09:06 AM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 514
By Mireya Rodríguez for the Panama America - The riots yesterday in Panama 
City and Colon brought serious losses to the economy. Cruise ship activity 
was paralyzed, as was commerce in the Colon Free Trade Zone and tourism in 
general. Jaime Campuzano, manager of the El Panama hotel, said some clients 
called to cancel reservations they had in the restaurant today to celebrate 
Valentine's Day. Other activities within the hotel were delayed because of 
the disturbances, he added. Other hotel owners agreed that these kinds of 
protests damage tourist activity. Some 2,000 passengers on a cruise from 
Miami aboard the MSC Lirica could not enjoy tourist activities in Colon. 
Riots and protests in the area made it impossible and not safe for them to 
go out on the tour that was programmed for them. Augusto Terracina, the 
manager of Aventuas 2000, said the cruise ship was docked at Pier 6 in 
Cristóbal. The passengers aboard the cruise ship were Italian, German and 
French, among other nationalities. These types of situations, said 
Terracina, harm the tourist industry as well as the image of the country. 
There are two cruise ships programmed to arrive on Sunday, and the 2007-2008 
season is only half over. Commercial activity within the Free Zone of 
Columbus was also affected by the disturbances. David Cohen, the President 
of the Users Association said losses are in the millions because in some 
companies workers could not get to their jobs.

http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20080215200428613

New Riot Control Vehicles Take a Beating - First Time Out
Friday, February 15 2008 @ 08:04 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 405
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The Panamanian National Police Unidad 
de Control de Multitudes (UCM) (Riot Control Unit) recently purchased a new 
fleet of Ford F350 vehicles especially hardened for riot control duty. These 
most recent confrontations with striking construction workers were the first 
time they've had a reason to put them to use. And, they really took a 
beating. Several of the vehicles had serious damage from the rocks and 
debris the construciton workers were throwing at the police. At least it was 
the machines taking the damage and not the officers.

http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20080215194725727

Riots in Panama Affect Tourists in Paitilla
Friday, February 15 2008 @ 07:47 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 581
By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Tourists visiting Panama had a 
front-row seat for confrontations between rioting construction workers from 
the Sindicato Único Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de la 
Construcción y Similares (SUNTRACS) and the Panamanian National Police 
Unidad de Control de Multitudes (UCM) (Riot Control Police) in Paitilla this 
morning. There were running battles in front of the Plaza Paitilla Inn all 
morning, with protesters throwing rocks and police returning fire with tear 
gas and rubber bullets. Eventually the UCM gained the upper hand and 
arrested some 350 striking workers

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/pictures/PAN04.htm

Riot police arrest construction workers during a protest in Panama
15 Feb 2008
Source: Reuters

Riot police arrest construction workers during a protest in Panama city 
February 15, 2008. Panamanian construction workers clashed violently with 
police and blocked major roads on Friday, the third day of protests that 
have paralyzed the capital since the death of a worker earlier this week. 
REUTERS/Alberto Lowe (PANAMA)
REUTERS/ALBERTO LOWE
Riot police take cover behind shields during a protest against the death of 
a worker in Panama city February 15, 2008. Panamanian construction workers 
clashed violently with police and blocked major roads on Friday, the third 
day of protests that have paralyzed the capital since the death of a worker 
earlier this week.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5b997540-de7f-11dc-9de3-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

Panama construction strike threat renewed
By Adam Thomson in Panama City
Published: February 19 2008 01:40 | Last updated: February 19 2008 01:40
Panama's largest construction workers' union on Monday renewed its threat to 
call a national strike as part of protests to raise safety conditions on 
building sites, boost the minimum wage and lower basic food prices.
The threat, made by Genaro López, secretary-general of the Suntracs builders' 
union, comes in spite of a presidential decree on Saturday that aims to 
address workers' demands for more rigorous safety standards on most of 
Panama's building sites.
But in an interview on Monday with the Financial Times, Mr López hinted 
strongly that the decree might not be enough: "This protest goes far beyond 
labour safety conditions."
He said his union had called a meeting this Saturday to decide its action.
Some experts fear that a long protest by Suntracs' 50,000 members could 
disrupt a dynamic sector of Latin America's best­ performing economy.
Last year, the country grew 10 per cent, according to official figures 
released this week, about 30 per cent more than initial government estimates 
made at the end of 2006.
Much of that growth was thanks to a construction boom that is transforming 
the Panama City skyline.
According to Samuel Lewis, Panama's vice-president, direct foreign 
investment was expected to have reached $2.5bn by the end of last year.
Mr López's comments follow a week of protest as construction workers took to 
the streets at the beginning of last week. On Wednesday, about 200 union 
members were detained and arrested after Iromi Smith, a colleague, was shot 
dead.
Residents of Panama City and Colón on the country's Atlantic coast, waited 
in anticipation on Monday of further clashes between police and protesters 
at Mr Smith's funeral, on Tuesday in the city of Cólon.

http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20080304171313465

Construction workers lead fight against police murder in Panama
Tuesday, March 04 2008 @ 05:13 PM EST
Contributed by: Don Winner
Views: 289
By Luke Stobart for Socialist Worker - "You were a good son, a good father, 
a good brother and a good husband. I only hope that you give strength to 
your brothers and sisters to keep fighting." Those were the emotive words of 
a grieving mother speaking at the funeral of Al Iromi Smith, a construction 
worker recently killed by police in Panama. Smith was a 28-year old activist 
in the Suntracs union in the city of Colón. He was shot in the back by 
police as he entered hospital after receiving a plastic bullet wound on a 
demonstration. Suntracs is a radical and relatively strong union of 40,000 
members. It had been protesting against the lack of safety on Panama's 
construction sites - last year 25 construction workers were killed at work. 
(more)
Editor's Comment: I publish this piece for those readers out there who do 
not share my views on many political issues. There are, however, a great 
number of simple errors in this article; too many to address in fact. The 
timeline is twisted (as to what happened when), the numbers and economics 
with regards to income and poverty are off, and it's full of inaccuracies 
and misrepresentations of the facts related to the events on the ground. In 
addition, and it's an article whose writer clearly starts out with a 
political position and an agenda. Far from fair or balanced, the author 
clearly wants to win over or influence (so it's not a news report.) 
Whatever. Some people like to read this stuff. So, here you go. Have a great 
time, lap it right up...
(Article Continues)
In response to Smith's death, construction workers blocked the traffic 
across Colón. The police response was yet more repression.
Soon students from Panama State University joined construction workers in 
pitched battles against the police. Dozens of workers were wounded - by real 
and rubber bullets - and hundreds arrested.
Violent scenes showing construction workers and passers-by being subjected 
to savage attacks were broadcast across Panama's TV stations.
Suntracs activists are not treating the incident as an isolated case of 
state violence. Two union leaders were murdered last summer by police 
officers and hired gunmen linked to business organisations.
Earlier this month the union publicly denounced a plot to "selectively kill" 
union leaders - an echo of a common practice in neighbouring Colombia.
Union leaders say the violence is the product of an "increased 
militarisation" of government under Matin Torrijos whose current cabinet 
includes several senior ex-military men.
The protests of construction workers represent much deeper concerns about 
the situation of workers in Panama, the fastest growing Latin American 
economy with an annual growth rate of over 11 percent.
Panama has benefited from a building frenzy, which involves the construction 
of an enormous urban centre around the Panama Canal area.
This is being developed by the British company London & Regional and will 
cost $10 billion. Panama is also the site of increasingly large numbers of 
retirement and second homes, bought mainly by North Americans.
Nevertheless the benefits of economic growth are far from being equally 
shared out. Panama is the second most unequal country in Latin America and 
inequality is rising.
Some 60 percent of the population live in poverty. Nearly half a million 
people out of a population of three million live on less than a dollar a 
day.
Worse still, the welfare state has come under savage attack from the 
neoliberal government of Martín Torrijos, which took office in 2004.
Torrijos has used the popularity of his family name - his father was the 
reforming nationalist dictator Omar Torrijos - to try and push through 
privatisation of pensions and health.
But his attempts have been met with an astonishing resistance that has often 
derailed his plans.
In 2005 Suntracs along with the social security employees' union led a 
month-long general strike against pension "reform". They forced a 90-day 
suspension of the pensions package and major concessions on the retirement 
age.
This year a strike by doctors forced the government to back off from health 
privatisation.
Many recent protests have been coordinated through the united campaign group 
Frenadeso, the National Defence Front for Economic and Social Rights.
One of its leaders, Priscilla Vázquez, is president of the Social Security 
Employees' Association. She says that the group's strength comes from having 
a radical leadership but also involving reformist organisations.
The movement is also strengthened by the class solidarity and politicisation 
of the Panama's trade unions. When Suntracs struck last summer in response 
to the assassinations of two of its leaders, several other major unions 
struck alongside it.
And Suntracs' most recent protest did not just call for labour safety but an 
increase in the minimum wage, control of price rises and even the scrapping 
of environmentally damaging mining projects.
Frenadesco has called a national demonstration on 13 March, and Suntracs' 
national union federation has threatened a general strike if its many 
demands are not met - including the sacking of the government minister 
responsible for law and order.
Frenadesco leader Saul Méndez says that the next step is to build 
"coordination and dialogue" with "sectors of the people" that are mobilising 
over education, health, mining and transport issues. There is currently a 
protest every two days in Panama.
Despite its recent growth, Panama is not a highly developed country. Half of 
its economically active population work in the so-called "informal sector" - 
involved in small trading, street stalls or casual labour.
Yet the Panamanian experience shows that even in such contexts the organised 
working class is able to lead wider social forces and win significant 
victories.
Faced with increased violence by the state, the Panamanian unions deserve 
our wholehearted support.

http://miami.indymedia.org/news/2008/02/10432.php

Panama: SUNTRACS Worker martyred at protest
by ug blog Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008 at 4:32 PM

updates at blog
Colón - The violent repression of Sindicato Único de la Construcción y 
Similares (SUNTRACS: look for earlier posts on more about Panama's radical 
construction union) last August has continued, as a protest in Colón turned 
deadly yesterday, according to the country's major newspapers and the 
SUNTRACS website.

SUNTRACS workers were protesting for safer working conditions and higher 
wages in the Caribbean coast's largest (and predominantly Afro-Panamanian) 
city, when police fired tear gas and then live rounds into the crowd. 
28-year old Airomi Smith Rentería (some newspapers report his name as Iromy 
Smith) was killed.* Félix de León, 24, and Donaldo Pinilla, 28, were 
wounded, and they will survive. More than thirty more workers were arrested, 
though no police were wounded.

Police then issued a warrant for the arrest of the branch leader, Eustaquio 
Méndez, similar to an August warrant for SUNTRACS second-in-command, Saul 
Méndez (who is Eustaquio's brother). Eustaquio Méndez went into hiding.

"These acts are miserable and we know that the government is behind this 
campaign of terror against Suntracs," Méndez said through a spokesman. "They 
have an ongoing campaign to assassinate our leaders...but this will not end 
here." SUNTRACS is calling this a 'dirty campaign', a reference to 'dirty 
wars' in countries across Latin America in the 1960s and 1970s.

Police allege the shots were self-defense as protesters charged at the 
officer. Police chief Rolando Mirones claims that, while the shooting is 
under investigation, the workers initiated the violence, though again, no 
officers were hurt. But in SUNTRACS statements on its website, the blame is 
placed squarely at the central government's calculated effort to repress the 
union.

Rosaura Rentería, Smith's mother, said that she is proud her son was a 
fighter for the working classes, but hurt that he died in this way. And Saul 
Mendez made a statement that "We are not afraid, not of you (Mirones), not 
of Daniel Delgado Diamante (another security official), not of the hitmen 
that they want to contract for these assassinations."

According to the same newspapers, the protests have continued through to 
today, with SUNTRACS members blocking streets around the country. They are 
also remembering Luiyi Argüelles, Osvaldo Lorenzo, and other SUNTRACS 
members recently martyred by police and private security. More actions are 
planned for later today, including a march in the capital from Parque Porras 
to the presidential palace.

* It is common for Panamanians to have Anglo last names, which most often 
means they are descended from Afro-West Indians who came mostly between the 
1850s and 1910s.

Update: Today's Protests

According to newly posted articles, there have been a wave of SUNTRACS 
protests across the country. Waving the red flag of their union, scenes are 
described of praying workers being shot with tear gas, and of footage of 
other workers in other protests throwing stones, sticks, and metal bars at 
police.

Streets and bridges across the country were blockaded, and demonstrators are 
said to have barricaded themselves into wealthy districts in the capital 
where luxury buildings are being built (by them, as it is a construction 
union).

"We have made a call to tolerance and sanity," Panama's President Martin 
Torrijos has pleaded. He added that "violence is not the way to put forward 
demands." And Public Works Minister Benjamin Colamarco (who deals often with 
SUNTRACS and himself was in the 1980s military regime) has red-baited that 
the protests were pre-meditated by Trotskyist groups. SUNTRACS's leadership 
and ideology is openly Marxist, but it is certainly not linked to any 
Trotskyist groups.

Protests took place in Panama City, Colon, San Carlos, Rio Hato, Penonome, 
Santiago de Veraguas and David.

http://www.bwint.org/default.asp?Index=1423&Language=EN

Solidarity campaign Panama: SIGN UP! Trade unionist shot dead - Workers from 
SUNTRACS are arrested

SUNTRACS says police shot dead Hiromi Smith, a trade unionist, in the 
province of Colon during a confrontation with workers on Tuesday 12 February 
2008. Panamanian construction workers clashed with police after the 
shooting. Bro. Hiroshi was demanding health and safety rules at construction 
sites.

Genaro Lopez, secretary of the construction trade union SUNTRACS, complained 
that those arrested were being kept in isolation. Many arrested workers had 
not taken part in the protests but were taken into custody when police 
stormed construction sites in Panama City.

A press release from the national police says that the construction workers 
threw rocks at police. Actually, the police fired tear gas and water cannon 
to disperse the crowd. At least 26 persons were injured and around 500 were 
arrested.

In the recent months, SUNTRACS construction workers union have taken to the 
streets to protest what they say are lax safety standards at the city's 
building sites.

BWI office in Panama has addressed a strong protest message to the President 
Martín Torrrijos protesting at the death of trade unionist Hiromi Smith. In 
his letter to the president, BWI regional representative, Carlos Salguero, 
requests a thorough investigation into the facts put forward by SUNTRACS.

The union had initially called for the demonstrations to protest the cost of 
basic food items and demand greater safety measures in construction.

Take two minutes to help SUNTRACS in its struggle.

http://www.greenleft.org.au/2008/743/38421

Panama: Unionist murdered, repression stepped-up

7 March 2008


@intro2 =Below is a February 29 statement by the International Trade Union 
Confederation, which represents 168 million workers in 155 countries and 
territories and has 311 national affiliates. Visit 
<http://www.ituc-csi.org>.
The ITUC has strongly condemned and denounced the murder on February 12, in 
Colon province, of trade union leader Hiromi Smith from the Sindicato Unico 
Nacional de trabajadores de la Industria de la Construccion y Similares 
(SUNTRACS).

Smith was shot by police anti-riot forces following a protest against unsafe 
working conditions at his place of work. Another two workers, Donaldo 
Pinilla and Eustaquio Smith, were injured.

According to reports on the national TV channel Canal 2, the police used 
tear gas and Smith was shot as he approached the Hugo Spadafora Policlinic 
to seek refuge and medical attention for his colleagues injured during the 
protest. Some 30 workers were arrested during the clashes.

In a letter to the Panamanian authorities, the ITUC recalled that it had 
already written in protest six months ago, following the murder of two 
SUNTRACS activists, Osvaldo Lorenzo Perez and Luigi Antonio Arguelles. This 
was during the union's campaign against safety standard violations, which 
aimed to end the deterioration in working conditions and the wave of deaths 
in the construction sector.

The ITUC, pointing out that nothing has been done to resolve these problems, 
urged the Panamanian authorities to take every possible step to ensure the 
urgent implementation of the safety regulations applicable to the Panamanian 
construction industry, and to end the national police's excessive use of 
force against workers.

"Panama needs to see the opening of a broad dialogue in which all those 
concerned, especially SUNTRACS and the Panamanian Construction Chamber, can 
commit to optimising workers' safety", said Guy Ryder, ITUC general 
secretary. "Panama is under an obligation to respect ILO Conventions 87 and 
98, both of which it has ratified."