April 28, 2020
This morning, I was chatting with my buddy Ron and he asked me, “Dude, where do you get your material from? It’s hilarious!” I hesitated, because I didn’t know if he meant one of the articles that I translate from open news sources or what? Then I realized he meant my stories. “Dude, I AM the material. This stuff really happens to me.” “No way.”, he said. “Prove it!” So, I sent him this photo:
“Yeah man, I still have to wear pants, I’ve got the Lysol and Cloroz on my desk and my wife DID call me a crybaby.”, I told him. “I’ll never doubt you again.”, said Ron.
But I’m heading in the right direction at least in solving the problem. On my 2-hour outing today, I stopped off at the Melo store on Tumba Muerto. It’s one of their largest, more complete Pet/Agro/Gardening stores. My Danish friend Jonas recommended that I get Rimalation for the spawn of Satan issue I’ve had for more than a week now. Instead they recommended that I get Rimpirifos and that it’s safer for birds which were actively tending to hatchlings. “Rimpirifos” sounds like a swear word from “My Little Pony”. Not a very manly name so we’re going to call it the “Annihilator juice”. So, I manhandled the annihilator juice and strolled back towards the cashier when I realized that I totally needed to get some plant food. Actually, I saw it on another shelf and knew that this was the solution to those droopy plants on the side of the house, so I got that too… …and then I really liked this other plant food that appeared to be perfect for our Papaya plants. Of course, not wanting to look like I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, I got both of them. Aaaaaand bird seed. You can never have enough bird seed, am I right? I decided to choose wisely. Buying birdseed is a serious issue. This particular bag seemed to have the right blend of that stuff and the other stuff. In my mind, hopefully some bird in my neighborhood will like at least one of the types of the seed or grain that this bag holds. Oh hey, did someone say “seed”? I should really try to grow something again from seed. But this time, I promise that they would come to fruition, turn into a plant and then die. This time is going to be totally different. Now let’s see, lettuce, tomato, green beans.. …who grows green beans in Panama? At that point I realized that I couldn’t carry anymore unless I had a cart. Then I woke from my spell. How did I go from going for just one thing, to buying five things? Well, my wife wasn’t there to tell me to stop it, that’s how! This is all MINSA’s fault and their separation of the sexes. Men need guidance and supervision. We pretend that we don’t but it’s all a farce. Anyways, this was my bounty from Melo today:
CIVIL WAR
I suggested recently on a really cool whatsapp group out of Pedasi, that Panama was on its way to a Civil War. Maybe I exaggerated in my use of terminology, but Panama is definitely heading in the direction of a serious internal conflict. Countries like Panama become engaged in conflict all the time. There are several politically motivated groups in Panama that are either linked to international Labor Unions, Extreme Left-Wing Socialist Regimes such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Cuba… It’s a source of income mostly for them. They get paid a good amount of money in support of ideals that are painted as being aligned with the good of the workers, but the true end result is to maintain instability to negotiate deals and remain fat. But even these groups have stepped to the side as one Union Leader stated, “even we weren’t ready for this”.
The main causes of civil war start with Political Deprivation. How more deprived can you get than to force everyone on lockdown, shut down the corporations that employ hundreds of thousands of formal workers, initiate a quarantine that keeps informal workers from earning their basic $20.00 a day. Many of the informal workers go straight to the “chinito” after cutting grass all day to buy a can of tuna, crackers and a few beers. And, now you’ve even taken the beer away from them!
Don’t get me wrong, I am completely on board with the lockdown as we’re trying to mitigate the worldwide effects of the Coronavirus. But, you can’t just take jobs away from these paycheck-to-paycheck earners and expect them to survive magically for months. The way to mitigate this is to distribute food or to put cold hard cash in their hands and allow them to buy the food that they want. Panama did start a great system of packaging hundreds of thousands of bags of food and millions of dollars in “bonos” to hand out to “those in need”. However, “those in need” ended up being sympathizers, friends and family members of the PRD. Hundreds of people, if not thousands of people watched as food was distributed only to those who were signed on as PRD members. If this doesn’t provide another plausible motivation to resort to violence, I don’t know what does. There are now any number of photos and videos of burning tires, threats and vulgarities, but today I saw a video that was exactly what needed to be said, albeit in a very local slang.
“With all respect that you deserve Nelson Vergara (Representative of the 24 de Diciembre area), everything that is happening here is that the people, we’re lacking food, milk, diapers, we barely have enough water to stop the fatigue, what we’re doing here is waiting on getting what’s due to us, this isn’t about the ‘common good’ or because ‘so-and-so voted for you’, here everyone one of us has needs, all of us have needs, we need food, milk, diapers. And don’t think that you’re just going to ‘send someone’, you need to be here, and the same goes for Nito, Nito needs to show his face to the people, and until that happens, we have everything shut down, all the way from Ferreterria de Dia, Cabra, Felipillo, Nueva Esperanza (Uptown), Nueva Esperanza (Downtown) and this is one of the main streets of ‘Cabra’, and we’re not opening it. We’ll be here until 8pm, 9pm at night, and we’re not opening it up. So, either show up or I don’t now what’s going to happen here. We want solutions, if you don’t show up, I don’t know what’s going to happen here. We’re calm, pacific and we haven’t caused any problems, or created any scandals, but please for the love of God, show your faces to your people, we would really appreciate it, thank you.”
A week ago, the representative of this area, the 24 de diciembre area, Nelson Vergara, explained to the people living in this township how the solidarity bond plan issued by the Government is being carried out, in the midst of the fight against the global pandemic COVID-19. He detailed how thousands of bags of food had already been distributed and how $40 food bonds were being handed out as well. The problem? Nelson Vergara did not personally over see this project and the majority of the bags went to PRD members only. Since then, no more food, no more $40 bonos.
This incident took place in one small, apparently insignificant (to the politicians) area of the world, somewhere past the Tocumen airport, but not quite arriving to Pacora. But this incident is the same thing that’s happening in every single sector of the country.
Today though, people got angrier than usual. More people were out on the streets demanding a response from the local government.
We may not be in for a full–on 12-year Civil War, but civil unrest is only going to get worse and could lead to a major change in the higher echelon and yet another failed PRD government. Some of the government ministers have already jumped ship. They couldn’t take the pressure of doing their job in times of crisis. Not many can and only the strong will survive as it is in any such environment. It’s an easy job to command when all you have to do is look pretty for the cameras, but when you actually have to do something to keep your country alive, only true leaders will make it the full term.
TOP NEWS and TIDBITS
INCREASE IN COVID-19 CASES MAKES ITDIFFICULT FOR HEALTH AUTHORITIES TO DEFINE QUARANTINE SURVEY
Although there is still no definite date to start the gradual lifting of the quarantine in Panama, the health authorities remain in a day-to-day evaluation process of how cases are registered, according to Health Minister Rosario Turner, who said that we have not yet finished the pandemic time. “We are not normal, we are in an evaluation process of how cases are registered in the country on a daily basis and the pertinent estimates, we committed ourselves to presenting reality and the preliminary report we have is that the RT is at 1.1”, said the head of health, after this the effective reproduction rate, increased again. As the epidemiologist Xavier Sáez-Llorens published on his Twitter account,
“we must have an army of tracers, health promoters, in communities and companies, to track each new case and their contacts early, so that once the quarantine is lifted that still has an undefined date, we will not exceed the capacity of the health system at any time ”.
He also indicated that the protection and physical distancing of people at risk to save lives should be maximized, remembering that the season of influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is coming in the case of children, annual epidemics that will compete with COVID- 19, for hospital resources. So it is of utmost importance that we do not let our guard down. For her part, Gladys Guerrero, coordinator of nosocomial diseases of the Social Security Fund, explained that the necessary evaluations are being carried out since keeping the number of tests as constant as possible, very similar day by day, will be the way in which we can see really when the curve stabilizes us. “If these tests are kept constant, you can see at what point, despite the fact that in number they are almost the same, the number of cases begins to drop and that is what we need to do to evaluate this behavior that we have.”
He insisted that the measure of staying at home is necessary, and although it is difficult, it is part of what is needed along with the rest of the measures. “The provinces that are most affected are where daily the security ministry indicates that it is where the greatest noncompliants are, our behavior and what we do is coupled with what is happening. If you have to go out, remember to comply with the measures, such as the use of masks, frequent hand washing, and practice physical distancing,” emphasized Dr. Guerrero this morning in Telemetro Reporta. Currently we have that, the greater the number of tests, the greater the number of cases detected, in order to gradually lift the quarantine, we must have a greater number of tests, fewer cases, which means that cases begin to decrease despite the greater number of tests being done. He also explained that you have to go preparing for when that moment comes, that there is an established plan of how this uprising will be, that does not mean that there is a date, you have to do many evaluations, see the behavior.
“That is the first draft, and if changes need to be made, a second draft must be made, until you have a plan. See that the workplace is part of the answer, where you have to establish strategies and train staff on the subject Forprevention, have workers who are vigilant to ensure that workplaces do not become places where there is a regrowth and the number of cases reappear.
RESIGNATION OF VICE MINISTER OF THE PRESIDENCY WILL NOT STOP INVESTIGATIONS OF THE MP FOR THE PURCHASE OF FANS
The resignation of Juan Carlos Muñoz as vice minister of the Presidency will not stop the investigations that the Public Ministry (MP) has undertaken, to determine whether or not there was a crime related to the acquisition of 100 fans for a price of 48 thousand dollars each, as confirmed by the Attorney General of the Nation, Eduardo Ulloa. According to Ulloa, the MP has a constitutional and legal obligation to carry out investigations from the moment he receives news of acts of possible commission of a crime. However, he made it clear that the opening of an investigation does not mean that a trial is already underway in the case. The Attorney General of the Nation assured that, for two weeks, he has asked officials to redouble their efforts so that resources in the midst of the pandemic are managed transparently. He explained that in this sense the facts that have occurred, the circumstances in which they occurred, the commission or not of a crime, the related persons will be investigated and generally covers the entire environment in which the negotiations and resignation were carried out Deputy Minister will not affect the course of the investigation. The person in charge of it is the MP Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and in principle it is carried out on the act and the facts that are given along with the documentation will show which officials would be linked to the case. He maintained that other investigations have been opened, such as the purchase of masks by the National Assembly, a contract from the Mayor’s Office of San Miguelito, the distribution of medicines by the Social Security Fund, among others.
544 THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BENEFITED WITH FINANCIAL RELIEF MEASURES
Aimeé Sentmat de Grimaldo, president of the Board of Directors of the Banking Association, said that according to data reported by the Superintendency of Banks of Panama, as of April 20, some 544 thousand people and 12 thousand companies have benefited from financial relief measures by the crisis generated by the pandemic of the new coronavirus COVID-19.
MITRADEL REPORTS MORE THAN 96 THOUSAND SUSPENDED CONTRACTS
The Minister of Labor and Labor Development (Mitradel), Doris Zapata reported that, until the cut of this April 27, 96 thousand 481 labor contracts were suspended. Zapata said that in total they have responded to the requests of some 5,515 companies.
CORTIZO ANNOUNCES THAT THIS WEEK, BONOSWILL BE PAID AND AVAILABLE USING YOUR ID
President Laurentino Cortizo said they will make the first payments of the solidarity bond this week using the barcode of the beneficiary’s personal identity card.
In his Twitter account, the president announced that he met with his team in order to adjust the last details for the implementation of the first phase of the mass transfer using the barcode of the beneficiary’s identity card.
He indicated that this payment will be “a monthly relief” for many people financially affected by the crisis of the new coronavirus.
“The government has successfully carried out tests among more than a thousand beneficiaries of the Cerro Silvestre township, Arraiján district, Panamá Oeste province, to make the solidarity bond effective in businesses through the use of the bar code of the ID card. personal identity”, highlights a statement from the Presidency. In addition to the solidarity bond, the government, through the Panama Solidarity Plan, carries out the delivery of food bags to people affected by the crisis in the regions of rural Panama, the Panama of the neighborhoods and in the regions.
Through Executive Decree No. 400 of March 27, 2020, the Government created the Panama Solidarity Plan, which manages aid to Panamanians whose economy has been affected by the national emergency declared by the new coronavirus.
Brett’s comments: Who wants to take a wild guess at what the next corruption scandal is going to be? Will it be about that one guy who is still working, but gets money from the government anyways? Nah, that’s too small and pathetic. I know, there’s going to be a politician who CHARGES people a certain small figure to ensure they get in to the system. “Hey, you want that $80 bond each month? All you have to do is give me $10 and you’re in!” This is certain to happen in some ultra-poor, densely populated area like San Miguelito that will have several of these guys competing to get “clients”. That, or the system will be severely flawed. I hate to sound like Mr Negative, but this has been the norm for the past month now.
COLON AND CHIRIQUÍ PROTESTS ARE REGISTERED FOR DELIVERY OF BONUSES AND FOOD BAGS
A series of protests were registered in the province of Colón and Chiriquí, by residents of some communities who point out that there is selectivity and non-delivery of the bonds or food bags of the Panama Solidario program, which is implemented by the National Government due to the pandemic by COVID-19. In the province of Colón there were several sectors where protests took place. People claim that there is selectivity in the delivery of government aid. Irasema De Dale, governor of the province of Colón, points out that in many cases people are detected who already receive other types of government subsidies such as: Ángel Guardián, 120 at 65 or the Universal Grant, among others. De Dale points out that the bonds and bags are for people who are not receiving income.
In Chiriquí, residents of various towns in the district of David, the capital of the province, protested requesting the quicker delivery of the voucher or food bags. People say that the data has been taken for two weeks, but that the authorities indicate that they should continue waiting. The provincial authorities reported that aid from the Panama Solidario program is delivered from house to house.
ASSEMBLY REJECTS PROJECT THAT PENALIZES DISOBEDIENCE ON ISOLATION MEASURES
The Government Commission of the National Assembly unanimously rejected a bill that criminalizes the disobedience of isolation measures and the mandatory curfew or quarantine due to the pandemic. The deputies that make up the commission, in their session on Tuesday, April 28, considered that the proposal was extreme and that the Penal Code already contemplates sanctions for violators of these measures. The Government Commission was responsible for discussing the initiative in the first debate. The proposal had been presented last week by the Minister of Government, Janaina Tewaney Mencomo, who stated that the project is due to the importance of preserving the health of the general population, in a situation at the time of the coronavirus pandemic that the country is experiencing. and the world. “I am surprised that this is the response of the authorities to the pandemic,” said independent deputy Gabriel Silva, who considered that the initiative did not respond to the “true citizen clamor” in the midst of the pandemic: food, security and not lose jobs. “The perception of the Executive is not consistent with what is happening in reality,” said Silva, after explaining that, although there are “irresponsible” people who violate the quarantine, others are forced not to respect it, because they have to resolve their basic needs. While Leandro Ávila, deputy of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) and president of the Government Commission, argued that the project was short, but “hard”, and reiterated that this measure is already in the Penal Code.
Ávila spoke of the need for the government to take measures to “gradually” return economic activity to normal. “The one who works is the one who is suffering. This project is totally inconvenient,” he added. No one from the Ministry of Government was in the session that the commission held on Tuesday. The project contemplated the addition to Title IX of the Penal Code, Chapter IV on crimes against public health, an article “to sanction people who neglect the curfew and quarantine isolation measure, which the competent health authorities enact as a result of a declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization and to prevent the spread of a virus, epidemic or even the spread of the pandemic itself that threatens the peace of the public order to the inhabitants or residents, creating a danger in the spread of the disease. “
Tewaney alleged that, despite the quarantine, a breach of the social isolation measures continues to be observed. This situation said “it puts the population in general at risk”, in addition to the fact that there is an obvious burnout of the personnel of the security establishments, which are the ones that ensure that the measures imposed are complied with.
GORGAS LEADS STUDY WITH BRITISH
A team of scientists from the Gorgas Commemorative Institute for Health Studies (ICGES), together with British doctors, joined forces to carry out a study that seeks to establish the sustainability of measures to contain, mitigate and suppress the Covid-19 epidemic in Panama. and its impact on the severity and dynamics of the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Gorgas scientist Jean Paul Carrera explained that British researchers Christl Donnelly and Nuno Faria will participate in the project. Both scientists have experience in infectious diseases and are advisers to the World Health Organization in epidemic control. The study, which will begin next May, will focus on the provinces of Panama, Veraguas and Chiriquí. Carrera said the investigation has, for now, a budget of $ 200,000. Panamanian and British scientists study the impact of the measures The phrase in the union is the force has become relevant in recent months in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, and in the scientific community it takes on a special meaning, since it works in search of vaccines, medications, therapies and carries out research to find out the behavior and real impact of the disease transmitted by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. An example of this teamwork is that carried out by Panamanian and British scientists, who joined their knowledge to try to establish the sustainability of the containment, mitigation and suppression measures applied to the Covid-19 epidemic and its impact on the severity and the dynamics of virus transmission in Panama. It is a multidisciplinary study. It includes scientists from the departments of Virology, Genomics and Proteomics, Zoonotic and Emerging Diseases of the Gorgas Commemorative Institute for Health Studies (Icges), as well as doctors and scientists from the Ministry of Health, the Social Security Fund and the Children’s Hospital , the International Vaccination Center (Cevaxin), Imperial College London and the University of Oxford in England. In addition, the National Institute of Statistics and Census of the General Comptroller of the Republic with the statesman Bernando González. Among the Panamanian scientists participating are Blas Armién, Xavier Sáez-Llorens and Rodrigo DeAntonio, and by the British, Christl Donnelly and Nuno Faria. Both British researchers have experience in infectious diseases and are advisers to the World Health Organization in epidemic control.
Donnelly has worked in the control of infectious diseases such as Ebola, SARS-CoV-1, among others. Faria has knowledge in genetic analysis of epidemics in real time and has also carried out studies of the human immunodeficiency virus, Zika, yellow fever and chikungunya. This was explained by Jean Paul Carrera, virologist and epidemiologist at ICGES, chief scientist of the study, who explained that the investigation will focus on the province of Panama for presenting the greatest number of cases; and in Chiriquí and Veraguas, which were selected for having fewer cases and for being geographically distant. He stated that this selection was made mainly to understand how the virus spreads in our population, taking into account the geographic, population and social differences that occur between these provinces, and to explain the differences observed in the number of cases. The investigation is divided into two stages, it is expected that the first results will be ready in December of this year, to subsequently begin the second stage of the investigation, during which the transmission of the virus in Panama will be evaluated after the social distancing and as time goes by. In other words, the number of “real” cases in Panama will be monitored, Carrera stressed. The scientist stated that the secret to curb the largest number of infections in the country have been mitigation and suppression measures, therefore he recommends that the quarantine be progressively lifted in certain geographical areas or groups in society, to avoid a re-emergence of the disease. He considered that the simultaneous cancellation of the measures could bring new outbreaks, including epidemics of greater magnitude or similar to the first one, if measures are not taken quickly to limit the transmission of the virus. The study is funded by the National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (Senacyt), which also supports 31 other projects selected from the call for rapid response to Covid-19 in Panama. Scientists to start this study have $ 200,000, but the total cost is approximately $ 500,000. Scientific investment Víctor Sánchez Urrutia, national secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation, maintained that they have up to $ 5.4 million planned to cover the financing of the 32 projects. For the evaluation of the projects, Senacyt relied on an interdisciplinary team of experts, both national and international at a high level, he stressed.
https://www.prensa.com/impresa/panorama/el-gorgas-lidera-estudio-con-britanicos/
CAPITAL COUNCIL APPROVES SANCTIONS FOR NON-USE OF MASKS AND ASKS FOR PRICE REGULATION
The Municipal Council of Panama this morning approved a resolution and an agreement concerning the masks and their use in the townships that make up the capital city, as a preventive measure against the coronavirus. The first resolution approved in the council this Tuesday is No. 24 of April 21, 2020, through which the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI), the Authority for Consumer Protection and Defense of the Competition (Acodeco) and the Central Government the inclusion of masks in the basic basket and therefore it is recommended that they further regulate their price in stores, given that this accessory has become essential in the fight against COVID-19 to safeguard human life. Part of the councilors’ argument was that it was unfair to sanction Panamanians who did not wear masks, if they had onerous prices that had been increased in the face of the pandemic, that is why they suggested controlling the price at which they were marketed.
The second point discussed in the Council had to do with the Municipal Agreement of April 28, 2020, which contains the sanctions for people who were found outside their homes without a mask or face mask, and in this second discussion of this topic It was agreed that the first time that a citizen was captured in breach of these regulations, he would be punished verbally by the authorities. However, this regulation adds that in case the person is a repeat offender, fines ranging from B /. 50.00 a B /. 1,000.00 and in case the person cannot pay the fine, community work will be applied within the township.
This approval had 22 votes in favor and one against. On this agreement, the Municipal Council had previously approved a similar one on April 22, which imposed minimum sanctions of B /. 100.00, but the mayor José Luis Fábrega decided not to sanction him due to the shortage of face masks in the country, the high prices of these and he presented objections, which this Tuesday were included for approval.
https://www.telemetro.com/nacionales/2020/04/28/concejo-capitalino-aprueba-sanciones/2813434.html
STATUS UPDATE:
PANAMA CONFIRMS 176 DEATHS BY COVID-19 AND 6,200 CASES
- 6,200 positive cases
- 179 new cases
- 176 deaths
- 2,698 home isolation (1,198 hospital hotels)
- 358 are hospitalized (279 in the ward / 88 intensive care)
- 484 recovered by laboratory
- 2,484 clinically recovered
According to the age group, patients with ages between 20 and 59 years continue to be the most affected in terms of infection, however, most deaths correspond to those over 60 years of age.
Since the first coronavirus case was reported in the country, a total of 28,795 COVID-19 tests have been performed in Panama, of which 21,934 have been negative.
ENDNOTES
This end note is dedicated to my wife and our 13th Wedding Anniversary. Yep, time does fly when you’re having fun and loved and respected and… …ok, she’s not monitoring anymore, I can speak freely.
Whew, what a ride this has been!! From day one, she certainly has brought spice into this relationship. The wedding reception was hilarious! The beautiful ice sculpture of a swan interwoven into a series of Panama-specific flowers that took 3 weeks to design and contract, never showed up. The food was over abundant and fit for all diets. We even had Kosher, vegan and I don’t remember what else. We had food for everyone except for Karen. I swear that was her name. Karen, complained about everything that night right down to the texture of the Risotto. Finally, Sayira had enough and scolded her, “Damn it Karen, if you don’t like the Risotto, there’s a McDonald’s down the street!” LOL I knew I was in for it well before we were married, but this was the icing on the wedding cake. (Did you see what I did there?)
Our first honeymoon was out fishing at Pedasi with a great group of guys. Pedasi is my most favorite place in Panama other than my own house. From there, the surprise of our first pregnancy (Brett Jr), then our second (Brandon) and the roller coaster hasn’t stopped since.
Reflecting on it all now, I must have blinked. Where did the time go?
Today my friend Patrick Quish told me of a group he has been listening to and suggested I take a look at them as well. “Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit”. He didn’t say which song to pick so I picked the first one I could find “If We Were Vampires” on their “the Nashville Sound” album. The acoustics are amazing, the lyrics perfect. It’s… you need to hear it. Patrick said that that particular song I picked was “sad as f&#$, but good”. But I say that if you’re in love with a beautiful woman, close your eyes as you listen to this song, picture her in all her beauty and let the tears flow. Then, appreciate every moment you have together from that moment on, like you never have before.
Thanks for the recommendation Patrick, you made me cry today, you dummy!
Stay safe… Stay healthy… And by all means STAY HOME!!…
