Circle The Wagons

The Indians are coming.

We have 5 indigenous tribes in Panama. The local tribe is called Ngobe Bulge.

They are protesting the governments willingness to mine their lands. These lands have the largest deposit of copper in the world, not to mention gold, silver and many more precious metals.

Capitalists around the world are salivating over the not-quite-dead, Indian nation carcass.

In the grant fashion of contemporary imperialism, the government has awarded the mining rights to a Canadian firm.

Finally, something gives the "Aren't-They-So-Nice" Canadians a black eye. I have been waiting for this because Canadians are actually nice. Are they the next British? Or simply relying on the US for an exemplary example of "How to Screw The Indians Royally."

In the glowing fashion of governments steeped in the rich heritage of the northern barbarian hordes of Europe, with brilliant follow up by the British and Americans, the Panamanian government first wrote a law that awarded the Indians what they wanted; then, when the legislature was going to pass the law, they stripped the important paragraph awarding the rights to Indians from the law.

Brilliant!!

I can tell the Panamanians have been studying American politics. Where else in the world can you can you vote both for and against a law by first voting for the law, then voting down the funding for the same law.

Magnificently brilliant.

So now the indians are protesting.

And they are so good at it...after all, they have had plenty of practice.

They blockaded the roads, in this case, the all important Inter American Highway, or the life blood of the country. Only one road connects the entire country. They might want to re-think this for the future.

The blockade has been going on for 4 days.

We in Chiriqui (Boquete) are out of fuel. No gas, no diesel.

Ah, but we have food because we are the bread basket of Panama.

Panama City, on the other side of the blockade, is out of food. But, of course, they have plenty of fuel.

I want to see them try to eat that!

Our stubborn president has refused to talk to the Indians.

Triple brilliant!

Not to worry. When the pissed off citizens start to roast the politicians for breakfast, I firmly believe the president will talk to the Indians.

In the mean time, we are hunkered down, trying to conserve fuel...not something we know anything about, of course.

I will give you an update later.