Panama begins the process of recovery

Becky Barends

After a week of riots, fires, road blockages, shortage of food and fuel, looting local businesses and much tension throughout the country, Panamá woke this morning in a state of hopeful expectation. Pending the signature of the president on the agreement between government and the indigenous, things are cautiously getting back to order throughout the country.

The protests of the indigenous tribe Gnöbe Buglé in the western part of Panamá caused great problems to the OM team in the Province of Chiriquí. Last week, a group of protesters blocked the only highway between Chiriquí and the country’s capital, Panamá City. The Gnöbe Buglé are upset with the government for approving hydropower and mining developments in the region. They want President Martinelli to exclude the indigenous area from the industry to protect the natural environment.

It now has been reported that the first nine trucks of fresh produce from the province of Chiriquí have made their way to Panamá City in the early hours of the morning, after a week of no commercial trading throughout the country. 

All of this is good news for the team of OM Panamá. This means that they should be able to resume normal activity in their daily operations. It also means that the OMers from around the world who have been in Volcán this week for the OM Latin America Finance Forum will be able to travel freely to catch their buses and flights home.

The participants in OM Panama's missions exposure programme Mission Extreme were successfully removed from the Comarca (the indigenous area where they were ministering) and will return to Volcán today. Praise the Lord for His protection and guidance while they were in the midst of all of this. 

The team of OM Panamá thanks you for your prayers throughout this uncertain time. Please continue to pray for peace to reign throughout the country. Pray for wisdom for the government moving forward. Pray also for all the travelling that is to take place this weekend with all the OMers in the Finance Forum leaving to return to their countries around the world.

Pray also for wisdom as the team seeks the next step for the participants of Mission Extreme, as well as the International Intensive School of Missions. Both were scheduled to be ministering in the Comarca in the coming weeks.

Credit: Becky Barends
© 2012 OM International