Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Colon (Agenzia Fides) - As the Archbishop of Panama, Mgr. Ulloa, from Rome, calls for dialogue to solve the problems in the city of Colon, the statement of the Diocese of Colón-Kuna Yala is relaunched, in which the Bishop Ordinary, His Exc. Mgr. Audillo Aguilar Aguilar, proposes some elements of observations on the situation. The document is dated 18 October, but only now the media are mentioning it as the voice of the Church, present in this matter since the beginning.
Here is the text sent to Fides Agency: "In the face of the Bill 529 that reforms n. 18 of 1948, we want to express the following: 1. The city of Colon has contributed to the country not only with the ZLC but with profits of ports, with the Panama Canal and the interoceanic railway. 2. The population of Colon suffers from poverty, lack of educational centers, lack of health care facilities, lack of drinking water; housing and unemployment is a problem, therefore one cannot just sacrifice the city of Colon before the crisis in the country. The State has an obligation to manage the resources of all for the good of all. 3. We invite the citizens of Colon to work to improve the quality of life and to respect human dignity, in order to work together for an integral development. 4. We appeal to all to resort to dialogue, in order to avoid violence, which just goes against innocent people." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 24/10/2012)
