politics

Varela announces candidacy

Surrounded by rural workers, indigenous people, community leaders and legislators, engineer Carlos Varela officially announced his candidacy for the presidency last night.

"We accept the challenge of aspiring to the Presidency of the Republic, and let me make it clear to you that I want to serve the country, not be its master," the opposition candidate from the Partido Panameñista said.

"We shall overcome," shouted the nearly 500 Panameñistas who gathered in the Hotel Soloy for Varela’s announcement. Varela said that a 16-month campaign had just begun that will end on May 3, 2009, Panama’s election day.

Varela harshly criticized the Torrijos administration, mentioning the embezzlement scandal that shook the Ministerio de Educación, the lack of public safety and the transportation crisis.

There was a carnival atmosphere outside the hotel, with speakers blaring music and party members living it up.