Business Owners In Bocas Del Toro Report Losses And Impact On Tourism Due To Closures -

(MENAFN- Newsroom Panama) Changuinola, Bocas del Toro: Aris Pimentel, president of the Changuinola Chamber of Commerce in Bocas del Toro, called on the unions and guilds that keep the roads closed and the government to engage in dialogue. The largest source of income in this sector of the country dedicated to banana production is affected. Pimentel told reporters that the streets are closed and there's no internal traffic. Tourism in the area is also affected, and the number of visitors has decreased. He explained that the unions and the banana growers' union are blocking points such as the bridge over the Changuinola River and main avenues. So far, he hasn't heard any mediation from the authorities. The groups reject Law 462, which reforms the Social Security Fund. He urged the government to communicate with the groups protesting and blocking the road because this will also affect distribution to the country.

As of yesterday, Chiquita Panama is reporting a loss of 450,000 boxes of bananas, in addition to the impact on tourism in Bocas del Toro. Last Monday, the Social Security Fund (CSS) made an urgent call to the protesters who are blocking streets in various parts of the province of Bocas del Toro, requesting that medical and administrative personnel , as well as ambulances, supplies, medicines and buses with hemodialysis patients, be allowed to pass, in order to ensure the continuity of health services in the region. According to the institution, mobility restrictions have already begun to critically affect the operation of several healthcare units. The Guabito Polyclinic and the Juan Aguilar de Las Tablas ULAPS, for example, are running out of oxygen to care for their patients, and there have been problems with the rotation of healthcare personnel across different medical facilities.

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