The water crisis in the Azuero region continues to generate citizen demonstrations and legal actions, while residents from different sectors continue to report disruptions in the potable water supply. In the Guararé district of Los Santos province, residents temporarily closed the bridge over the Guararé River at dawn on Monday in protest of the lack of water, a situation that mainly affects the Bella Vista sector. In response, Yulisa de Gracia, regional director of the National Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN) in Los Santos, explained that the institution has been carrying out actions to restore service, including the installation and commissioning of a 25,000-gallon tank, the placement of valves on fire hydrants that are currently being calibrated, and the activation of five wells to pressurize the lines and maintain the supply in the community. She also announced that in the coming weeks, a pump will be installed to improve pressure and ensure that water reaches the higher areas, once the corresponding protocols with the competent entities are completed. Meanwhile, in the province of Herrera, specifically in Chitré, lawyer Alberto Petit Padilla submitted a formal information request to IDAAN, protected by the constitutional right to petition, with the aim of obtaining details on the management of the water crisis. The lawyer requested information related to reported contamination, the procedures applied at the water treatment plant and in the supply lines, the operational plan implemented, as well as possible contracts or subcontracts made during the emergency, including amounts, involved companies, and public acts carried out. Petit Padilla pointed out that, although it has been reported that in Chitré the service has reached 95% restoration, there are sectors where the supply remains irregular or non-existent, so he considers it necessary for the institution to offer greater clarity to the population.
