President Mulino pays homage on Day of the Dead. On Sunday, the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, accompanied by ministers, vice-ministers, and municipal authorities, led the traditional Day of the Dead pilgrimage at Amador Cemetery. The head of state paid tribute by placing floral offerings at the mausoleums of Dr. Manuel Amador Guerrero, the first President of the Republic, and the Fallen Soldiers of Independence. In addition to members of his Cabinet, President Mulino was accompanied at these solemn ceremonies by the governor of the province of Panama, Mayín Correa; the mayor of the district of Panama, Mayer Mizrachi; the president of the Municipal Council of Panama, Senén Mosquera; and councilors. The main speaker designated by the President of the Republic was Adolfo Ahumada, while from the Municipal Council, it was Vladimir Berrío-Lemm. Referring to the Panamanian heroes who forged the path to Independence, Ahumada considered that this feat served to achieve national unity, necessary at that moment. In my opinion, the lesson is that, despite differences and contradictions, liberals and conservatives united for this purpose. This initiative is reflected in the Soldiers of Independence. «Nearly a thousand men stepped forward. There were no bloody confrontations, but they were there ready to fight and put the country in order. That must be recognized.» Addressing the people, Berrío-Lemm added: «They were known as the Soldiers of Independence, and we are gathered here in this open-air mausoleum». «From this day on, we will be a better republic every day, greater, with more meaning beyond our small geographical size, and in this search for a better future that, I am sure, will be achieved by the Panamanian population», he added. Furthermore, he recognized the legacy of Dr. Amador Guerrero as «the president who opened the paths for the Panama we have today, and that we have to continue maintaining». In turn, speaker Berrío-Lemm recalled that, before the definitive achievement of separation from Colombia, which was reached in 1903, the seed of national independence had been sown in previous feats. «They had fought each other in the Thousand Days' War that had just passed, and yet, when the idea of independence opened up to their minds, they all acted together», he pointed out. «That national unity, however minimal it may be, is the key to the country… Let's think about elements that will lead us on the path to national unity, as it was in 1903».
