In principle, there would be nothing sinful about that advertisement, but the practical translation of a populist message in a bewildered and impoverished country leaves much to be desired in terms of respect for human dignity, identity, and sovereign national pride.
If the long queues organized to acquire Christmas hampers have served any purpose, it is to demonstrate that in Panama, owner of the canal wealth poorly distributed, there is an army of impoverished, needy, and excluded young people who fight over hams due to the lack of bread and decent employment.
Perhaps now, with the help of history, it will be better understood why Roman emperors offered grain (bread) and public spectacles (gladiator games, chariot races) to appease the plebeians and avoid revolts.
Long line of buyers in the community of Pan de Azúcar.
By David Carrasco Director of Bayano digital
Sun, rain, and drizzle are what thousands of people in Panama have endured for hours to be able to acquire in December 2025 a Christmas box or hamper subsidized by 55 percent of its market price.
Endless lines, thirst, fainting, drowsiness, and shoving dominate that grotesque and absurd scene, which seems more like it was taken from the first act of the Court of Miracles or a daring experiment by physiologist Ivan Pavlov.
Upon witnessing that primitive distribution system with the government seal, a disoriented and anxious person, their face covered with shame, asked: Why do they do this to us?
In ancient Rome, there were already signs of rewarding obedience to power with temporary favors, such as payment in kind.
Via Panisperna regained prestige in the 1930s when it became the place where a group of young and brilliant Italian physicists, led by Enrico Fermi (known as "the boys of Via Panisperna"), paved the way for nuclear fission.
Thus, science overshadowed those who gave alms and tips to the plebeians.
Regarding mass manipulation, it is worth highlighting that absolutist minds have always been fascinated by the idea of putting the poor in line and making them wait, to force them into meekness.
One theory suggests that the friars of San Lorenzo distributed "panis et perna" (bread and ham) to the poor, according to a publication on Loquis, the geolocized travel podcast platform that tells the stories of cities.
Ultimately, the concept of "bread and circuses" (from the Latin Panem et circenses) remains valid, an expression that describes the practice of governments distracting the population with basic needs (food) and entertainment (spectacles) to cover up important political or social problems, thereby diverting attention from crucial issues such as corruption or lack of infrastructure.
The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, told local media that the IMA is "working at full capacity" so that 500,000 Christmas hampers reach the tables of Panamanian families throughout the country.
The hams and conditioned delicacies are a benchmark in the search for ephemeral satisfaction, in the midst of rampant poverty and the excesses of political and economic power that feeds off the media show.
Where is the Christmas spirit and the love for one's neighbor that Jesus and the faithful apostles preached in dire times?
The question came at the perfect moment, and the immediate answer was also there:
— We are victims of Schadenfreude, a German term that describes the pleasure or joy — in this case of official origin — that one experiences at the misfortune, failure, or suffering of other people.
There is no doubt bad faith and a calculated operation in the application of a model unworthy of privileged commercialization by the state Institute of Agropecuary Marketing (IMA), the entity responsible for the questionable fair organization.
The process of distributing food on the streets is not new.
