Former Labor Minister and former Deputy Luis Ernesto Carles has resigned from the Panameñista Party. In a statement dated March 27 and released this Monday, he said: "I had hoped for the possibility of authentic renewal." According to Carles, he had hoped that the changes he desired would be enough to position a voice with social empathy, but "the attempt was futile in the face of sectarianism and conflict." He assured that those who know him are aware that he entered politics with the commitment to promote rights and inclusive social justice, in line with his human and ideological training, a situation that, in his opinion, is not reflected in the current directive, elected last November. He stated that the wear and tear affecting traditional political organizations is neither accidental nor the fault of external factors or media campaigns; on the contrary, it is a product of the constant disconnection from the social reality of the people and of not having played precise roles at key moments. "After a profound analysis and reflection, I made the decision to resign from the Panameñista Party." This is not the first case of prominent members leaving the party. In January of this year, former Don Bosco representative Guillermo Bermúdez and former Minister and former Deputy Melitón Arrocha also resigned from the party, amid differences with the current leadership. Both Bermúdez and Arrocha stated at the time that the party is not performing a true opposition role. The Panameñista Party suffered one of its worst defeats in the elections on May 5, 2024, when the "For a Better Panama, The Good Is Coming" alliance, which nominated Rómulo Roux as its presidential candidate and José Isabel Blandón as his running mate, came in fourth place. After that debacle, the collective held internal elections and renewed its leadership last November: Deputy and President of the National Assembly Jorge Herrera won the contest against his adversary Carlos Raúl Piad, from the faction led by former President Mireya Moscoso.
