Independent deputies have filed a lawsuit against Panama's Transit and Land Transportation Authority (ATTT). They are challenging the decision to include the official government slogan 'With a Firm Step' on vehicle license plates. According to the lawsuit, the ATTT has overstepped its authority by incorporating a political message into an official document. 'Typically, plates have had a phrase that unites us as a country, not a political slogan,' emphasized Deputy Yamireliz Chong. Time is of the essence, as the ATTT has already received a first batch of 19,940 plates ready for national distribution. If the lawsuit proceeds, the court will have to determine whether the use of government slogans on public goods violates the principles of state neutrality and the legal framework governing the Motor Vehicle Registry. This means that hundreds of thousands of drivers would be forced to carry and pay for a political propaganda emblem on their private vehicles until 2030, according to the plaintiffs. Independent deputies have requested the court to provisionally suspend the administrative act to prevent the design from being mass-produced. The conflict takes on greater relevance due to Law 214 of 2021, which establishes a five-year validity for metal plates.
