The proposed reform project of the social security system by the Executive Body has generated uncertainty and has become a point of conflict that contrasts the vision of a just and humane country with a submissive and exclusionary society. The popular movement has raised its voice vigorously against this initiative, demanding to protect the national heritage from the alleged greed of privatizing groups.
By supporting the interests of private owners of the means of wealth production, the government team distances itself from the demands of the working class, which seeks to guarantee its right to a dignified life and access to quality public health care. The argument of equating the sacrifice of the employer sector with that of the workers has been dismissed as fallacious, by proposing an increase of three years in the retirement age.
The resistance to privatization is evident in a people who are tired of suffering systematic abuses and who see social security as the opportunity to have a dignified retirement for all insured in Panama. In this context, the Social Security Fund becomes the epicenter of an intense national debate that reflects the different visions about the future of the country and the well-being of its population.
In the words of a representative of the popular movement: "We are at the crossroads of choosing between an inclusive model that guarantees social protection for all Panamanians, or yielding to the selfish interests of a few who seek to profit at the expense of the people's welfare."
