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Citricos SA Panama is holding people hostage in rural Panama
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Citricos SA a Panama corporation is holding two retired americans, Dan a Jeanie Miller and at least three Panamanian citizens hostage on their farm. Citricos in violation of both a judicial and political order has cut three large trenches across the right of way used by these people to access the rest of the world.
Yesterday we stopped in El Banco Panama to see the latest trenches dug by Citricos. Here you can see my son Sebastian, about six feet tall is in the first trench; there are two more before you can get to the Millers.
We spent Monday August 17 learning more about the situation in El Banco. We started our day with a very disappointing meeting with the new Governor of the Provence of Chiriqui. We, Vicky Wilson of Boquete Now Real Estate and a lawyer spent about an hour with our new Governor and his two lawyers.
The meeting was an exercise in frustration. We talked, the Governor fidgeted in his chair and finally walked away to his desk. He was handed a “Papa Caliente”, hot potato and did not want to hear about it. I doubt the prisoners of Citrico can expect any help from him. He only committed to going to El Banco to look at the situation.
While we were leaving the Governor’s office, people were massing at the Dolega Municipal building and packed the meeting of the Municipal Council. The Municipal Council voted eleven to zero that Citrico open the easement to the Millers and fill the ditches. This like all previous "requests" means nothing if not enforced.
The meeting did convince the Mayor to send off the full pile of legal documents to the Minister of Justice. The Ministry has been calling Dolega requesting the documents. It appears a letter faxed to the President on Sunday was acknowledged within twenty minutes, it might has motivated the bureaucracy. Panama is a small country and people can and will petition the President.
We followed up with a long meeting with the lawyers for the Millers and we saw the chain of legal documents in the multi year history of this dispute. The two most meaningful are available at http://www.boqueteguide.com . A 2007 determination from MOP the Ministry of Public Works that the road in question is a Survey Dumbre, an easement and the request by the Mayor of Dolega to Citricos to open the road.
While we were meeting with the lawyers we witnessed a telephone call from the owner of Citricos SA. He spent at least ten minutes on the phone claiming he was in the right and complaining that hundreds of people have emailed him about this situation. Apparently the emails, the threats of boycott and the Dolega Municipal Council decision irritated him enough to call the Miller’s lawyer.
It is your turn, email Citricos at citricospanama@hotmail.com or call 507-233-0026 or 233-6526 and let them know your opinion.
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