>I´ve been noticing an interesting sentiment with my family
>and other chombos. Many of the chombos, especially those
>that still speak English, want the United States to come
>back to Panama.

Really? Most of my family and friends in Panama were damm happy the gringos left and are even happier now, not for any economic or political reason, just the symbolism of it all. You should have been there on the Millenium, patriotism was at an all time high, "!El canal es nuestro!"

The reason largely surrounds the fact that
>the Panamanian government is corrupt and incompetent.

Replace the Panamanian government with that of Mireya Moscoso, shes a dumb bitch milking her husbands name for her benefit, shes the corrupt one...noone knows how she won the elections now, and they all want her out now.

Since
>2000 the only public projects that have taken place are
>those that usually involve the overall financial benefit for
>private investors, such as better roads in commercial areas.

Its always been like that, first with the drug dealers (check out Punta Paitilla en la Ciudad de Panama), and now with the wealthier people. Banks have few restrictions and turn a blind eye to investors business just to make money, so theres a lot of dirty money in Panama. And the free zone is all beneficial towards private investors as well, thats where Panama's wealth comes from.

> Although, Panama is in a state of growth and development
>(moreso than pre-2000), there are still a lack of jobs.
>
>ALL of the American bases (an Airforce, Army and naval
>base), were given to the Panamanian government free of
>charge. I´ve been to the Airforce and army bases in the
>past and recently. They were huge were mini cities within
>themselves. The Clayton Army base could easily be a
>university as it has athletic equipment/buildings and office
>buildings.

Nobody wants to move there because el gringo used to live there, and because its hella expensive.

It would be a perfect addition to el Universidad
>de Panama. In fact the whole school would be better off
>there as the buildings at its current location are shit.
>They look like they are about to be condemned.

Hehehehe, when I was there 3 weeks ago, the graduate department had daily blackouts because they had failed to pay their electricity bills for all of 2002

>
>But in the real world, the Panamanian government is money
>hungry. All of the bases are being underused with parts not
>used at all. Many decent homes (nice compared to some of
>the areas I´ve been too) have been abandoned as are office
>buildings. They are there just collecting dust. The
>government is basically waiting for buyers for the bases.
>I´m not sure but I think they are not selling for ownership
>but simply leasing the space. A friend of the family is in
>charge of everyting that goes on at the Clayton location and
>he has told me that he works for La Cuidad Del Saber, a
>governmental organization created to deal with the use of
>the bases.
>
>Then Panama has never been a tourist country but now moves
>are being made to make it so. Most of these moves are being
>made by a few of the Panamanian rich and many foreign
>investors.

The foreign investors are all Colombian, and the Panamanian rich are all Colombian first generation as well, all the movers and shakers are Colombian, the white and mulatto Panamanian aint getting much of that money either, Colombian bussiness men and drug dealers are taking over the country, Have you been to the Decameron resort?, owned by Colombians...
Btw....we're not very good at this whole tourist thing, our resorts suck

Add it up together, very little of the movers
>and shakers are black. Thus many of the chombos feel
>trapped. It is hard to find work and pay for a good
>education in Panama and is even moreso for the blacks. When
>the US was here, many of the chombos found there escape
>through the US. Many joined the military or worked on the
>Canal Zone and gained American citizenship. With easy
>access to American citizenship, they could come here to
>school, and/or live. In America it is alot easier to climb
>the socieconomic ladder than it is in Panama. In fact it
>very advantageous to move to America, climb the ladder and
>MOVE BACK to Panama.
>
>Everyone in my family that is still in Panama lived and
>worked in the US for at least a year. My retired uncle is
>planning on living with his son in the US (free of charge of
>course) for a year, while working, so he can buy a new
>(used) van. Once he gets his van, he´ll have it shipped
>back to Panama and return. It doesn´t cost that much to do
>so and back pre-2000, canal workers could have it done for
>free.
>
>If you think about it in a historical context, the West
>Indian blacks were brought (came) here because of the US and
>were loyal workers for years and now the US is gone.

Hey, sounds like some of my fam...

Even
>though years of assimilation and acceptance to panamanian
>society has occurred, the fact remains that they are still
>at the bottom of the totempole in somewhat of a "foreign"
>place. I´ve been finding out recently that many of my
>relatives and other West Indians are RETURNING to the
>islands, if not to the US itself.
>
>Oh well, Jamaica here we come.

Jamaica, gorgeous place, loadsa problems as well, you think politics in Panama are corrupt?, You aint seen nothing yet, just to think, I'm half Jamaican as well