This Friday, July 1, marks the three-year administration of President Laurentino Cortizo, an administration that has been harshly criticized by the vast majority of citizens.
In the opinion of José Isabel Blandón, president of the Panameñista Party, “it seems that ‘Nito’ Cortizo arrived simply to put on a presidential sash, not to develop a government plan. Three years later it is not clear what the legacy will be.”
He added that “it seems that there is no vision, no road map and everyone in the government is doing what they think is best.”
He affirmed that there is this impression that the National Assembly is the one in charge. “If people perceive and see that the Assembly is in charge, it is not because institutionally it is like that, it is because the president is not in charge and that void ends up being filled by the Assembly,” he specified.
He considered that beyond changing ministers and directors, what must change is President Cortizo’s management style.
Blandón also referred to the pilot plan for Solidarity Medicines (MedicSol), asserting that what this program generates is “precisely legitimizing the inefficiency of the Social Security Fund in the purchase of medicines.”
“By having to pay for medications in private pharmacies, you will surely pay a higher price than you would have paid if you had bought them. In the end, this is a bad deal for the CSS. It is preferable that the CSS make its purchase process and we don’t have an inventory problem,” he remarked.
