Page 123 - Anatomy-of-a-Fraud

simply refused to turn power over to the opposition. To do so would have
entailed the end of its sordid multimillion dollar deals; the end of sumptuous and
ill-gotten mansions; the end of the absolute corruption predictably generated by
16 years of unlimited power.

That is the true motive.
The ties between persons closely related to the regime and the drug
underworld also explains, to certain extent, the enormous financial resources
available to the UNADE throughout the electoral campaign.

Although it is true that the social peace existing in Panama since the
establishment of the republic has been maintained during the 16 years of military
or pseudo civilian government, it also true that the country has paid an exorbitant
price: a ruined economy, overwhelmed by an enormous and irresponsible
foreign debt; a growing militarism that lays siege to democratic values and
weighs heavily upon national resources; a divided people, deeply disappointed
and skeptical of the electoral process as an appropriate means to come to power;
“an educational system that goes from one crisis to the next … the corruption
and haughtiness of a disproportionately large number of civil servants …
smuggling, gun running, [Panama as a gathering place for] mafiosi, terrorists,
pseudo revolutionaries, dealers in drugs and in human beings, … a denigrating
53
image of Panama in the world”.
This deplorable situation has led to the creation of a national crusade
“For the Rescue of Our Values”, headed by the Chamber of Commerce and
supported by many other civic and management groups. But for as long as power
in Panama remains absolute and vested in the barracks, any attempt to raise the
levels of national decency shall necessarily have to be accompanied by an effort
to democratize it; otherwise, the source of corruption will not be eradicated. Or,
to put it differently, democratization is, in the ultimate analysis, the last
alternative.

This is the task that we have undertaken with more drive and conviction
than ever before. And for those of us who demand a fair, decent, and democratic
Panama, it represents more than a calling, a dictate of our consciences, more than
a decision, a firm commitment.

We urge the reader to join us in this noblest of tasks.

53 For the Rescue of Our Values, a Manifest to the Citizenry; Chamber of Commerce, Industry and
Agriculture of Panama, La Estrella de Panama, August 17, 1984, page B13.