Dear Friends of Patrimonio Panama:

This week took place in Panama City one of the many contradictions regarding culture, heritage and patriotism that occur in the country every year. It turns out that in Panama there is a group called El Kolectivo, which brings artists, young of mind and sometimes young of body, poets and others. On their Facebook page, The Kolectivo defines itself this way: “El Kolectivo is a citizen movement, horizontal, nonpartisan, autonomous and independent, created by the will of its members, incorporating art as a means of expression to address social, cultural, ecological, economic and political issues of the country” (Panamá). It turns out that El Kolectivo painted a mural on the street called Avenue of the Martyrs(1) in Panama City, in homage to the Panamanian patriots, some still children, who died in defense of the homeland and in whose honor the name was changed to its current street name. Urban art in its pure and free expression, loaded with meaning and challenge to voluntary oblivion, the mural painted by El Kolectivo did last some time until public servants armed with paint rollers, meaningfully grey, painted it over till erasing it.

That's what happened.

I found out about this through the following email:

“The 22 of November, 2013 14:10, Aris Rodriguez Mariota <ar,enisrm21@gmtoithe.com> wrote:
On behalf of El Kolectivo we denounce the unfortunate news that the Government proceeded to remove the mural in homage to the history of the Panamanian people and to the Martyrs 9 January that we had been working on throughout the year 2013 on the way to the 50 year anniversary of the epic, with great effort and voluntary sacrifice and self-management. Indignation, rage, sadness envelop us to see trampled our effort to save our historical memory but we shall be back stronger and eager to defend it. We should be thankful if you echo this denouncement. We shall need everyone's support. El Kolectivo is on the struggle! Art, Culture and Awareness!

I have attached to this email photos of the mural, before and after.”

I have placed the photos that came attached to a mail, at the end of this blog entry. So, why did I get that email? I am a member of a very motley citizen group called Citizens Movement for Strengthening Panamanian Identity, including history professors, anthropologists, poets, architects, writers, artisans, and a much greater variety of occupations, professional and nonprofessional, whose common base is the love of culture and historical memory of all that we call Panama. The manner in which the current government has handled all that we love scared us enough to make us form this citizen movement. We write, speak, and spread cultural issues as best we can. We are not a political party, nor anything similar (You may read here our Manifesto, from the newspaper La Estrella de Panama's server). El Kolectivo is part of our membership in a voluntary and free manner.

Our main thrust has been precisely, to foster recognition for the tragedy of 9 th of January, 1964 in Panama. We have achieved that a draft Law of the Republic was passed, thanks to the efforts of Dr. Ana Elena Porras, a driving force of our Movement. This is the Bill Project Number. 669 of 2013. The bill project, if approved by the Legislature, not be Law of the Republic until the president of the Republic of Panama to sign and publish in the Official Gazette, a thing that has not happened yet. If this last step is achieved, on the 9 January will be a day of national mourning, it will get official commemoration, and will never will be bridge day(2). In short, In its mural, El Kolectivo was commemorating that date and its fallen heroes.

With permission of the illustrious Panamanian writer Manuel Orestes Nieto, awarded this year's top literary prize in Panama, Ricardo Miró Prize, I share here his reply to the message of The Kolectivo:

“A muralist work, of public exhibition, with a sense of memory, placed at the location where the events took place 9 January, expressing gratitude and homage to the national epic that marked the definitive road to the end of colonialism in Panama, to integrate the homeland, attain sovereign independence and take possession of what is now the Panama Canal, it is worthy of applause and recognition; precisely because of its content to exalt the historical fact and to be on the making for a whole year to be completed on the fiftieth anniversary of the events of 1964.

From the government of barbarism and rapine, of autocracy and imposition, it crosses the line into the abominable: to wipe out the right of citizens to express and to manifest the deep feelings of the soul of the nation. By suppressing the message of national pride and nobility there was painted, it castrates the freedom of art and of its plastic creators to transmit affection and respect, to recall heroics and exult them. Erasing the historical account of popular calling embodied in this mural so that it could be seen by everyone who pass by the historic avenue, where the martyrs are still alive and their blood on the streets, betrays the bowels and insensitivity of the regime and its contempt for the country.”

Manuel Orestes Nieto.

Here are the photos:

Greetings to all,

Katti Osorio

(1) Regarding day 9 th of January, 1964, I offer you this link to an article written by historians Celestino Araúz and Patricia Pizzurno: The 9 th of January, 1964. A simple search on Google should bing up for you many more sources. This link on Slideshare (click here) is educational material for the classroom, presented by Professor of International Affairs Briseis Allard Olmos, of the University of Panama.

(2) Bridge Day: Strange Panamanian practice, in which if one day is a national holiday, let it be Panama's Independence from Spain, the Separation of Panama from Colombia, or such other date declared day-off holiday by law of the Republic, that day will go as a normal, work day and the day-off is assigned to the following Monday, creating a “longer weekend”. The bridge days are established each time by executive decree.

Update Notice, Monday 25 November: Thanks to Aris Rodriguez Mariota El Kolectivo, Here are photos of the mural as it was to be terminated, and during processing: