Juan Diego Vásquez: “We are entering the system by its rules to break it open”
Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- Panama's Vamos coalition has begun the process of becoming a political party after lawmakers proposed electoral changes affecting independent candidates.
- Juan Diego Vásquez said the group would retain its criticism of traditional parties and seek elected office to address problems facing Panamanians.
- He argued that proposed rules on party members supporting independents and voting in multi-member districts would weaken independent participation.
Panama's Vamos coalition says it is entering the party system because proposed electoral reforms could make it harder for independent candidates to compete. Its leader, Juan Diego Vásquez, defended the decision to begin registering as a political party.
We are entering the system by all its rules in order to break the system open.
Vamos has so far operated as a platform for independent candidates. Vásquez said the group would accept party status if that became necessary to participate, while continuing to challenge the practices it associates with traditional politics, including appointing relatives and friends to public positions and mishandling state resources.
He said the reforms approved by the National Electoral Reform Commission would reverse democratic gains that had opened space for independents. One provision would cause a party member to leave the party automatically if the member signed in support of an independent candidate. Vásquez said voters should be able to support an independent without resigning from a party.
What we have been questioning, and will continue to question, are the bad practices in politics.
He also criticized a proposal to limit voters to one independent candidate in multi-member electoral districts, even when several lawmakers are elected. He cited San Miguelito, where four independent deputies won seats in 2024, and said the change would prevent voters from backing several candidates in the same district.
A person should be able to promote, advance or support an independent candidacy without having to resign from a political party.
Vásquez said the debate would now move to Panama's National Assembly and that the proposals remained subject to discussion. He has indicated that he is leaning toward seeking a seat in the assembly in 2029.
The same people who have always held power want to keep it, not because they convince you that they are better, but because they are making laws and rules that prevent anyone else from competing.
About this summary
Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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