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Las Lomas Residents in Chiriquí Denounce Over Two Months Without Regular Potable Water

Las Lomas Residents in Chiriquí Denounce Over Two Months Without Regular Potable Water

From TVN Panamá · (19m ago) Spanish Critical tone

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Residents of Las Lomas in Chiriquí, Panama, have been without regular potable water for over two months.
  • The prolonged water shortage is severely impacting daily life, particularly for vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.
  • Affected residents are demanding immediate action from national authorities and are considering protests if the issue is not resolved.

In the Llano del Medio sector of Las Lomas, Chiriquí, a desperate situation is unfolding as residents face an unprecedented water crisis. For more than two months, the community has endured a severe lack of regular potable water supply, a basic necessity that has become a luxury. This prolonged scarcity is not merely an inconvenience; it has directly disrupted the daily lives of families, disproportionately affecting schoolchildren, the elderly, and individuals with delicate health conditions who rely on consistent access to clean water. The frustration is palpable, with residents like Odorina Castillo expressing their inability to 'continue begging for water.' The situation has become so dire that some are resorting to collecting rainwater for essential activities like bathing and cleaning, highlighting the failure of authorities to provide a timely and effective solution. Gertrudis Fuentes' plea to national authorities to 'look to the interior, to Chiriquí' underscores a perceived neglect of rural communities. The residents' warning of potential street protests signifies their determination to secure their right to water, a right that has been consistently denied. This crisis in Las Lomas is a stark reminder of the infrastructure challenges faced by many Panamanian communities outside the capital, where basic services are often taken for granted by those in power.

Ya no más, no podemos soportar seguir mendigando agua.

— Odorina CastilloA resident of Las Lomas expressing the community's desperation and inability to endure the prolonged water shortage any longer.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.