The Promise of Change: Roux Touts Corruption Reform and Infrastructure Development in Panama’s Upcoming Presidential Elections

Romulo Roux, the opposition presidential candidate, urged Panamanians to vote in the upcoming elections on May 5 to change the Constitution and dismantle the political system that he believes shields corruption. Addressing hundreds of supporters in James of Veraguas, Roux emphasized the need for a vote for change to end corruption and impunity in politics.

Roux, a 59-year-old center-right candidate, is one of eight presidential candidates in the elections, which are decided in a single round and by a simple majority. Despite trailing behind the frontrunner Jose Raul Mulino in the polls, Roux has been vocal about his plans to reform the state by changing the Constitution and implementing measures to combat corruption.

Having previously served as chancellor and minister of the Panama Canal under president Ricardo Martinelli, who is currently in asylum at the embassy of Nicaragua, Roux has distanced himself from his former boss and positioned himself as a candidate for real change in Panama. He has outlined proposals to create jobs, increase minimum pensions, revitalize the economy, implement austerity measures, and build infrastructure projects like a railway from the capital to the western province of Chiriqui.

Roux’s campaign message revolves around the idea of choosing between