Today in Panama is a national holiday. Today the new government was sworn into office. In Panama, a presidential election happens every 5 years. Citizens of Panama must be 18 years old to vote. Citizens go to vote at schools. In this recent election, four parties had good turnout at the polls. The parties were The Democratic Revolutionary Party, the Democratic Change, Independent and Panamanian Party. The winning party from the election in May was the Democratic Revolutionary Party. The new president is Laurentino Cortizo and his running mate was Gabriel Carrizo.
Spirits surrounding pride for the country have been observed numerous times during our travels. We first encountered this while Luke and Crow planned pin the stars on the Panama flag at the community center in Bastimentos. When the students first saw the flag they broke out in the national anthem. A day or so later, we heard cheers and positive buzz in the streets for the USA and Panama Gold Cup soccer game. This continues as we hear people share their stories and experiences with us during our time in Panama. They all have reflected similar pride for the people, culture and life in Panama.