Richard Fifer

El Panamá América

Governor responds to accusations

The president of the Penonome Carnival Board denies having

lost control of his office.

Irasema Muños

Coclé, El Panamá América

The governor of the province of Coclé, Richard Fifer Carles, stated that both the Mayor of the district of Penonomé, Miguel Cárdenas and the president of The Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) Darío Fernández, are trying to fabricate a political issue following the concert by the Sandoval Brothers at a local venue.

Fifer indicated that he has limited himself to doing what was requested of him by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, which is to monitor the practice of free trade, while wondering whether the president of the PRD wants to manufacturer a political issue.

Fifer was responding to allegation from the Mayor who stated that as Governor he has taken on all the responsibilities of the Carnival Board and left nothing for the president Eddy Rosas to do.

The governor mentioned that the Carnival Board invited him to participate of these activities as a penonomanian and that he has not had a lot of contact with the members of the Board, except for Saturday when he was at the Mendosas river and he congratulated them for a job well done, he said.

Richard Fifer Carles, insisted that the premises in which the Sandoval Brothers performed has all legal documents that accredits it as a permanent venue, and he is only protecting free trade in Penonome and does not understand why the Mayor is refusing to move forward.

On his part, the president of the Carnival spoke to the media and said that he has fulfilled his role as a chairman and that he has never lost control of it, he added that the organization has worked together, and has put in a great effort despite the limited resources starting from scratch and achieving one of the best Carnivals in Penonome in a long time, obviously receiving the government’s full support.

On the other hand, he mentioned that he is very respectful towards the Mayor’s authority, and that the Board considers the help received from the Governor’s office as well as from the Mayor’s office and the town council equally important, and he is grateful for it, because together they were able to provide a good carnival to all penonomanians and to thousands of visitors of Coclé.