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Panamanian teachers’ unions have launched an indefinite strike against Law 462, denouncing privatization of social security and government repression. Progressive groups join calls for repeal and national sovereignty.

Panama is witnessing a historic mobilization as teachers’ unions, supported by progressive social movements, continue an indefinite strike that began on April 23. The protests are a direct response to Law 462, which reforms the Social Security Fund (CSS) and is widely condemned by educators, labor activists, and feminist organizations for threatening workers’ rights and national sovereignty.

Since late April, thousands of Panamanian teachers have left their classrooms and taken to the streets, demanding the immediate repeal of Law 462. The law, which protesters say paves the way for privatization of social security and hands over workers’ savings to private banks, has become a flashpoint for broader discontent with neoliberal policies and foreign interference. The strike has rapidly gained momentum, drawing in construction workers, indigenous groups, and feminist organizations, and echoing the massive anti-mining protests of 2023.

Teachers Defy Repression and Retaliation

Despite mounting government retaliation,including the withholding of salaries from thousands of striking educators and threats of mass firings,teachers remain steadfast in their demands. Union leaders such as Diógenes Sánchez and Fernando Abrego have denounced these reprisals as attempts to intimidate the movement and silence dissent.

“The strike will continue in spite of all the actions of intimidation and reprisals of the government”, affirmed Abrego, who also called for the resignation of top education officials complicit in the crackdown.

The teachers’ strike has galvanized a broad coalition of progressive forces. On May 25, the Women for Sovereignty, Social Justice, Human Rights, and Peace movement led marches in Panama City and other provinces, denouncing both the insurance law and the government’s security agreement with the United States.

Feminist leaders highlighted the intersectional impact of the crisis, noting that the rights of women, workers, and indigenous communities are being violated under the current administration. “Repression is not the answer. We demand dialogue, social justice, equity, and a real peace, built from participation, respect, and the notion of the good,” declared the coalition in a public statement.

At the heart of the protests is a rejection of neoliberal reforms and foreign interference. Demonstrators argue that Law 462 is designed to benefit private financial interests at the expense of workers’ pensions and public welfare. The recent memorandum of understanding with the United States, which expands the U.S. military presence in Panama, has further fueled anger, with activists warning that national sovereignty is under threat.

The Broad Front for Democracy (FAD) party and other left-wing organizations have denounced the government’s attempts to ignore popular will and Supreme Court rulings, while expressing solidarity with movement leaders facing persecution on false charges.