Press Releases 2003

August 20-22, 2003

Ambassador Watt Tours Azuero Peninsula

U.S. Ambassador Linda Watt paid her second visit to the Azuero Peninsula on August 20-22, 2003 as part of her program of visiting all the provinces to gain a better understanding and appreciation of all that Panama has to offer. This trip included visits to both the Herrera and Los Santos provinces.

The Ambassador began her trip with a visit to the Rodolfo F. Chiari Secondary School in Aguadulce. Approximately 1,500 students heard the Ambassador speak about the power of information and of the importance of individual effort. She illustrated this by describing her efforts to learn Spanish and how that has helped her be a more effective Ambassador to Panama. She also emphasized the importance of learning English, as it has become the international language for communication among cultures. She donated English-Spanish dictionaries and English language teaching materials to the school.

Ambassador Watt toured the Macaracas Hospital where $6,500 in medical supplies were donated by the Office of Defense Cooperation. Macaracas is also the potential site of the 2005 New Horizons project. After this she visited the school of La Trinidad, where a Peace Corp Volunteer displayed the computer lab he helped bring to the school to help the children with their studies.

Next was a tour of the Varela Brothers Seco factory in Pesé. The Ambassador enjoyed learning about the company's family history and their contributions to Herrera, as well as viewing the bottling process of seco. She then visited the San Jose de Ocu Taller Artesanal Artesania Ocueña. This cooperative comprises of women who take much pride in collaboratively creating traditional clothing and linens with intricate hand stitched designs. The Ambassador found it inspiring to see this group of women working together to gain business acumen and confidence that will carry over into different aspects of their lives.

Next on the itinerary was a visit to the COMEXA Dos Valles Farm and Processing Plant where the Ambassador viewed the squash fields and the storage warehouse. Next was a tour of the school at La Enea, highlighted by a show from the school children. The traditional dances, music and clothes they used demonstrated the immense pride the children have in the culture of their region. The Peace Corps Volunteer at this school, Nadia Barrera, participated in a traditional dance that she learned during her time at the school.

The three-day trip concluded with the Manos de Oro Folklore Festival of Herrera. This took place at the Herrera branch of the University of Panama. This event was funded by the Ambassador's Fund. The State Department established this Fund to demonstrate the United States' commitment to help countries preserve their cultural heritage. This festival highlighted many of the cultural traditions of the province, which included dances, songs, costumes, an archival photo collection, and displays of traditional woodwork, such as the oxcarts that were used in Spanish colonial times. The Ambassador remarked that culture and traditions are important ties between the United States and Panama. She asked the students in attendance to become ambassadors in the sense of connecting with other cultures, discovering what they have in common, and appreciate what makes them unique and special.