Panama President Mulino’s Political Message ‘Let it Burn Whoever it Burns’

2026-03-13 - 21:07

“My administration isn’t all talk. It’s concrete work. And if you don’t like it, tough luck. I’m here to deliver results, directly and honestly. Thank you again, Colón. Here’s your Mariano Bula,” proclaimed President José Raúl Mulino during the inauguration of the Roberto Mariano Bula stadium this Friday, March 13, after almost nine years of waiting for the province of Colón. Beyond the unveiling of the artwork, Mulino’s speech had a distinctly political tone. In it, he recalled that Columbus gave him the votes that brought him to the presidency, took jabs at his critics, and offered both self-praise for his administration and attacks on past governments. The coliseum will officially open with the inaugural game of the 2026 National Major League Baseball Championship between Colón and Chiriquí, marking a historic milestone for the region in terms of professional sports infrastructure. The project is part of Colón’s Sports Renovation program, initiated in 2017 with the order to proceed to the Colón 2017 Consortium, with an original budget of $15.5 million. Throughout the project, multiple addenda were made that modified deadlines and costs, reaching a final approximate value of $36 million. “For years, what was once a dream and a hope for thousands of Colón residents was left unfulfilled. It wasn’t due to a lack of resources; it was a moral problem, an ethical problem, a problem of mismanagement of public funds,” Mulino said during his speech. “The funds that should have been used for public works ended up in the pockets of a few opportunists, who profited immensely, while the people were left with nothing. With the debt incurred by the previous government, 580 stadiums like the one we are inaugurating today could have been built,” he added. “...It’s easy to talk, announce, and promise, but baseball is played in the stadium, not with empty words... My administration isn’t all talk, talk, talk. It’s concrete work. And if you don’t like it, tough luck.” With the delivery of the stadium, Mulino highlighted that 350 direct jobs and more than 3,000 indirect jobs will be generated, and he recalled that other projects such as the Armando Dely Valdés stadium are also close to completion. He also took the opportunity to pay tribute to historical figures of Panamanian baseball such as Humberto Robinson, Héctor López, Teófilo Panamá, Al Brown, Ismael Laguna, Ernesto Ñato Marcel, Pelenchín Caballero, Ozzy Chavarría, Ramón Monchi Webster, Viver Clark, Chico Salmon and Bobby Prescott. “A province I will never forget. It helped me win the presidency of the Republic, and I will never forget that, people of Colón. You gave me your votes, and here are my promises fulfilled for the people of Colón,” the president emphasized. “Let it burn whoever it burns. Don’t be fooled. Don’t be swayed by the endless stream of nonsense. Only those who deliver have the moral authority to come and deliver the projects they promised. Warm regards. God bless Columbus,” he concluded.