A bombardment of criticism and condemnation against the actions of the Independent Movement of Panama (Movin) emerged after group leaders started attacks against the media.
In a statement, Movin said there is a culture of false allegations, lies and disqualification against them, for the publications of Panama America in which it is questioned that they have obtained political spaces within Juan Carlos Varela´s government.
In that sense, the Secretary General of the Union of Journalists, Filemón Medina, said: "The attacks coming from independent and autonomous structures that, in political practice, are really not so, thus they deserve a decisive rejection".
"I do not share any kind of remark that put in doubt the autonomy and independence of a professional journalist at the time of exercising the profession as such," said Medina.
To the Secretary of this journalistic organization, you may not hold a discourse of autonomy and independence on the basis of discrediting or accusing others for our own mistakes.
"I believe that, as a civil society organization, they should reflect in the sense that it is not that the media are the ones questioning them, it is society themselves, and they might not have realized", he added.
He further stated that there is no such autonomy in the practice, just as asserted by Movin, because the members of that organization are occupying important positions within the Government.
For his part, Juan Jované, former independent presidential candidate, asserted that Movin is a political facade of the current Government.
According to Jované, they have never defended the interests of the people because, in reality, their sole aim is to be a political wing of the current Government. "It is an abuse of the independent concept what Movin is doing because they are absolutely not independent for everything that we know."
He added that Movin has been a springboard for many people that at one point used to claim to be independent for the sake accessing important public positions.
Meanwhile, Arturo Vallarino, former first Vice-President of Panama, said that if Movin claims to be a political body, it must endure criticism of a political nature.
"They aren't as independent or institutional as they state to be since they are saying that the media, such as the Panama America, are pursuing political objectives. In addition, they also speak about a culture of false allegations when in fact during the former administration they were devoted to doing exactly the same thing, while in the current period they have also created mistrust and have accused former officials of actions which, in practice, have not been proven", said Vallarino.
Jorge Gamboa Arosemena, Member of the Panameñista party, recalled that several members of that group are part of the current Government structure.
"They were not born as an independent group, but only to support President Juan Carlos Varela, and they not be able to remove that stigma from them", he said.
Gamboa Arosemena considers that those political spaces that have obtained have weakened them because they have lost moral authority in the eyes of the public.
"They are an articulation of citizens who seek to influence the public facts and still have not defined that they have to attain the power through a political organization called political party," he added.
He believes that they have to define whether or not they are a political party, and act accordingly.
Action and position of Movin´s are repudiated
