Thursday, July 9, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
MUSIC-POLITICS: Ruben Blades, Panama’s Chameleon Man
Silvio Hernandez
- Panamanian musician Ruben Blades has taken one of his biggest hits “Chameleon” to heart, changing colour to become one of the most sought-after political allies for elections here next year.
Blades has dabbled in politics before, coming from nowhere to take 18 percent of the vote in the 1994 elections, but his star appeared to burn brighter on stage and, apparently frustrated by the outcome of voting, he returned to work as an artist in the United States. Still, he did achieve a remarkable feat in whipping the Papa Egoro (mother Earth) Movement into an official political party in only one month.
Now, with less than a year to run before the May 2 elections in 1999, coalition groups headed by current president Ernesto Perez Balladares and the opposition Mireya Moscoso, are seeking an alliance with Blades as a passport to success. A third force, consisting of yet another new party and dissidents from the opposition alliance also are attempting to woo Blades to their cause.
Blades himself has remained silent on the issue but his companions in the centre-left Papa Egoro Movement, say the musician will form an alliance only if he agrees with a party’s platform – not on the basis of personalities or the distribution of posts should they achieve power.
Papa Egoro vice president, Aida Batista, said the organisation is interested in forming an alliance for the the 1999 elections, but the most important element in the choice of partner would be acceptance of the programme drawn up by this party in 1994 “by people with moral capacity and credibility.”
As well as proposing the administrative decentralisation of the country and guaranteeing the fulfilment of all the terms of the Panama canal treaties, Papa Egoro also proposed to tidy up the nation and govern in constant consultation with the population.
Batista admitted the directors of Papa Egoro had spoken with various parties and independent politicians, like the lady mayor of Panama City, Omayra Correa, to seek a possible alliance without the presence of Blades. However, the negotiations did not get anywhere because while Papa Egoro spoke of its proposed programme the others “never revealsed a defined government programme,” added Batista.
Papa Egoro deputy, Roberto Will, who participated in the negotiations with the parties interested in forming a third political force, said while there is no “serious, definitive and responsible commitment” his party is not going to negotiate entry to any alliance.
Despite this, he said if the case should arise, his organisation could join a third electoral force led by Blades. But the idea of allying Papa Egoro with one of the ruling or opposition parties appears to be strongly resisted from within the organisation.
Member of the Papa Egoro directing council, Franklin Barrett, said if an alliance occurs with the governing Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) “there will be mass resignations” from the Mother Earth movement.
After stating that “up until now the action of some leaders have given clear indications the party will unite with the PRD,” Barret warned this would lead to division because there are a large number of Papa Egoro members “who do not agree with the PRD propositions.”
Meanwhile, Blades, who recently ended his run in the controversial musical “The Capeman” on the New York stage, announced he will be returning definitively to Panama once he has finished up business obligations in the United States. Political pundits believe he could end up the favourite with voters in the last elections of the century in Panama.
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MUSIC-POLITICS: Ruben Blades, Panama’s Chameleon Man
Silvio Hernandez
- Panamanian musician Ruben Blades has taken one of his biggest hits “Chameleon” to heart, changing colour to become one of the most sought-after political allies for elections here next year.
(more…)
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