Colon Panama Hotels

The best hope of jobs for Colon’s unskilled locals may lie in jobs in tourism. There are plans to spruce up local heritage sites and expand the airport. For now tourists ride through the old downtown of Colon in air conditioned cars, with the doors locked; to spend their money someplace else.

If fear of crime persists in keeping tourists from visiting in the city of Colon, then most of the cruise passengers will continue to be routed to the Free Trade Zone and never leave the secured area.

Strategies of hope have been begun by the good hearted, but they haven’t had the financial backing to publicize their plans to the people who need to hear it. Nor do Colon’s social activists have the marketing skills to excite the city residents about the remarkable changes in their lives that can start, by stepping through the schoolroom doors.

The government plan appears to be that economic development and better security will have to go hand-in-hand. However security is not equivalent with safety. Well planned free education with its exciting rewards can be offered to prepare locals for their new opportunities and new self images. And then it will be ‘the people of Colon’ will stop their violent neighbors from threatening the security of their community, and the sun will rise on a new future for Colon.

Otherwise Colon may end up being like the city’s gated communities are now, bristling with weapons; and still not truly safe. The citizens of Colon must be re-enfranchised, and education is an inexpensive price to pay. Hopefully soon Colon will be part of a free zone of dreams coming true (zona libra el sueno hecho realidad) for all people of all income levels; and the only things that die will be fear and anger.