The people and the waterway at the center of the Panama Canal
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What sparked the recent controversy over the Panama Canal?
When President Donald Trump started talking about taking back the Panama Canal right around Christmas, there was a lot of reaction from people in Panama. Diplomatic but firm statements from the president, chants, an American flag burning in the streets, and also memes. We get angry.
But it's also funny, because come on.
That is Joel Diaz and Jessica Salado. They're members of the super popular Panamanian satire group called El Gainazo. That name refers to the black vultures that are all over Panama City. Now, the vulture is definitely not the national bird, but unlike the majestic harpy eagle that is on Panama's crest, the vultures are actually part of people's everyday lives. Here's Jessica.
What El Gallinazo does is that it's like a translator of very important and serious news, but in a Panamanian slang. So everyone can be informed, but entertained at the same time.
We met the team at El Gallinazo's offices in Panama City, and we came here to find out how Trump's threats are resonating with the people who could face the most severe consequences if he follows through. And we're here at a time when Panama is in the global spotlight. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio just wrapped up a visit to deliver and perhaps clarify Trump's message about the canal.
We love controversial content.
So this for us is like a goldmine. One of the group's illustrators is Esperanza Villalobos. She recently drew an image of President Trump as a baby pointing at the Panama Canal and crying, I want that one.
I think it's funny because we're looking at our politicians and we believe that our politicians are low material, IQ, intelligence, whatever.
You think your politicians are dumb.
Yeah. They're so... So when these kind of things happen, because when we are talking about our politicians every day, people in the comments are like, yeah, we're nothing like USA. They are intelligent, and we are nothing compared to them. And now when this happens, it's like, yeah, we're the same. We have the same kind of material of politicians. They are funny everywhere.
Politicians all around the world share some of the same qualities, is what you're saying?
Right now, yes.
So what did you actually do with that material? Like, what was the meme that you created?
We have this meme that it says, it's from the movie Zoolander. Zoolander. Yeah, saying like, Panama is so hot right now. We're in the mouth of everyone. We're hot. Yeah.
There's a common expression in the United States. which is you have to laugh because if you don't, you'll cry. And I wonder if that kind of describes the moment that you all are in right now. Yeah, yeah, totally.
Also, I find a lot of peace in the chaos when something bad happens to you and you feel like, why me? And then you open a meme and you see the comments and you feel like, oh, this is affecting everyone. You find peace when it's a collective thing
Consider this. Trump's threat to take back the Panama Canal has the potential to reshuffle global politics. We'll meet the people and a 51-mile waterway in the middle of it all. From NPR, I'm Ari Shapiro.
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Who are the voices of satire in Panama?
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