What Happened
Residents in several rural areas of Chiriquí province report persistent lack of public lighting and intermittent electric service after dark, leaving highways and local roads poorly lit and increasing the risk of traffic accidents. While the region has seen fewer scheduled blackouts under the current company that manages electricity in western Panama, many communities remain in darkness at night.
Where It’s Happening
The report highlights multiple locations along the Interamericana and nearby districts: parts of Veladero de Tolé; stretches of San Félix near the Viguí river; sectors of Boquerón district including Santa Marta and Gariché; long stretches toward Puerto Armuelles near the Costa Rica border; and areas in the newly created Tierras Altas district such as Las Tres Vueltas, Bijao and near Arte Cruz.
Background
The La Prensa account describes a contrast between well-served urban areas and scattered rural settlements that appear “left orphaned” by state services. In some of these places, there are few houses and even utility poles or wiring may be absent, which helps explain why public lighting has not been installed. Local sources say traffic accidents occur frequently in these unlit stretches, and residents feel authorities have not taken decisive action to resolve the problem.
At the same time, La Prensa notes progress: blackouts have diminished with management by the current electricity company serving the western sector. Nonetheless, the presence of dark or poorly lit roads persists in multiple communities, reflecting uneven service coverage.
What This Means
The continuing lack of reliable public lighting has practical and social consequences. Poorly lit roads raise safety risks for drivers, pedestrians and passengers, and can hinder local commerce, mobility and access to schools and services after dark. The situation also underscores a broader governance issue: how territorial planning and public investment decisions leave some communities with limited infrastructure.
Local journalists and residents call for a territorial reordering and clearer state response to ensure that nationals across the country do not remain “left orphaned” by basic public services. The article frames the situation as not only a technical or utility issue but a question of equitable access to state-provided infrastructure and public safety.
The original reporting is an editorial-style piece by a La Prensa journalist documenting conditions in western Panama’s Chiriquí province.