PVC, Clean Water & Police

Out comes the dirt from the bottom of the tank

The lads of the Pueblo Nuevo Water Crew like to start the day early, as do I. So, I caught the bus before sunrise and rode on the new and improved Pan American Hwy – newly graded and paved – for most of the way. Today was our last best shot at waterline work, since yesterday’s rain will be headed down from the hills soon. Indeed, pressure was rising as we worked. We carried materials up a new road, cut by loggers, up to the water tanks. A little longer, but nice and smooth.

Ligorio pushes mud to the clean out drain

The team passed the tank cleaning test (without any guidance from me) with honors. They hated to flush the last 18 inches of water in the tank, but about half of it was mud and needed to be cleaned and more water is on the way. At the same time, we repaired the broken flush line and did a permanent (as permanent as anything is here) fix to the tank by-pass line. This Team is a PVC laying, water tank cleaning MACHINE !! As we left the tank area, we could hear the happy sound of water splashing into the nice clean tank. A solid day’s work and home before noon, soaking wet, tired and content. Oh, my shower, how I do love thee.

Atsa way - Uh-huh, Uh-huh. - I like it. Uh-huh, Uh-huh.

Interesting chat with the Senafront Police Captain on the way home this morning. I’ve gotten to know Capt. Alew pretty well – as soon as he hears Cuerpo de Paz, he tells his guys to wave me through and I make a point of thanking him. They stop and inspect all vehicles crossing the border to/from Darien – Panama’s Heart of Darkness. They used to make everybody get off the bus and do a pat-down, baggage and passport check. Recently, they started just stepping on the bus and asking to see documents.

I asked if this was because FARC (Columbian rebels) is no longer hiding out in Darien. He said without FARC, things are actually worse, since they provided a certain amount of order in the Darien Gap. Now, it’s just the drug people “and they are much worse”. The Police have stepped up patrols in the jungle near the border, since they were not catching anyone at the check-point. Anyone with something to hide knows to avoid it.

He has mixed emotions about the drug trade. He knows it is his job to “try” and stop it. But, “that is impossible”. He also said he would not put the lives of his men at risk to stop it. Sounds reasonable to me.

Follow up to above: My neighbor Tomas served with the Senafront (Border Police) for 2 years in his younger days. He said it was a great job – hot uniform with gun (“women love this”), pay is OK and you mostly “sit with a finger in your nose”. He said they never really tried to stop the drugs and that many Police took bribes to allow drugs to pass. He says the game was – drug people would “give” the Police a few token arrests, so it looks like Police are doing their jobs. Then those arrested are tried and convicted so numbers look good to international observers. Then prisoners are released on “technicalities”. He thinks it is still the same today.