Panama, 19 February 2025.

The Ministry of Culture held the first meeting of the board of directors of the office of the historic centre of Colón (OCHCO), established by Executive Decree No. 8 of September 2024, with the aim of establishing the bases of a coordinated and strategic work for the recovery, conservation and revitalization of the capital of the second most important commercial province of the country.

At this meeting, the Board of Directors of OCHCO agreed to work interinstitutional and interinstitutional with vision and shared responsibility to restore to Colón the splendor it deserves, ensuring that its development is sustainable.

María Eugenia Herrera, Minister of Culture, clarified: "We reaffirm our commitment to this flagship project of the President. We believe in culture as an engine for social transformation and in historic heritage as a fundamental asset for identity and development. But this effort isn't just about the cultural sector but about all the actors represented here. Each of you has a key role to play in revitalizing Colón: infrastructure, tourism, environment, security, housing and local governance."

He also stated that this first session marks the beginning of a path we will walk together. "Today we will define and show our first actions and lay the ground for an integrated work plan. I'm convinced that with the will and leadership of each of you we will achieve a positive and lasting impact on the lives of colonians."

For the next meeting, we guarantee that we will continue with the agreements of the first session of this work table, with a view to strengthening the link with the community and with local actors that will be key to this process.