In these days of sugar coated social and mainstream media, I'm pretty fierce about telling the whole story (here, on Facebook and Instagram). Today's topic ~ capitalism among Panama expats.

A bit controversial, maybe. Definitely thought provoking.

This blog exists because writing helps me process my own mental flurries...and, I've always been of the opinion that if it helps one person, it's worth putting it out there.

So, buckle your seatbelt and get out your popcorn...🍿

Today's hot topic: Capitalism

First, a disclaimer...I live near Playa Venao, which has a significant impact on my perspective and opinions that I'm sharing here.

I've made quite a few surprising and ironic discoveries over the past three years living here, especially about capitalism. 

For me (and many others), one of the allures of coming to Panamá was escaping from hyper-consumerism. Being from the U.S., I was especially impacted by it.

Little did I know that capitalism would not only follow me here, but it would be even more inescapable than it ever was in San Diego.

Yep, it's true...for me.

Those of us who live on Panama's Azuero Peninsula rely on WhatsApp groups for important local information and community updates. Without them, you're pretty in the dark.

There are lots of them...and new ones keep popping up. I've lost count, but I think I'm in at least 10.

The Playa Venao WhatsApp group is a constant flow of marketing posts...restaurant and local business promos, real estate for sale and rent, tours, and more...24/7. 

And, the capitalism doesn't just live there...

On one of our visits here before we made the final move, Ken and I had a conversation with a guy who told us that he knew firsthand that many prices here are set cooperatively and intentionally high...WAY higher than the Panamanian norm.

A friend once told me she got a particular service done in Venao. When she went to pay, she was stunned at the price tag...it was more than we both paid for the same service in the U.S.! She said to the owner..."But, this is Panama!" His response..."This is not Panama, this is Venao."

And, the ethos is clear here ~ for many, making money takes precedence over the environment. 

Over the last three years, I've seen mama sea turtles get confused by the nightclub lights, trees (including precious mangroves) being cut down and monkeys being pushed out to make room for new development without any oversight by Panamanian officials, and surfers complaining about sewage in the ocean.   

I am not totally lacking empathy...

Many locals and expats here are just trying to stay afloat. This is not an easy given the inflation of housing and food prices that has occurred since Covid.

I get it. None of us can escape the system that forces us all to sell a part of ourselves in order to survive. But, my empathy has limits and they are definitely reached here.

Another example of capitalism in high gear...

There are many Facebook groups that offer helpful information to visitors and expats...almost all are not-for-profit.

But, there's one that went into high gear. 

From the get go, the entrepreneur behind it was a marketing machine. They flooded existing Facebook groups with content, sadly resulting in smaller bloggers (like me) being silenced as most of the groups battened down their hatches and stopped allowing people to freely share their blogs and vlogs.  

Their business model quickly became clear...they were only recommending service providers who paid them. And, as I recently learned, they don't even allow members of the group to recommend non-paying service providers. 

For these reasons, I decided this wasn't the group for me. Apparently, this was a very good decision. 😆

There was recently a heated post in a different Facebook group about this for-profit group. I asked why people were so disgruntled with it. 

Ding, ding, ding...my notifications started going off.  

In short, it seems it had become a dysfunctional kingdom with arbitrary rules that were vehemently enforced. Dissenting voices (and even some emojis 😄) were banished. Some of the commenters were Panameños that I personally know...they are awesome people who are providing stellar service to expats here and they had been kicked out of the group. 

Call me ridiculous, but despite all of this info, I recently joined the group at the suggestion of my real estate agent. It is, by far, the largest Panama expat group in existence. Rumor had it that there had been a regime change and things might get better. 

I lasted a week 🤣  

My crime? I recommended my insurance agent who hadn't paid them for promotion. 

Commodifying trust & community...

It's just downright disappointing. And, it's not good for expats and it's not good for Panameños.

In reflecting on these experiences, I've come to realize that capitalism is a pervasive and inescapable force that shapes interactions and priorities throughout the world. 

You can't get away from it by simply changing locations. And, places where you might think capitalism would be less impactful (like Playa Venao) may actually be worse.

I have no idea what the solution is for those of us who want to shield ourselves from capitalism other than a fair amount of isolation and hyper-frugality.

Rather than be bombarded on a daily basis in the WhatsApp groups, I rarely go there anymore. And, from now on, whenever it's possible, I'll be repurposing and re-using instead of buying new. 

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