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01 TOMO XXVIII.P65 EL PENSAMIENTO DEL GENERAL OMAR TORRIJOS HERRERA El pensamiento del General Omar Torrijos Herrera ❦ 115 03 TOMO XXVIII.p65 115 07/25/1999, 12:26 AM TEXTOS RECOPILADOS POR LA REVISTA LOTERÍA 116 03 TOMO XXVIII.p65 116 07/25/1999, 12:26 AM EL PENSAMIENTO DEL GENERAL OMAR TORRIJOS HERRERA “El primer reportaje que dé en el futuro te lo daré a ti”, me dijo en el momento de la despe- dida, con sabiduría de buen po- lítico. Ni él ni yo sospechábamos que, en realidad, me había dado el último. Tomado de la Revista «El País» “Fíjense bien, mediten bien, no anda- mos buscando la verdad agradable, andamos buscando la verdad patriótica” Omar Torrijos Herrera 117 03 TOMO XXVIII.p65 117 07/25/1999, 12:26 AM TEXTOS RECOPILADOS POR LA REVISTA LOTERÍA 118 03 TOMO XXVIII.p65 118 07/25/1999, 12:26 AM EL PENSAMIENTO DEL GENERAL OMAR TORRIJOS HERRERA El pensamiento del General Omar Torrijos Herrera POR ARISTIDES ROYO on el título arriba enunciado, se recogen diversas inter- venciones del General Torrijos, unas en forma de dis- C cursos, otras a manera de mensajes, algunas como car- tas, entrevistas y respuestas a planteamientos diversos. El perío- do que cubren va de 1968 hasta muy cerca de su desaparición física en 1981. Cuando uno vuelve a leer “Ideas en borrador”, “La Línea” y los “Partes” a su pueblo, que constituyen el nudo gordiano de sus escritos, bastante diferentes de las improvisaciones o de los dis- cursos formales, no es la figura de Maquiavelo la que recorda- mos, sino a José Ingenieros, al Refranero Popular de la Lengua Española y a Saavedra y Fajardo. Respecto a los dos pensadores, uno americano y otro español, fueron hombres de pensamientos profundos. El primero, Ingenieros, filosofa y discurre sobre los valores humanos. Trata de la rebeldía, la honestidad, la concien- cia recta, el sentido equitativo de la justicia y las cualidades de las que debe ser portador el ser humano. El segundo, Saavedra y Fajardo, traza la figura ideal del gobernante y los atributos que debe poseer para dirigir la nave del Estado. Torrijos, en sus múl- tiples mensajes es como una síntesis de ambos escritores por- que tanto expresa lo que es el pueblo como lo que es él como jefe de Gobierno. Napoleón y Talleyrand fueron hombres de fra- ses que contenían pensamientos profundos. Con algo más de hu- mor, Churchill dirigió los destinos de Inglaterra con sudor, lágri- 119 03 TOMO XXVIII.p65 119 07/25/1999, 12:26 AM TEXTOS RECOPILADOS POR LA REVISTA LOTERÍA mas y refranes. Omar, en sus discursos, pronunció frases que hoy forman parte de la historia y que muchos políticos suelen repetir, a veces sin respetar el derecho de autor. Existe una gran diferencia entre Torrijos y los pensadores In- genieros y Saavedra. El panameño era un hombre de acción y de pensamiento. Es precisamente en el ejercicio de sus acciones cuando emanan, como el agua de un torrente, sus diáfanos y cris- talinos pensamientos. Panamá vio candidatos que recorrieron en campaña buena parte del territorio istmeño. Eran clásicas las ca- balgatas de Porras y las giras de Remón con Doña Ceci en la campaña de 1952. Sin embargo, no es hasta la llegada de Torrijos cuando se ve a un jefe de Estado en permanente peregrinar, bien en un todoterreno, en un helicóptero, a lomos de un caballo o simplemente a pie. Y con él, la romería de campesinos, de obre- ros, de empresarios agrícolas y también de funcionarios que co- menzaban a conocer realmente cómo era el suelo de su Nación. Los que son jóvenes hoy día, es probable que el nombre de Torrijos lo asocien con los Tratados que llevan su nombre y el del Presidente Carter, es decir con una de las facetas internacio- nales del General. Por esta razón, hay que dar a conocer al Torrijos de la patria doméstica. Como era natural de Veraguas, donde vi- vió hasta su adolescencia, había vivido en Chiriquí y conocía bien el campo por haberlo patrullado, mostraba un interés especial por la producción. Uno de los pensamientos que repitió muchas veces se refería al justo precio para los productos del agro y la injusticia que para ese productor representaban los diversos in- termediarios, que no solamente se beneficiaban grandemente sino que encarecían los artículos. Fue gran impulsor de las cooperati- vas agrícolas pero no dejaba de comentar que no había nadie más conservador que un sembrador. Favoreció la creación de asentamientos campesinos y determinó que la sede del Ministe- rio de Desarrollo Agropecuario se estableciese en Santiago de Veraguas, ubicada en el centro del país. Fue un gran impulsor de carreteras, con el fin de evitar que los productos se pudriesen en 120 03 TOMO XXVIII.p65 120 07/25/1999, 12:26 AM EL PENSAMIENTO DEL GENERAL OMAR TORRIJOS HERRERA los campos. Hasta tal punto le preocupaba este tema que en los primeros ocho años de su gobierno se hicieron más kilómetros de carretera que en los sesenta y cinco años de vida independien- te que transcurrieron hasta la llegada de su gobierno. No todo en él era público. Recuerdo que en Farallón, donde tenía su casa de playa, desaparecía de repente para irse a instalar debajo de un gran árbol en un lugar donde tenía varias vacas lecheras con las cuales estaba experimentando para ver si obtenía más litros por día del preciado alimento. Por el rostro con que volvía sabíamos si el experimento había tenido éxito o todo lo contrario. Podía estarse horas con los campesinos y era amante de experimentar todo lo que a su juicio beneficiaba el campo. En alguna ocasión se trataba de un sistema de riego, en otra de un fertilizante espe- cial, pero casi siempre innovaciones que lamentablemente eran de corta duración. Por defender el campesinado panameño, sobre todo al más sufrido, que es el trabajador de las bananeras, entabló una de sus más grandes y connotadas luchas, la que se denominó Guerra del Banano. Esta fue como el preludio de la que luego libraría por el Canal. Con varias diferencias. El ámbito era el de Centro Améri- ca y la lucha contra una transnacional, la United Fruit Company, la Mamita Yunai. Tras varios meses de esfuerzos y después de haber convencido a los países vecinos del istmo centroamerica- no, los empresarios del banano aceptaron pagar más impuestos por cada caja de banano, no sin antes haber utilizado a su podero- so gobierno para que presionara al dirigente panameño, actitud que no tuvo éxito alguno. Cuando los economistas de las instituciones internacionales de crédito, en aquella década de los setenta que algunos la denomi- nan como la década perdida, dijeron que hacían falta varios inge- nios de azúcar para satisfacer la demanda futura, Torrijos actuó en consecuencia. Dado que las inversiones privadas hubiesen sido demasiado grandes y que ya existían dos ingenios particulares, se construyeron tres grandes y modernos ingenios, el de La Victoria 121 03 TOMO XXVIII.p65 121 07/25/1999, 12:26 AM TEXTOS RECOPILADOS POR LA REVISTA LOTERÍA en Veraguas, el de Alanje en Chiriquí y el de Felipillo en Chepo. O bien los técnicos internacionales dieron la misma receta econó- mica a otros países o bien el mundo se consideró diabético y dis- minuyó la ingesta de azúcar, lo cierto es que los resultados no fue- ron los auspiciados. Eso sí, se crearon fuentes de trabajo y el azú- car de los ingenios estatales se dedicó solamente a la exportación para no competir con los ingenios privados. Otra de sus preocupaciones era la electricidad. No olvidemos que gracias a Torrijos se nacionalizó la Fuerza y Luz, compañía privada subsidiaria de la Boise Cascade. En su período de gober- nante se construyeron la represa del Bayano y las de Estrella y los Valles en Chiriquí. Fueron inversiones costosas, pero como él decía, hay que mirar con luces largas, no con las cortas. Aña- día que la obra más costosa es la que no se hace. Torrijos pensó en el desarrollo agropecuario de Panamá como una de las fuentes más importantes de nuestro bienestar. El solía expresar y ello está recogido en el libro sobre su pensamiento, que el tema canalero había absorbido tanto la vocación de trabajo del panameño, que éste había descuidado el campo y había emi- grado a las ciudades terminales para trabajar en el área de la Zona del Canal. En las actividades agropecuarias estaba pues la libera- ción, la independencia del panameño de una sola y gran oportuni- dad, la del canal, obra magna que como un imán hizo que los cam- pesinos abandonaran sus campos. Con sus luces largas veía dos países, el de la producción y el de los servicios como parte de la soberanía nacional. En el terreno del país nacional, Torrijos se interesó funda- mentalmente en la educación y la salud. En la primera, hizo que en los presupuestos de Gastos de su gobierno se destinasen las partidas suficientes para el mejoramiento de las escuelas y fa- voreció la creación de los Ciclos Básicos en el Campo, para lo cual obtuvieron préstamos internacionales dado que la UNESCO favorecía este sistema innovador. La idea de Torrijos era la de que los niños y adolescentes que vivían en el campo, aprendiesen 122 03 TOMO XXVIII.p65 122 07/25/1999, 12:26 AM EL PENSAMIENTO DEL GENERAL OMAR TORRIJOS HERRERA materias relacionadas con el desarrollo de la tierra y de los ani- males. En consecuencia, deseaba que en esos ciclos se enseñase avicultura, cunicultura, ganadería, porcinocultura, agronomía y otras materias de las que vinculan al ser humano a la tierra.
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