200,000 Strong

President Martin Torrijos proposes the privatization of social security, and fires the head of the Caja de Seguro Social, Juan Jovane. The leftist movements, led by the construction workers union SUNTRACS and the left umbrella MONADESO organize a larger coalition known as FRENADESSO. They lead a month long general strike that successfully prevented privatization. In the largest demonstration, 200,000 Panamanians march in the capital in a country of only three million.