The "Juega Vivo"

Taxi driver in Panama city. Photograph (collage) by Eduardo Cajar

            You are in the rush hour in Panama City, Panama, you have being stocked for one hour in a traffic at the Cinta Costera, and from nowhere a car, without putting their signal, comes with a rush and seeps in front of you. You just cannot believe how irresponsible and impolite that was, but if you are a Panamanian or if you have experienced Panama’s rush hour you understand this type of behavior. This behavior we call it “juega vivo”, and it can be translated when someone does an incorrect action that can only benefit him and can damage others. In my personal experience, we have a lot of those types of persons here in Panama. But some people do not bother because they will do the same, as thinking that because that did a wrong turn I can do it also. Do we need to live and deal with this trait and let our society to diminish into monkeys driving cars? Can we just work as civilized and not let everyone take the benefit when the others sit and watch? Although, we, Panamanians are heritors of a nation surrounded by wealth, history and culture, it seems that the Panamanian population does not seem to recognize it, and live in disorganized environment.

            I am not emphasizing here only in the way that many Panamanians drive, it was only to introduce this patrimonial issue. The “juega vivo” can be observed inclusive in a classroom when a kid with no moral principles takes your eraser without asking for it or retrieving it back. Only because it is easier for him and it is a benefit for him to have an eraser during a math test. In a online article La Teoria Del Juega Vivo, published in January, 2005, professor Luis Ritter defines “juega vivo” as an act that is not guided by any type of moral, and there is an “absence of principles”. Each act is characterized by following a specific purpose that benefits that person or group or persons. But you may think that this a conduct that only refers to individuals that were raise with a wrong ethic or a corrupted education, think twice. Here in Panama, politicians have got to a point that they can change the moral code of the constitution for their advantage; to a point a where the laws cannot harm any of their actions. Thankfully, we are living a new presidential that promises to be honest and transparent, but that is not the case. 

In addition, this “juega vivo” has become as transcendent issue that our citizens find normal to act in this way, they for see an already corrupted society. For instance, we had a period were the famous “diablo rojo” buses were a stress when it came down to a organized traffic. They were causing many car accidents, many deaths and they were breaching the traffic laws; therefore, there was an almost complete cleanup of “diablo rojos” around the country to implement a new bus transportation system. But no one can deny the fact that the new bus drivers are the same drivers, with the same mindset, but with a newer vehicle. Therefore, we stand in the fact that the “juega vivo” has not changed, it evolved.

In conclusion, now you may understand how a Panamanian might feel about the “juega vivo”, how it has come to a point that the citizens of this historical country have embrace it as cultural practice, as something remarkable in our population. A remarkable feature that not even our governors, the ones who represent us globally, can deny. Many immigrants find this a feature of the Panamanian society common and pronounced. We even make fun of these situations, but we cannot let this to continue. For future generations, it will better for them to stay home and not to deal with the corrupted society. Therefore, as united society we cannot permit citizens to make actions only on their favor. If we want to keep our moral values, dignity and patriotism we need to work as civilized country, a not like a third world country.