Like the US, Panama has struggled what to do with their illegal immigrants and illegal workers for years. Panama recently granted amnesty to just about anyone who could pay a fee and has been living in the country for a time. In exchange, applicants get a residency permit and a work permit…allowing them to make a bit more money and enjoy the pleasure of having payroll and social taxes taken from their paychecks.
Visit just about any bar in Panama City and you will find it is staffed by pretty young Colombian girls (known as Colombianitas), with maybe a Cuban and a token Panamanian thrown in for good measure. Now these girls can come out from under the tables and join the work force. Where they were once illegal workers paid under the table, they are now legal workers who no longer need to live in fear of the immigration authorities.
The same is true of every single “gentlemen’s” club and house of ill repute in the city. 90% of their service staff is made up of Colombian girls, aged 19 to 25, who fly to Panama City for a few months and then return home for the required 30 day period.
Some of these girls had been staying in Panama illegally, and some had been following the rules and flying back and forth. In either case, they all qualified for amnesty. Yes, even working girls were eligible. So long as they could pay the fee, they were good to go…so to speak.
Most of these girls, whether they were working in a bar, or in a brothel, were not saving money for a rainy day. They were either spending it, or sending it home…keeping in mind that a bar employee may make $800 to $1,500 a month. If they have a $2,000 month, it is a real success.
With the cost of amnesty at $3,000 to $5,000, depending on the attorney and other factors, these girls all needed to find cash quick. Some of them had friends they could borrow from, setting up a payment plan, and others were fortunate enough to fall in love with an older nobleman just in time. Having a few months’ notice, many latched on to the nearest gringo and “got serious” ASAP.
* Even though I have been in the US for about a year, yours truly received no less than four calls for assistance, three of which included promises of true love and that the donation would ensure we could be together forever.
Now that the Panama amnesty is complete, many of these young ladies have their sights set on the U.S. of A. While it is nearly impossible for an average Colombian or Cuban to obtain a US visa, with Panama residency and legalized work status, they stand a good chance of being approved.
Just as many have first immigrated to Canada before hitting the shores of America, these girls see Panama as their first step towards a better life in the Obamanation. I hope they make it, as they can only brighten up our landscape. Best of luck to you Colombianitas!