Page 210 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

208 Chiriquí and Veraguas Santiago and the central highlandS
5 HÉCTOR GALLEGO AND THE SANTA FÉ COOPERATIVE
in the middle of the night of June 9, 1971, Padre Héctor Gallego, the 33-year-old priest of
Santa Fé, was abducted by two uniformed men of omar torrijos’s national guard (see p.299)
and was never seen again. in 2002, the truth commission set up by President Moscoso to
examine crimes committed during Panama’s two dictatorships found what they believed to be
the tortured remains of the revered priest. it is generally presumed that Manuel noriega, then
head of the secret service, gave the orders, though it seems likely that torrijos, even if unaware
of events at the time, was complicit in the cover-up.
gallego had arrived in Santa Fé from colombia in 1967 as the town’s first parish priest.
appalled at the exploitation of the local farmers by the wealthy merchant elite, the energetic
priest set about educating and organizing the peasant population into becoming self-reliant,
helping them to establish a cooperative so their products could be sold directly to the
market, bypassing the merchants. For some reason gallego was perceived as a threat to the
authorities, which resulted in a campaign of intimidation, starting with insults and threats, and
escalating into arson, culminating in the priest’s final “disappearance”. “if i disappear,” gallego
announced before his death, “don’t look for me. continue the struggle.” his prophetic words
now figure on the monument dedicated to him in the village.

Thanks to its 500m altitude, Santa Fé de Veraguas – to give it its full name – enjoys a
pleasant, fresh climate, and while the arrival of a real-estate office may herald further
development, for the moment its absence of traffic and low population density, with
houses strung across the tree-dotted hillside, gives it a peaceful village feel. Santa Fé is
famous for its flowers, boasting more than three hundred species of orchid; the annual
three-day orchid festival in August, when most are in bloom, attracts aficionados from
around the country – contact the tourist office in Santiago (see p.207) for dates. The
annual agricultural fair (late Jan–early Feb) also pulls in the crowds.
The village
Daily activity centres on the small covered market area, where fresh local produce is
on display alongside a smattering of predominantly Ngäbe craft stalls. Across the road
stands a monument to Santa Fé’s most famous resident, Padre Héctor Gallego (see box
above), whose kidnap and murder has left the village emotionally scarred. A nonprofit
foundation that bears his name continues his community development work, offering
support and skills training to local farmers and artisans. More visibly, the priest’s legacy
resides in the continued success of the cooperative he helped found; it includes a
couple of supermarkets, several grocery stores, a restaurant, bus and taxi services, and
the jewel in the crown, the local organic coffee mill, Café El Tute. Tours (in Spanish) of
the processing plant, where you can buy some of the delicious product, and to a nearby
organic coffee farm, can be organized via the Fundación Héctor Gallego (see opposite)
in the village.
Around Santa Fé
The area’s natural beauty makes it perfect for hiking, birdwatching and bathing in clear
streams and rivers – provided the weather holds – though the mountainous topography
means there’ll be steep inclines wherever you wander. A good start is to head down to
the river, near the entrance to the village, below the Hotel de Santa Fé, or follow the
road up towards Alto de Piedra and the Santa Fé national park.
If you intend to tackle the area’s loftiest peaks, Cerro Tute (930m) and Cerro
Mariposa (1200m), cloaked in montane forest, or want to penetrate the wilderness
areas of the park, then hiring a guide is a must (see opposite). More accessible hiking
destinations include the impressive Salto Alto de Piedra and Salto El Bermejo, as well
as the 30m cascade of El Salto, slightly further afield. Your accommodation should be
able to provide directions and/or a sketch map. For the hardcore, it’s possible to
organize a multiday hike over the cordillera to the Caribbean coast.

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