The Parade of the Thousand Polle-ras, began in 2003 in the capital of Panama, when the Tourism Authority took it as part of the commemorative activities of the Centennial of the Republic. This festival is currently held in the city of Las Tablas, province of Los Santos, considered the cradle of Panamanian folklore where love for our culture and traditions is promoted.

In its fifteenth installment, INDICASAT AIP participated with a delegation of more than 40 volunteers that included collaborators from the institution and their families dressed in a variety of typical costumes that included basquiñas, montunas, polleras chorrerana, in gala, white and coquito.

The inexhaustible energy and joy of our group caught the audience at this festival. We could see how along the route the attendees joined INDICASAT´s delegation to share with our enthusiastic representatives.

The Queen of the institute for this festival was Dr. María Beatríz Carreira, who had been awarded the prize for the best publication in the fifteenth anniversary of INDICASAT AIP in the category of Postdoctoral Researcher and received the national distinction of L’Oreal Unesco for Women in Science.

Maria Beatriz Carreira is a PhD in Neurosciences and is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Neurosciences and the Panama Aging Research Initiative (PARI) of INDICASAT AIP. Dr. Carreira studies neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, using animal behavior techniques and molecular biology.

The standard bearer of this year was Mr. Elvins Santander, who is a writer, defender of Panamanian culture and traditions, politician, strategist and Panamanian diplomat. Graduated from the Faculty of Business Administration of the University of Panama, with a Masters in Foreign Policy and strategic studies in the military political bureau of the prestigious University of Tamkang, Republic of China Taiwan. He is a contributing Op-Ed writer for La Prensa newspaper.Among the most notable writings we can highlight “To Be a Good President” August 2014; “Guardians of Democracy” October 2014; “The Water of My Province” 3 July 2014; “The Water for Carnival in the Arco Seco” January 12, 2016; among many others. He is currently a political advisor in the National Assembly, is the President of Active Club 20-30 for Northeast Panama and member of the Board of Directors of the National Commission for Civic and Moral Values.