Genaro López
| Genaro López Rodríguez | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 July 1954 Chitra, Calobre District, Veraguas Province,  Panama
|
| Nationality | Panama |
| Occupation | Politician |
Genaro López Rodríguez (born 26 July 1954 in Chitra, Calobre District, Veraguas Province, Panama) is a Panamanian union leader and politician. He is best known as secretary-general of the building workers' union Suntracs, 1990–2010; as leader of the Frenadeso movement for economic and social rights; and as presidential candidate on behalf of the Broad Front for Democracy (Frente Amplio por la Democracia), party in the 2014 elections.
His parents were María Salomé Rodríguez and Reynaldo López Alvarado. They were coffee growers, who later set up a village food store. Genaro López grew up in the village of Chitra, where he attended primary school. At the age of 18 he left the village and moved to Panama City.
His first job in the city was maintenance work in a restaurant, but he soon left due to disagreements with his employer. Then his uncle offered him work in the construction field. He worked as a builder on a number of construction projects during the 1970s. In 1976 he joined the Suntracs union, then a small voluntary group of builders, carpenters and refurbishers. When working for the Díaz y Guardia company he achieved an increase in the membership of unions. After serving for several years as a union representative, in 1980 with the support of a number of workers' movements he joined the governing council of Suntracs, but later gave up his position due to that union's links with the Manuel Noriega dictatorship.
After this, López helped to create a campaign for democracy (Modec) within Suntracs, joining its general secretariat in 1987 during the political crisis in Panama at that time. After the dictatorship had fallen, on 15 February 1990 he was appointed secretary-general of Suntracs itself.
During his 20 years as leader of the union, its membership increased to 50,000, making it the largest union in Panama, and it achieved the most favourable collective bargaining agreement in Central America.
He led strikes and protests throughout five presidencies, and supported public sector workers who were dismissed after the 1990 coup attempt against Guillermo Endara. In 1995 he led a 13-day strike against changes to labour law under the Ernesto Pérez Balladares government, resulting in over 500 arrests and four deaths.
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