Deputy Soto walks barefoot in Arraiján.

This Thursday, the Panamanian deputy of circuit 8-1 Gabriel Panky Soto walked barefoot through the community of Vacamonte, district of Arraiján.

The political campaign is gaining strength every day and those who aspire to re-election in 2019 begin to accept challenges that the electorate launches to avoid being left out of the public arena.

He did it, he said, in protest at the poor condition of the streets in that sector in Western Panama. He also did it as part of the challenge made to him by television journalist Luis Casis, who indicated that the deputies only visit their communities during campaign time.

"We walked and we met the challenge," Soto said on his social networks, while he threw darts at the journalist for not covering him.

Last January, Soto was involved in a controversy after some comments made in the plenary session of the National Assembly. He recognized that in order to win his seat in the legislature he had to deceive some people.

"Speaking of corruption, I’m going to talk about myself. Gentlemen, the system forces an individual who wants to be a deputy, and particularly me, go out to look for votes and commit, and perhaps, promise things that you know that ultimately you will not be able to achieve, "said Soto in that moment.

The deputies have been harshly questioned this year for the alleged irregularities in the payrolls where they have trusted personnel appointed.