The political parties are actively preparing for the upcoming presidential election in 2014. Although Martinelli suffered his political unpopularity among the Panamans, his economic performance has compensated him for this. Panama's economy continued to develop with a high speed in 2012, with the economic indicators being stable. The Panama Canal expansion project made an outstanding contribution to it. However, in the social field, the public demonstrations in protest against the government were getting worse, resulting in the intensification of conflicts between the public and the police. In terms of foreign relations, the Panama government still remains its focus on the attraction of foreign funds and other economic goals; meanwhile it continues to promote the Free Trade Agreement with the United States and other countries. <<