Ammunition used against protestors, which led to the death of a young girl, Michelle Becker, from the large amount of tear gas that filled her home. Photo: Claridad Panamá.
The demonstrations, which have lasted more than 70 days, have been firmly repressed by the Mulino government, which has affirmed that it will not repeal the social security law that has caused so much controversy.
On July 5, nearly 800 people from 17 countries signed a letter addressed to the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, calling for international observation due to the increasing repression of protests in Panama. The document, signed by academics, artists, activists, workers, and trade unionists, also points out that the Central American country is witnessing growing criminalization of political dissent, which, according to the document, is reminiscent of the darkest years in its national history. Furthermore, the letter adds that the government is demonstrating an “authoritarian drift”.
The letter states: “President Mulino leads a legally legitimate government, but with minimal support. And he has responded to a wave of legitimate and democratic protests most violently and systematically ever recorded in the country’s history since 1903.”
For more than 70 days, thousands of Panamanians have taken to the streets, closed roads, and staged strikes against the neoliberal policies of the Mulino government. The demonstrators are demanding the repeal of:
- A law reforming Social Security – reducing pensions and opening the door for the privatization of the system.
- Growing US interference – according to the demonstrators, the US intends to install several military bases in Panama.
- The reopening of a copper mine – the largest and most controversial in the country, already closed by the Panamanian justice system.
On June 20, the government suspended constitutional rights for 10 days in the banana-producing province of Bocas del Toro, the most active in the protests. According to the government, the measure was taken to safeguard the security of the area, although several demonstrators called that an excuse to persecute and imprison the leaders of the protests. More than 200 people have been arrested, including local community leaders.
In this regard, the letter states: “The step taken by the Executive to suspend constitutional guarantees in the province of Bocas del Toro makes it, de facto, an authoritarian government willing to suspend the Constitution when it is unable to negotiate, dialogue or listen to its people… The abuse of power of the State through the security forces and the arguments used to justify the violation of human rights, repression, and the prosecution of leaders are not acceptable in any way.”
Therefore, the letter denounces that the country is “going backwards in terms of human rights” and requests the immediate intervention of international human rights agencies to address the Panamanian situation and thus guarantee the fundamental freedoms of demonstrators and citizens alike.
Panama: Protester Dies in Confrontation With Police (+Consular Services With Venezuela Resumed)
A few days ago, Roger Montezuma joined Michelle Becker and Arcenio Abrego on the growing list of those who have been killed during anti-government demonstrations. Montezuma, according to some accounts, was killed in Bocas del Todo in the context of “Operation Omega”, a campaign by the national police that protestors describe as “a bloody repression”.
For this and other cases, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) and the Indigenous Peasant Movement of the Ngäbe Buglé region requested that the legislature establish a commission specialized in studying cases of human rights violations to monitor the protests. The CNDH presented more than 100 alleged cases of human rights violations, including alleged arbitrary detentions, humiliating treatment, deaths, etc. The legislature has not yet offered a response to the request.
Thus, the Panamanian political dispute has led to a massive confrontation between protesters and the forces of law and order, which is still not over.
However, as the days go by, more and more denunciations are surfacing in the media, increasing the discomfort for moderate Panamanians (former allies of Mulino), and raising concerns among international actors about partnering with a government that is widely seen as repressive.
