Fearing rampant crime, Panama imposes curfew

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced on August 29 that starting next week, the country will impose a curfew in Colón province and San Miguelito city to suppress crime.

President Mulino expressed concern about the increasingly brazen situation of organized crime and drug trafficking in Panama. (Source: AP)

The Panamanian government has asked Interior Minister Dinoska Montalvo to instruct the Governor of Colón Province and the Mayor of San Miguelito to implement the decision. Accordingly, the curfew will be applied from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (local time).

President Mulino expressed concern about the increasingly brazen situation of organized crime and drug trafficking in Panama, especially in Colon province and San Miguelito city.

Mr. Mulino said that the drug trafficking activities of gangs have changed the entire criminal structure and are increasingly spreading in this country. According to statistics from the Panamanian National Police, there are currently 160 criminal gangs in this country, of which 35 gangs are in the province of Colón and 29 gangs are in the city of San Miguelito.

Panama has ordered its air force and customs authorities to increase patrols to ensure security at airports, including Tocumen International Airport, as well as at seaports and land border crossings.

Gangs are now taking control of the country’s prison system, turning it into a haven for criminal activity due to overcrowding of up to 60 percent and poor living conditions, according to Panamanian authorities. Preliminary statistics show that the Central American country’s prison population increased by nearly 50 percent between 2012 and 2024, with an incarceration rate of 556 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/lo-ngai-toi-pham-hoa-nh-ha-nh-panama-thi-ha-nh-lenh-gioi-nghiem-284438.html