José Raúl Mulino’s right-wing government again declared a state of emergency in the province of Bocas del Toro, in the northwest region of Panama. The decree initiates the temporary suspension of several constitutional guarantees, such as freedom of movement, while giving the state the power to detain someone without a warrant.
The declaration of a state of emergency in the banana-producing region comes in the context of a series of mass protests as part of a national strike that began in April. The strike was called for by trade unions and social organizations to protest a pension reform law (Law 462), which reduces the amount of money retirees receive and opens the door to the privatization of social security; the security agreements between Washington and Panama which, among other things, could involve the installation of several US military bases; and to protest the possible reopening of a mining megaproject that sparked major controversy in the Central American country a few years ago. The protests have been carried out by unions, student associations, teachers, doctors, and other social groups.
The state of emergency, according to Mulino’s government, will be extended for five days, allegedly because of riots and looting in Bocas del Toro, an area bordering Costa Rica. Juan Carlos Orillac, secretary of the Presidency of Panama, said that the measure was taken in response to “the breakdown of order and acts of systematic violence” and that the State will enforce “its constitutional mandate to guarantee peace, order, and respect for the fundamental rights of most Panamanians.” He also added that it was to prevent “radical and criminal groups from gathering to organize acts of violence and vandalism,” referencing those organizing the protests and strike.
However, union leaders say that any vandalism or violence that has taken place has no relation to the worker’s protests.
The government had declared a state of emergency once previously on May 27, although Orillac himself announced then that constitutional guarantees would not be suspended. This time was different. Police forces have already arrested 80 people linked to road closures and alleged criminal acts, reported Luis Felipe Icaza, deputy Secretary of Security.
According to Icaza, looting and destruction of infrastructure occurred in several shopping centers, a gas station, offices of the banana company Chiquita Panama, and the local baseball stadium.
Vandalism or government set-up?
Jorge Guzmán, national coordinator of the National Front for the Defense of Economic and Social Rights of Panama (FRENADESO), has strongly denied that the acts of vandalism and looting that have taken place in recent days in Bocas del Toro are the actions of organized workers. Rather, he points out that it is an operation of the government itself to justify increased repression in the most active province against the Mulino government.
“For us, and any rational person, it is clear that [these actions] are about a ruse by the security agencies themselves for what would come next… People from outside the protests have infiltrated, who whip up the demonstrators and who themselves conduct vandalism and robbery activities, and thus justify a State of Emergency,” said Guzmán in an interview.
Unionized workers and farm workers have defended their right to protest, especially after the beginning of Mulino’s Operation Omega, a series of measures through which the government has imprisoned dozens of protesters, many of whom are student leaders, union leaders, and others.
In this regard, Guzmán says that the protests in Bocas del Toro are a response to the threatening discourse and repression carried out by the Mulino government.
“The criminal acts in Bocas del Toro are not a response to a legitimate protest,” stated the Presidency of the Republic of Panama in a post on X. “The government has acted with patience and restraint, but as established by the Constitution, today we are declaring a state of emergency and suspending guarantees for five days to restore order and protect the majority,” the government added.
