Authorities weigh extending mobility restrictions in San Miguelito

Authorities in Panama’s San Miguelito district are deciding whether a curfew and mobility restrictions should remain in place after a rise in homicides prompted the measures on Aug. 17.

Javier Batista, head of the San Miguelito Police Zone, presented the operation’s results to the Municipal Council. He left the decision on extending or lifting the restrictions to municipal authorities. More than 1,700 people were detained while the operation covered the corregimientos of Belisario Frías, Arnulfo Arias, Omar Torrijos and Belisario Porras.

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We have already gone three months without a peace judge; this cannot continue.

The presentation drew questions from council members, who examined whether restricting movement could adequately address crime in the district. They also raised the lack of peace judges to handle people detained during the operations. In Victoriano Lorenzo, one council member said, “We have already gone three months without a peace judge; this cannot continue.”

Council members discussed permits for sports activities that continue late into the night and whether those authorizations affect compliance with the restrictions. Mayor Irma Hernández called for comprehensive security plans, tougher action against crime and stronger penalties. She also backed resocialization programs as part of a longer-term prevention strategy. “The people who are afraid here are the neighbors who go to work and study with dignity, while those who should be afraid and locked up are the ones outside, even mocking the measures and committing crimes outside curfew hours,” she said.

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The people who are afraid here are the neighbors who go to work and study with dignity, while those who should be afraid and locked up are the ones outside, even mocking the measures and committing crimes outside curfew hours.