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Bishop in Panama calls for collective action against rising violence
🇵🇦 Panama /Crime & Justice

Bishop in Panama calls for collective action against rising violence

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Bishop of David, Panama, has voiced deep concern over the rising rates of homicide and femicide across the country, noting that Chiriquí province is also affected.
  • He urged authorities to strengthen security policies and implement firm measures against crime, while also emphasizing the need for prevention and opportunities for youth.
  • The bishop stressed that tackling insecurity requires a joint effort from families, communities, and institutions, alongside a review of legal frameworks.

Luis Enrique Saldaña Guerra, the bishop of the Diocese of David in Panama, has expressed profound concern over the escalating violence, including homicides and femicides, plaguing the nation. He highlighted that the province of Chiriquí is not immune to this surge in crime, noting that even the Bishopric itself recently fell victim to theft when unknown individuals stole air conditioning wiring from its facilities.

It is worrying and causes sadness and pain to see our society deteriorating. I believe it speaks to a situation that is becoming increasingly complex; however, the call is to always try to take care of our lives and pay attention to our families.

— Luis Enrique Saldaña GuerraThe bishop described his deep concern over the societal decline due to crime and urged attention to family well-being.

Bishop Saldaña Guerra called upon authorities to bolster security policies and enact decisive measures to combat rising criminality. However, he stressed that effective solutions must also encompass prevention strategies and the creation of opportunities for young people. "It is worrying and causes sadness and pain to see our society deteriorating," he stated, emphasizing the complexity of the situation and the need to protect families.

The bishop believes that addressing insecurity demands broad societal participation, starting from the family unit and extending to communities. He argued that identifying the root causes driving some young individuals toward criminal activities is crucial. While authorities must ensure safety, families and communities play a fundamental role in prevention, creating an environment that steers youth away from delinquency.

We have to work together to eradicate these evils that are taking over our society. We need to review together what has caused this to make corrections.

— Luis Enrique Saldaña GuerraThe bishop emphasized the need for collective action and analysis to address the root causes of crime.

"We have to work together to eradicate these evils that are taking over our society. We need to review together what has caused this to make corrections," Saldaña Guerra urged. He also pointed to the need for improved economic stability, suggesting that better opportunities could contribute to lower crime rates. Citizens, like Juan Carlos De Gracia, echoed the call for action, advocating for a review of existing laws to better confront the security crisis.

We are poor in laws; what we need to fix are the laws.

— Juan Carlos De GraciaA citizen expressed the view that Panama's legal framework needs strengthening to combat insecurity.
About this summary

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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