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🇵🇦 Panama /Crime & Justice

'Control of the Streets Lost': Experts React to Violent Weekend in Panama

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

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

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Panama experienced a violent weekend with multiple fatal shootings across the country, raising concerns about rising insecurity.
  • Experts suggest a loss of control on the streets, with gangs and organized crime contributing to the violence.
  • Authorities report a decrease in active gangs but acknowledge their continued influence on homicides.

Panama is grappling with a severe surge in violence, as a series of fatal incidents over the weekend has left the nation deeply concerned about escalating insecurity and the pervasive influence of gangs and organized crime. The bloodshed has led experts to declare that "control of the streets has been lost."

Sunday afternoon saw a brutal armed attack at a bar in Tocumen, resulting in two deaths. One victim, known by the alias "Mono," had a significant criminal record. The other victim was reportedly homeless. The province of Colón also witnessed violence with the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Alexis Domínguez Castillo, alias “Ciro,” in the Altos de Los Lagos sector. In Arraiján, a man died from his injuries after an armed assault in the Princesa Mía II neighborhood. Another victim, a digital platform driver, succumbed to stab wounds on Friday night in Panamá Oeste.

control of the streets has been lost

· Sociologist José Clemente LassoDescribing the perceived breakdown of public order due to violence.

Further incidents included a fatal shooting outside an event in Herrera province on Saturday, and multiple shots fired near the Estadio Rico Cedeño in Chitré, killing a 24-year-old man. These events underscore a deteriorating security situation, with sociologists pointing to a complex interplay of factors beyond just gang activity. While authorities state that the number of active gangs has decreased from 180 to around 120, they concede that organized crime remains a significant driver of homicides.

Sociologist José Clemente Lasso noted that measures like curfews are attempts to reclaim spaces allegedly taken over by criminal structures. However, sociologist Azael Carrera cautioned against attributing the violence solely to gangs and organized crime, arguing these are necessary but not sufficient conditions. He highlighted that some neighborhoods with gang presence remain safe, indicating other underlying dynamics at play.

These are necessary, but not sufficient, variables to explain the dynamics of violence. There are neighborhoods where gangs and organized crime exist, yet they remain safe places.

· Sociologist Azael CarreraExplaining the complex factors contributing to violence beyond just gang activity.
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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