Panama reactivates island jail after mass escape, sparking controversy

Panama's government has reopened a penitentiary on Isla Coiba, a move that has ignited controversy just weeks after a historic escape of 195 inmates from a prison near the capital. The reactivated facility, which had been closed for over three decades, has received 29 high-risk prisoners transferred from various correctional centers.

The government stated that the Isla Coiba facility is equipped with advanced technology and staffed by highly trained personnel specializing in combating drug trafficking. This decision, however, has drawn sharp criticism from the Ministry of Environment. Minister Juan Carlos Navarro expressed his strong opposition in a letter, arguing that the prison's reactivation is "technically and legally incompatible" with the current zoning regulations for the protected area.

Isla Coiba, the largest island in Panama and the Central American Pacific, is part of the Coiba National Park, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005. Environmental officials contend that the prison's presence infringes upon the protected status of the territory.

The reactivation comes as authorities are still searching for approximately twenty inmates who escaped from the La Joyita prison on June 1. Many of the fugitives are considered dangerous, with several facing charges for homicide and drug trafficking. In a separate development, a Panamanian court recently sentenced 12 individuals to 50 years in prison for a 2019 massacre at La Joyita that resulted in 13 deaths and 11 injuries.