Panama Reopens Island Prison After Mass Escape, Sparking Controversy

Panama's government has reactivated a penitentiary on Isla Coiba, an island in the Pacific, more than three decades after it was shut down. The facility will house 29 high-risk inmates, a decision that has ignited controversy, particularly in the wake of the recent escape of 195 prisoners from La Joyita prison near Panama City.

The 29 inmates transferred to Isla Coiba were moved from various correctional facilities. The government stated in a press release that the island facility is equipped with highly trained forces specializing in combating drug trafficking and utilizes state-of-the-art equipment to neutralize illicit activities. This relocation is part of a broader strategy to tighten control over criminal organization leaders and curb their ability to orchestrate criminal acts.

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reopening a penitentiary in Coiba is the Executive's response to the inoperability in real, honest, and effective administration of penitentiary centers and to avoid changes in the leadership of the system.

However, the reopening of the penal colony, originally established in 1920 and closed in 1994, has drawn sharp criticism. Isla Coiba, the largest island in Panama and Central America's Pacific region, is part of the Coiba National Park, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005. Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro expressed his strong opposition in a letter, arguing that the prison's location within a protected area is "technically and legally incompatible" with current land-use zoning regulations.

Independent lawyer and congressman Ernesto Cedeño also voiced concerns, suggesting that reopening the Coiba prison reflects the executive branch's "incompetence" in managing existing penitentiaries effectively, rather than addressing systemic issues. Meanwhile, authorities continue their search for approximately twenty inmates who remain at large from the La Joyita prison break, most of whom are considered dangerous, facing charges including homicide and drug trafficking.

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technically and legally incompatible