News
Wednesday 18th June 2025.
June 17, 2025
In Bocas del Toro , Tuesday, June 17 marks the third consecutive day of Operation Omega , the security operation activated by law enforcement to clear roads blocked since April 28 in protest of Law 462, which reformed the country’s retirement system.
The day has become complicated. According to reports from the Ministry of Public Security, protesters have begun placing nails on the asphalt of the main road, posing a new risk to vehicles attempting to travel through the area.
Added to this is a situation that authorities have described as “worrying”: homemade rockets are being launched from the ground toward aircraft of the National Aeronaval Service (Senan) that are conducting reconnaissance overflights.
Meanwhile, SENAN maintains a humanitarian airlift from the air command in Rambala, Chiriquí Grande, as part of the same operation. This bridge is intended to transport people with medical appointments or urgent health conditions, especially in communities where blockades have left residents without access to care centers.
In a press conference on Monday afternoon, Deputy Minister of Security Luis Felipe Icaza reported that 34 arrests had been made to date: 16 in Almirante and 18 in Chiriquí Grande.
He also detailed that, according to the latest report, 19 points were open to traffic and 24 were still closed.
However, a silent truce was observed in some communities in Almirante on Monday night. Residents of areas such as Guamie and Una Milla, after speaking with National Police officers, agreed to voluntarily clear the roads. Images of residents removing barricades and clearing the road contrasted sharply with the tense scenes of recent days.
Meanwhile, the main road access to Changuinola from the rest of the country— the bridge over the Changuinola River —remains blocked by protesters opposing Law 462, including educators, banana workers, and members of indigenous communities. The road has been closed for several days, hampering the entry of food, fuel, and medical care into the area. A similar situation is occurring at Finca 13 , in the El Empalme district, where community groups have set up roadblocks as part of a protest that has now lasted more than six weeks.
Police forces continue to be deployed in the most critical areas of Bocas del Toro, where blockades persist as a symbol of protest against Law 462, which reformed the pension system. Amid the noise of helicopters, the explosion of rockets, and government promises, the region remains divided between protests, official pressure, and the urgency to return to normal.
A judge in the province of Bocas del Toro ordered the provisional detention of Francisco Smith, general secretary of the Banana Industry Workers Union (Sitraibana).
The decision was made at a hearing that concluded Tuesday at 5:45 pm. According to Nestor Palacios , the union leader’s lawyer, Smith was charged with the alleged commission of four crimes: against public administration , apology for crime, affecting the public transport service, and criminal conspiracy .
Palacios announced that he has appealed the court’s decision. The appeal hearing is scheduled for next Monday, June 23, at 2:15 p.m.
The union leader appeared virtually from the National Police headquarters on Isla Colón, where he remains in custody following his arrest on Sunday, June 16, in Panama City.
During the hearing, which took place at the headquarters of the Accusatory Criminal System in Changuinola, Bocas del Toro, the Public Prosecutor’s Office was represented by senior prosecutors Julio Vergara and Joseph Navas.
Although Smith faces at least eight criminal charges, including one filed by lawyer and journalist Senén Briceño, his lawyer explained that this case stems from complaints filed by “gentlemen” in the district. He did not reveal any names.
The Superior Court of Appeals of the Third Judicial District (Chiriquí and Bocas del Toro) confirmed the precautionary measure of house arrest imposed on leader Toribio García .
Judicial sources reported that the court decided to maintain the measure applied last week by a judge of guarantees, considering it consistent with the purposes of the case.
The judges also upheld the ban on access to social media , which means García will not be able to send messages electronically.
The leader was charged with condoning crime and attacking internal state security after using social media to call for protests against the passage of Law 462 of March 18, 2025 , related to the Social Security Fund.
During the hearing held Tuesday morning at the Superior Court of Appeals, the Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the precautionary measure of provisional detention for Toribio García, arguing that this is a serious crime.
For his part, Franklin Reyes, García’s defense attorney, argued that the charge is unfounded, since any citizen has the right to publicly protest a legal provision they consider harmful to the community.
Toribio García was arrested last Saturday morning by National Police officers , who took him to the Public Ministry, which had issued an arrest warrant against him.
The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office has charged José Ruiloba Pineda , former chief of staff at the Ministry of Housing and Land Use Planning (Miviot) and nephew of Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) deputy Raúl Pineda , with the alleged commission of the crime of embezzlement against that entity.
Sources from the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) confirmed that last week the Superior Court of Appeals of the First Judicial District upheld the precautionary measure of notification on the 15th and 30th of each month and a ban on Ruiloba leaving the country.
Previously, a judge upheld the charges filed by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, alleging that Ruiloba, along with other Miviot officials, participated in activities that caused serious financial damage.
Ruiloba appeared before the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office on May 30 after learning of an investigation into him for alleged embezzlement.
The investigation began after the detection of duplicate check collections within Miviot related to the Aid Program, which was allegedly used to pay payroll. In this case, 14 other individuals are under investigation who allegedly received checks from that entity but did not perform specific functions.
The spreadsheet was directly related to the Aid Program, which revealed inconsistencies involving large sums of money.
Ruiloba was also denounced in 2024 by former PRD representative Zulay Rodríguez for alleged irregularities in the handling of funds from the Techos de Esperanza Program, within which $2.5 million were handled and in which 2,288 people were named.
In 2020, Ruiloba was also sanctioned by the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (ANTAI) for engaging in conduct that affected the proper functioning of public services.
The sanction against Ruiloba was imposed after Antai opened an administrative process following an audio recording in which the then official demanded that his collaborators like posts about the former minister of this portfolio, Rogelio Paredes, and later apologized for what he had done.
The Panamanian Foreign Ministry warned citizens to refrain from non-essential travel to Middle Eastern countries due to tensions and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Panama, in light of the increased tensions in the Middle East conflict, recommends that Panamanian citizens refrain from non-essential travel to countries in the region due to the high level of risk this represents to their safety ,” the statement said.
In addition, the Foreign Ministry urged Panamanians currently residing in Israel, Iran, and other affected areas to remain alert, seek information from official sources, and follow the instructions of local authorities.
“If you require consular assistance, please contact the nearest Panamanian diplomatic or consular office.”
Likewise, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that to obtain additional guidance, the Information Coordination Center (Cecodi) was activated to provide support and address any inquiries.
The enabled channels are:
- Phone for calls: (507) 504-9514
- Whatsapp: (507) 6330-6252
- Email: cecodiomire.gob.pa
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates its commitment to the protection and assistance of Panamanian citizens abroad and will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Middle East to take the necessary measures to defend its citizens.”
Panama ratified the World Trade Organization (WTO) Fisheries Subsidies Agreement through Law 470 of May 29, 2025, sanctioned by President José Raúl Mulino, which seeks to combat overfishing and protect marine biodiversity.
The treaty, initially adopted in Marrakech in 1994 and whose negotiations spanned more than two decades, establishes for the first time legally binding restrictions on fishing subsidies considered most harmful to ocean sustainability.
“We consolidate our unwavering commitment to nature, to the ocean, and to the life it supports,” declared Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro, announcing the ratification of the agreement. In his view, this measure reaffirms Panama’s leadership as a “blue leader and defender of environmental and trade multilateralism.”
With this decision, Panama aligns itself with an international framework that seeks to eliminate subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; fishing for overexploited species without recovery measures; and high-seas activities without collective management mechanisms.
The agreement also provides special and differential treatment for developing and least-developed countries, which will have a two-year transition period before their obligations become enforceable. It also provides for technical assistance and institutional strengthening programs through the WTO and allied organizations.
According to WTO data, more than 38% of the world’s fish stocks are overexploited.
The negotiation and review of the treaty in Panama involved technical teams from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MICI), the Ministry of Environment, the Aquatic Resources Authority (ARAP), and the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP). Authorities assert that the ratification was carried out while safeguarding the country’s fishing, environmental, and trade interests.
An international voluntary fund will support the implementation of the agreement, offering financial support to countries that need to strengthen their institutional capacities, improve the management of their fisheries resources, and ensure greater transparency in information on subsidies.
To date, 101 WTO members, including the United States, the European Union, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Chile, Paraguay, and South Korea, have ratified the agreement. For it to enter into force, it requires the deposit of an instrument of acceptance by at least 110 members, a number that could be reached in the coming days.
Ratification of this agreement could help the European Union lift the yellow card imposed on Panama as a warning for practices that encourage illegal fishing. If the European bloc lifts this sanction, Panama would receive a green card, certifying compliance with measures against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. However, if a red card is imposed, Panamanian fishery products would be banned from entering the European market.