What the papers say on Human Rights
In the same week that Panama was fingered by the US State Department for racism, and corruption , Panamanians appearing before an OAS Human Rights Body in Washington DC have been down played by the Government of Panama.
La Prensa commented in an editorial.
HOY POR HOY. March 25 -The American System of Protection of Human Rights, created over five decades cannot be ignored by anyone, much less by the rulers. Respect for the fundamental rights of all Panamanians is not only built into that system, the Constitution that every official is sworn to defend, is clear about its mandate to protect such rights.
This makes it incomprehensible that the Minister of the Presidency, the closest and most influential of the ministers about the President, castigated the hearing held in Washington, DC, where it is examining the current state of the Panamanian judicial system.
Rulers of the system have been embarrassed by the fact that the conditions of the justice system deserve to be examined at a forum of human rights protection. The attitude of the Minister of the Presidency that the talks to examine the quality of justice in Panama are of little interest, has characterized this young administration.