Military solution to Panama gangs a losing battle Opportunity Foundation

 "Seeking a military solution to the problem of gangs is a losing battle," and  prisons are simply the "universities" for criminals says a Panama  Opportunity Foundation.

René Quevedo, of the Fundación Jesús Luz de Oportunidades, , founded in 2008, by a group  of companies and entrepreneurs said the first step towards a solution is realizing that gangs are not the enemy, but rather  poverty.

"The problem is that there are social realities, that few people understand," Quevedo said. "The only way to understand them is to go to the communities. Then you realize that hunger, overcrowding, breakdown of families and poverty make the perfect breeding ground for crime."

"We cannot pretend that the crime problem will be solved only by the police," he said. Increasing enforcement was a losing strategy, as gangs have thousands of potential recruits among poor families. neighborhoods. No matter how many arrests police make, there is always someone else waiting to step in.

The group's goal, is to reintegrate gang members into society and intervene in neighborhoods and families to reduce the "raw material" that feed these groups and  to try and break the cycle of violence that has enveloped many communities in Panama City.

The Foundation is currently working in Curundú, San Miguel, San Felipe, El Chorrillo and San Joaquin, and is starting a project in Santa Ana.

 Quevedo said that his group is trying to take a different approach, by providing role models and offering alternatives to gang life.  

"We have to offer them guidance and education"