Crowd repression arsenal amassed in election lead up

HUNDREDS of thousands of tear gas cannisters and their launchers, half a million pepper gas cans and smoke grenades up are some of a record purchase of crowd control items purchased by the government of Ricardo Martinelli at the end of his mandate.

The supplies were stored in the warehouse of the Institutional Protection Service (SPI)-the armed body that protects the President and who were assigned functions-just a few weeks before the elections of May 4, even though there have been very few times the units have faced violent protests..
Ironically, the items of repression were purchased within six months by a former member of the Civil Crusade:that fought running battles under the Noriega dictatorship, former Minister of the Presidency, Roberto Henriquez, who justified the purchase of supplies, arguing that at that time the inventory of crowd control equipment was very low and even exhausted.
Henriquez said that SPI managers determined the technical criteria of the purchases, based on the needs of their institution.
The Press revealed from tomorrow what other advanced technology equipment to suppress protests bought Martinelli government, their costs, who was the beneficiary provider, when the material is received and what actions will make the administration of President Juan Carlos Varela to gigantic purchase.
Former members of the security agencies agreed that a purchase of such size was unprecedented because neither now nor in the times of the dictatorship that former Minister Henríquez fought against
Meanwhile, former Minister of Public Security, Jose Raul Mulino, also defended the acquisition arguing that “public order in a democratic system is fundamental, Mulino, who was another member of the Civil Crusade, denied that that the purchase was linked to the electoral process at the time civil organizations were saying the Martinelli administration had an agenda “violating” the electoral laws to remain in power. La Prensa has promised to reveal details of the war chest and who benefitted from the purchases.