The right to demonstrate peacefully

In a democratic society, the Public Force has a duty to protect the rights of all social actors when they express their opinion or demonstrate peacefully.

The arrests of almost a hundred Panamanian and foreign citizens during two nights of protests in front of the National Assembly cause serious concerns about the ability of our security forces to guarantee public order and respect civil liberties simultaneously. It is confirmed that people who had nothing to do with the protests were arrested and that during the term in which the detainees were in charge of the National Police, there was much confusion about the protocol of action that the authorities should follow. Then, a single community peace house aired the cases individually, causing an unnecessary bureaucratic traffic jam. Healthy and well-led protest is essential for democracy. That is a reality that we must accept as part of life in an open society. That the Police did not know how to fulfill its role, it is intolerable for our country, especially with the unfortunate historical background we have in this matter. -LA PRENSA, Nov.2