OPINION: More impunity, more poverty

Latin America is the most unequal region in the world. Although, according to a study by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), between 2002 and 2018, regional inequality decreased by 13.6% in the Gini index, this trend was not enough to reverse the Latin American reality In Panama, inequality was reduced between 2014 and 2018, but we are still the third most unequal country, among the 15 studied. Our reality marks the growth of the gap between those who earn more and those who receive less income. According to ECLAC, the countries that were most successful in dealing with inequality, such as Brazil, Chile and Uruguay, did so thanks to the fact that they allocated more than 14% of their gross domestic product (GDP), to social policies. In 2018, Panama allocated 8.8% of GDP for these purposes. If less resources are allocated, and negligently managed, or corruption and impunity is facilitated, the result is more poverty, more hunger, and more disease. The resulting inequality is a product of the weakness of the institutions, and the success of impunity. –LA PRENSA Nov. 29.