Gang killings outnumber coronavirus deaths

With  Panama in Covid-19,  lockdown during the month of April the number of murders, largely linked to gang warfare eased but for  the first  quarter  of the year  the total  of homicides  surged to 182, which is 45 more than in the same period last year and more than the 178  people who have died from the coronavirus

Until Wednesday, the month of April registered 31  homicides In January there were 65 murders and 43 in each of the months of  February and March.

Executions, double and triple homicides mark the path of the surging death rate which has not been halted by Covid-19  quarantine as assassins travel to the homes of their victims at all hours.

The provinces with the highest number of cases are Panamá, Panamá Oeste and Colón.

Epicenter 

Panamá Oeste, is becoming the new epicenter of gang-related killings   In  2019  it registered a total of 48 homicides. In the first three months, there are already 38 crimes centered between the Arraiján and La Chorrera.

 Criminologist Carlos  González said: “Criminals, due to their personality structure, way of thinking and feeling, are going to use Covid-19  in their favor to fulfill, carry out their objectives, to eliminate their adversaries, rivals, enemies or incompetents or to settle accounts that in the underworld it is almost always with life.

“This moment is seen as an opportunity that allows them to have their victims in confinement, therefore, easier to locate and to carry out their objective of physically eliminating them said González.

‘Since the suspension of the quarantine is not going to imply a return to’ normality ‘as we knew it before COVID 19, the criminal linked to drug trafficking will take advantage to accelerate his purposes, so we can expect more homicides for what It is up to the corresponding authorities to develop a plan to counter this looming threat that is coming, “he said.