Homicides up 27% in “citizen security” era

Quarantine and curfew restrictions in the wake of the pandemic have not slowed the rise in homicides with an increase of close to 27%  so far this year. From January 1 to May 14, , there were  217 killings.

January with 65 was the month with the most murders While February and March had 43  apiece and in April there were 32.

Feminicide
 Meanwhile, between May 1 and 14, there were 34  homicides including 15 femicides.

Five of these cases were committed in the Ngäbe Bugle region, four in Panama, three in Panama Oeste, two in Chiriquí, and one in Coclé.

There were  171 homicides in the first five months of 2019, with May being the month with the most crimes: 38.

The figures show an increase of 26.9% this year.

Most of this year’s homicides have been committed in Panama and PanamaOeste. Panama has already displaced Colon as the main killing ground and focus of criminal incidents. 

Security authorities say most are linked to gang warfare and the dispute over drug trafficking routes. They even emphasize that this year they have seized more drugs than the previous ones.

“We are not going to be soft.  We already started in Colón, with 33 raids. There is a legal and strategic alliance with the Public Ministry for these actions. We have a solid public force, ”said the Minister of Public Security, Juan Pino, on Thursday, May 21 after making a tour of the police areas of Alcalde Díaz and Chilibre.

The tour took place a day after he participated with the head of the National Police, Jorge Miranda, and other heads of security groups in a meeting with Vice President José Gabriel Carrizo.

Pino is the second security minister of the  Cortizo government committed to “citizen security” The first was  Rolando Mirones, who left the entity in February, after the scandal of the escape of multiple murderer Gilberto Ventura Ceballos from La Joya prison.