The Trial Continues for American/Panamanian Kenneth Darlington

You may have been wondering what was happening with Kenneth Darlington, the American lawyer and professor, born in the Panama canal zone  but ended up in jail. You may remember that he shot and killed two Panamanians November 7th during the protests and road closures near Chame that made headlines around the world.  The guarantee judge, Xavier Flores, validated images obtained by the Public Ministry related to Kenneth Darlington involving the homicides of Iván Rodrigo Mendoza and Abdiel Díaz, recorded on November 7, when they participated in a street closure in the district of Chame (Western Panama), in protests against the mining contract signed between the State and Minera Panamá.  In a hearing held Monday, May 13, 2024, in the province of Panama Oeste, the homicide and femicide prosecutor, Juan de Dios Bustavino Quiel, explained that the guarantee judge admitted the images provided by the National Services Authority Audiences from the news programs of TVN Channel 2 and the State Radio and Television System (Sertv), in which Darlington opened fire on the victims. 

He also detailed that the image provided by the private prosecution of Abdiel Díaz’s relatives, as well as one requested by Darlington’s defense, was legalized. Prosecutor Bustavino Quiel reported that his office is prepared to present the indictment so that a trial date can later be set for the accused.  Darlington is detained in the La Joya penitentiary center and to date his lawyers have not requested a change of precautionary measure.  Meanwhile, Monday, outside the courtroom, a group of relatives and neighbors of the victims gathered to demand the application of the maximum sentence for Darlington, considering that he has not shown remorse for his actions that caused the death of two people. The protesters explained that the acts committed by Darlington caused serious harm not only to his relatives, but to the entire Chame community. On November 7, 2023, Darlington got out of his vehicle and demanded that the protesters open the street and then pulled out a gun and shot Díaz and Mendoza. He then got into his car and was arrested by the police.