Body of Girl Exhumed after She Died of Tear Gas Asphyxiation during Bocas del Toro Protests

Chiriquí Grande, Bocas del Toro:  The Public Ministry yesterday began the exhumation of the body of an infant who died amid protests that occurred weeks ago in the province of Bocas del Toro, due to the alleged inhalation of tear gas.  In an interview, Attorney General Luis Gómez Rudy explained that the parents had initially refused the exhumation, but that it was carried out pursuant to a court order. Regarding this point, the attorney general clarified that the goal is to determine the actual cause of death.  The head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office had indicated that the procedure would take place in August; however, yesterday, Friday, photos of staff from the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences seen at the scene performing the exhumation circulated on social media. 

The Public Prosecutor’s Office indicated that, for now, there will be no official announcement until the results of the exhumation procedure are known.  This is a one-and-a-half-year-old baby who allegedly died of asphyxiation in Pueblo Nuevo, Chiriquí Grande district.  It should be noted that there are no conclusive expert results yet. The investigation into this case was initiated ex officio by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.  In parallel, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is also investigating the death of an adult during the protests in Bocas del Toro. In this case, it has already been confirmed—according to a report from the Institute of Forensic Medicine, that the death was caused by a firearm. “We are gathering evidence,” the prosecutor said, without offering further details.