King dethroned after rape of 12-year-old

The National Coordinator of Indigenous Peoples of Panama (Coonapip), which encompasses 12 indigenous territories, decided to “separate” Reynaldo Alexis Santana, king of the Naso Tjër Di region from his position on the board of directors after his conviction for the rape of a minor

The  XV Ordinary Assembly on Friday night, which the Naso representative did not attend, was held in Wounaan territory, in the southern province of Darién, the remaining 11 members supported the decision to remove King Santana from office

The king of the indigenous region, near the border with Costa Rica, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for raping a minor.

The events occurred in a town in the Naso region in 2016 when the victim was 12 years old, and after the minor’s confession, her mother filed a complaint.

“The directors of Coonapip pointed out that the serious events involving King Naso in a case of rape, for which he pleaded guilty, and was sanctioned in a trial in Bocas del Toro, cannot be tolerated under any circumstances said a press release the release.

The indigenous authorities stressed, according to the note, that they cannot “go unnoticed about the fact and will remain vigilant about the case, warning that they maintain the commitment of zero tolerance for embarrassing events like this.”This decision does not influence, however, the position that the Naso region maintains in the Coonapip board of directors, as part of the 12 structures of the original peoples of Panama Court found the indigenous leader guilty last Wednesday, who must pay “60 months in prison” in addition to an accessory penalty that disqualifies him “to perform public functions.”

The court accepted the request to replace the sentence with community work, triggering strong outrage. The decision will be made on August 3 by a compliance judge.