Panama has low resilience to gang networks – study

According to the Global Organized Crime Index 2021, Panama has low resilience to face organized crime. On a score from 1 to 10, Panama obtained 4.83, when studying 12 parameters that view political, economic, legal and social measures to combat organized crime.

The document highlights that, at the global level, State officials with influence over national authorities are now the main actors of organized crime and not the heads of cartels or mafias.

The index, prepared with data from 2020, is the first of its kind and seeks to raise, in a quantifiable way, the actors of organized crime and the illicit activities they carry out in different countries. This, counteracted with the state and justice mechanisms that each country has to confront them.

Panama obtained a crime score of 6.68 on the index (on a scale of 1 to 10, where the lower score indicates less crime). This places Panama  in 17th of 193 member states of the United Nations,

Above Panama,  are countries such as Venezuela, Guatemala, Peru, Russia, and Ukraine. The index divides crime into two main aspects: illicit actors and markets. In terms of actors, those that obtain the highest score in Panama are “mafia-style” groups (gangs) and “actors embedded by the State,” with a score of 7.5 for both.

“Criminal networks and foreign actors” are the other two actor ratings, for which Panama received a score of 7.0 and 6.0 respectively.

Regarding illicit markets with the highest scores, Panama obtained its most critical rating regarding the “cocaine trade” (8.5). Second, regarding “human trafficking”, a score of 8.0 was obtained.

At the regional level, the index places Panama in position 5 out of 35 countries in terms of organized crime. that much of the organized crime to which Panama is subjected has to do with its geographical position and its nature of transit.

“The cocaine trade, which involves transnational organizations that work with the support of local groups and actors embedded by the State, is the largest illicit market in Panama and poses a significant security risk for the country”. In terms of resilience, Panama is ranked 96th out of 193 countries globally.

The index gives Panama a score of 4.83 in terms of resilience, which is defined as the ability of the State to cope with and interrupt organized crime activities Panama is ranked 96th out of 193 countries globally.

Some of the measured aspects in which Panama shows the most deficiencies are in its judicial and detention system, government transparency, anti-money laundering systems, and support for victims and witnesses.

“The participation of states in crime is a deeply rooted phenomenon around the world: state officials and clientelist networks that have influence over the stable authorities are now the main corridors of organized crime”, is one of the findings.

The countries with the highest scores in terms of the role played by “actors embedded in the State” have less resilience capacity. The findings show that the level at which crime permeates the state varies, from low-level corruption to complete capture of the state apparatus.

In September, La Prensa detailed that at least 178 officials had been arrested so far this year in operations against drug trafficking networks and money laundering. They worked in institutions such as the National Police and other security entities, the Tocumen Airport, the National Assembly, and the Public Ministry.

In September 2020, the then governor of the Guna Yala region was arrested with 79 kilos of drugs.

Panama’s profile on the index website exposes “hundreds of mafia-like organizations” operating in the country, and identifies the Baghdad and Calor Calor gangs, both involved in drug logistics and territory control.

The profile details that Baghdad specializes in domestic sales and Calor Calor in the transport of drugs for foreign organizations.