Former Deputy Director of Ifarhu Panama and Representative of Barrio Colón Found Dead
Héctor Sambrano (left) was the right-hand man of the former director of the entity, Bernardo Meneses (2019-2024).
Héctor Sambrano (also spelled Zambrano), the Representative of Barrio Colón in La Chorrera and a former Deputy Director/Director of Scholarships at the Institute for the Training and Utilization of Human Resources (IFARHU), was found dead.
His body was discovered inside an apartment in the Carrasquilla area of Panama City by a relative on the morning of July 3, 2026. Preliminary reports from authorities and the Public Ministry indicate that the scene showed signs of a struggle, and his death is being investigated as a possible homicide.
Forensic personnel (Criminalística) and the Public Ministry are currently conducting on-site investigations at the building to determine the exact cause and circumstances of his death. Sambrano had recently been implicated in the “Retorno 2.0” operation, which was linked to investigations into alleged corruption and irregularities at IFARHU.
The former deputy director of Ifarhu and current representative of the corregimiento of Barrio Colón, district of La Chorrera, (Panama West), Héctor Sambrano, was found dead this Friday in an apartment in Carrasquilla, corregimiento of San Francisco. It is worth remembering that Sambrano was the right-hand man of the former director of the entity, Bernardo Meneses (2019-2024).
