Panama Declares State Of Emergency In Banana-Producing Region

The Panamanian government over the weekend suspended key constitutional rights in the western province of Bocas del Toro following two months of anti-government protests over pension reform that turned violent late last week, the Associated Press reported. 

The five-day emergency declaration will restrict the right to assemble and freedom of movement in the banana-producing region.  

Panama has been grappling with mass demonstrations since March when the government passed a controversial pension reform measure that critics say slashes worker protections and social security guarantees. 

The unrest has been particularly intense in Bocas del Toro, with protests largely led by workers at a local banana plantation of multinational giant, Chiquita.  

On Thursday, violence erupted in the provincial city of Changuinola after masked individuals breached the local airport, looted an office and warehouse belonging to Chiquita, vandalized vehicles from rental companies, and partially set fire to the city’s baseball stadium. 

At least one person died and around 30 people were injured, including police officers. 

On Friday, Presidential Minister Juan Carlos Orillac described the state of emergency as necessary to “rescue” the province from “radical groups.” He condemned the overnight destruction as “unacceptable and not representative of legitimate protest.” 

The government previously imposed a state of emergency in the region in late May without suspending constitutional protections. 

The banana multinational firm and Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino previously called the strikes illegal, with Chiquita firing around 5,000 employees, according to Al Jazeera. 

The government’s move underscores the myriad of challenges the right-wing president has been facing in recent months: Mulino has faced protests over an April military cooperation agreement with US President Donald Trump allowing American troops to operate from Panamanian bases along the canal. 

Trump had threatened to “take back” the US-built canal, prompting Mulino to offer the concession to avoid escalating tensions with Washington. 

Environmental groups are also protesting the president’s proposal to reopen Cobre Panama, one of Central America’s largest copper mines, previously shuttered because of environmental concerns.