Panama is not used to seeing its police officer gunned down but it happened a couple of weeks ago and people are calling out President Varela for not keeping his pledge to increase security here in Panama. This cannot escalate any further!!
The killing of two officers of the Panamanian National Police last Saturday in the district of Chilibre has become one of the most shocking events for the authorities in the country.
So much so that the religious farewell ceremony to honor the two members, where their relatives and friends participated was attended by the director of the PN, Omar Pinzón; the head of Security, Alexis Bethancourth, and the President of the Republic, Juan Carlos Varela.
“We call for a closing of the ranks against anti–values, violence and crime. These policemen gave their lives to protect the country, our government will provide all necessary support to their relatives,” were the statements of the national president during the ceremony.
President Varela has highlighted on several occasions that the Government has not been able to tackle insecurity as planned.
During the installation of the extraordinary sessions of the Inter–American Court of Human Rights on Monday, the president said that the government “had not been able to lower the insecurity levels compared to last year.”
“I have to recognize that the insecurity index has not gone down, but I hope that we will achieve the objectives,” Varela said.
The issue of security has been one of the main objectives of the administration of Juan Carlos Varela this 2017.
With the aim of fighting firmly against organized crime in the most sensitive areas of the country, at the beginning of this year the Joint Task Force–Águila, a team of 300 units, that will have focused action on specific areas of the provinces of Panama and Colón.
However, despite these efforts, Panamanian citizens have complained about the increase of violence and criminality in the country.
“We must looks ways to lower crime rates in the country that are related to drug trafficking,” Varela argued.
“I am the president of 100% of Panamanians”
The president did not intend to speak when asked about the internal elections of Democratic Change. The elections held on Sunday only achieved a 20% share of the co-parties.
“I as President of the Republic will not comment on internal political issues of a party; that is for a political debate. I am the president of 100% of Panamanians, including those who went to vote yesterday and those who did not,” said Varela.
He added that his responsibility is to “lead the state” and that “he let the parties manage the parties”. He also highlighted that since he took his oath as president in July 2014, he was separated from partisan politics.
Accused of Police officer murder was sentenced
One of the people involved in the murder of two police officers in Chilibre, Giovani Ureña De Gracia, was sentenced to 64 months in prison (5 years and 4 months) for illegal possession of a firearm. Ureña still faces charges of homicide, robbery and criminal association.
Police officers Juan Martínez and Hernaldo Córdova were shot on Saturday morning, in El Trébol, on the Panama-Chilibre highway.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Ureña, 27, was found with two 12-mm shotguns and a pistol. The four people involved are perpetrators; the police have not yet identified the mastermind.
Apart from Ureña’s sentence, two other implied people named Ricardo Alberto Caballero, 20, and Daniel Enrique Gálevez, 22, still face hearings on charges of homicide, robbery and illicit association.
Goodbye to the police officers
At the headquarters of the National Police, Master Sergeant Hernando Córdoba and Second Corporal Juan Martínez were farewelled with honors.
“These policemen gave their lives to protect the country, our government will provide all necessary support to their families,” said President Juan Carlos Varela, during the ceremony. “We will continue to fight against crime in all parts of the country,” said Varela.
“Today we regret to farewell two colleagues, and we share the institutional feeling that now we will remain vigilant in our commitment to Protect and Serve,” he said.