Panama – The community of La Paz de Agua Bendita, located in the corregimiento of Chilibre in North Panama, issued a statement explaining what happened on January 27th during a neighborhood party in which a National Police officer was injured. According to their account, the situation is not directly related to a piece of land, but rather with access to a small bridge that has been used as a community passage for over 80 years, as it is 'the only access to the community to this day.' It is detailed that historically, the street and the bridge, which have public infrastructure and services— including electricity poles and IDAAN pipes— never had 'a defined owner and the land remained abandoned for years.' Likewise, public-use roads and those intended for the service of the community are not part of the private property of individuals, even if the adjacent lands have an owner.' Consequently, they detail, 'actions have occurred that seriously affect the community, such as: progressive damage to the bridge, obstruction of the passage, hindrance of free transit, causing even taxis to refuse to enter.' Therefore, they indicate that 'the closure or deterioration of this route puts the health, safety, and mobility of the entire population at serious risk.' In this context, they assure that 'the La Paz community rejects violence, deeply regrets what happened, and reiterates that its struggle is peaceful, but legitimate and necessary, as it is an attack on the only access and the basic rights of an entire community.' They also took the opportunity to make 'an urgent call to the competent authorities to intervene immediately, assess the situation, and guarantee the protection and free transit on this community road.' In videos shared by the complainants with Crítica, it can be seen how one of the supposed owners of the land adjacent to the bridge, pickaxe in hand, takes advantage of the solitude of the early morning to damage the junction of the bridge with the land. These events have generated a permanent state of tension, preventing the peaceful coexistence of the residents.' They also point out that 'currently, more than 60 families live in the community, representing approximately 260 people, including: more than 15 people with disabilities, in wheelchairs, using canes, bedridden patients, and others who depend on oxygen.' Furthermore, the community has been the subject of constant threats, including death threats and the release of dogs with the intention of intimidating or causing harm.
