Panama - The disappearance of 19-year-old César Elías Cerceño Méndes has alarmed his family, authorities, and residents of the El Pedernal community in the Santiago district, Veraguas province. The young man has been missing for over five days. According to his relatives, César Elías has mental deficiencies, is not an aggressive person, and requires constant supervision. A report of his disappearance was filed with law enforcement, activating search protocols in the area. Florence Méndez, the missing young man's mother, recounted that her son left his grandparents' home in El Pedernal last Wednesday morning and has not returned since. 'The neighbors say they saw him that day, and then, like magic, he disappeared,' she expressed with evident concern. Meanwhile, Victoria Rodríguez, the young man's grandmother, stated that the family is desperate due to the lack of information. However, she mentioned that there are no clear leads to locate the young man at this time. Some El Pedernal residents believe César Elías might be lost or disoriented in the extensive cane fields of La Victoria mill, a hard-to-reach area that has been included in the checkpoints during operations. They noted that they have searched various points in the community and nearby areas without success, fearing for the young man's safety. In turn, Edwin Pinilla, a member of the Veraguas National System for Civil Protection (Sinaproc), reported that search operations began in coordination with the relevant security agencies as soon as the complaint was received.
