The Secretary General of the National Union of Construction Workers and Similar (SUNTRACS), Saúl Méndez, has launched a complaint accusing police officers of torturing activists detained during street clashes. Méndez states that female activists in custody were threatened with rape by officers, which he considers a tactic to instill terror in Panama.
In his statements, Méndez holds the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, responsible for the alleged abuses committed by police officers. Accompanied by relatives of 83 detainees, the union leader visited the arrested to inquire about their physical condition and legal situation. Méndez asserts that these violent acts will not stop popular protests against Bill 163, which seeks to privatize the pension fund of the Social Security Fund (CSS).
The SUNTRACS leader, Saúl Méndez, calls for mobilization and invites social forces to march on February 20 towards the National Assembly of Deputies to protest against Bill 163. In his words, he emphasizes the seriousness of the situation: "Here the Police are worth it, the police director, who is a violator of human rights," he stressed. Méndez warns of a police state in which, according to him, there is an intention to establish fear and repression in Panama.
