Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino announced that his government has already begun consultations to seek international advice with the aim of presenting an Anti-Mafia Law to the National Assembly. This law will be inspired by models applied in the United States, France, and Italy to combat organized crime. Mulino explained that the current legal framework «is not sufficient to face the magnitude of the problem», so he will request technical support from the prosecutor's offices and specialized bodies of these countries. He specifically mentioned the American experience of using a law that then-Prosecutor Rudy Giuliani used to dismantle the Italian mafia in New York. «I want a law that sweeps away all that legal garbage that today does not allow us to confront criminal organizations head-on,» the head of state said. The project would be aimed at attacking the structures, finances, assets, front companies, support networks, and any form of operation of organized crime groups, gangs, and drug trafficking. The president assured that the initiative will be presented to the National Assembly once the international consultations are concluded and the necessary comparative experience is gathered for a robust text. «This will not be easy or fast, but it must be done now,» he concluded.
