Panama Strengthens Fight Against Organized Crime

The commissioner stated that its implementation will not be easy, but the country needs a tool that protects and shields it from this scourge to ensure the well-being and security of its population; otherwise, events similar to those recently occurring in Mexico, where around 175 criminal groups are present, could be repeated. "One of the points that this law must reinforce is to avoid impunity, by strengthening institutions so that this tool called corruption does not continue to penetrate our entities," he said in Nex Noticias. He mentioned that with the approval of this initiative, organized crime would be recognized as an existential threat to the interests of the State, but its main challenge will remain the same: impunity; it is important to curb the influence of these associations on political and public security structures to perceive its results. The implementation of the 'Rico' law in Panama, according to the former deputy director of the National Border Service (Senafront) Luis Carlos Trejos, will strengthen the fight against organized crime, toughening sanctions against criminals regardless of their position within criminal networks, it will facilitate the seizure of assets and strengthen institutional structures, limiting the economic development of these transnational groups. "New laws can be made, but for me, the system has to be strengthened, there is a lot of corruption," he indicated. In turn, lawyer Basilio González considers that the problem is not the existing laws, but the operators of the justice system because there is no certainty of punishment. The jurist maintains that an evaluation must be made of the personnel working in the justice institutions because, in some cases, these are the ones who cause 'harm' to the Public Ministry with their decisions. He detailed that in the global index of organized crime, Colombia ranks among the top positions with 7.82%, followed by Mexico (7.62%) and Panama with 6.93%, a difference of -0.89% between the first and last country, which demonstrates how active these groups are. The Executive is seeking international advice to present its anti-mafia law. He suggested that authorities remove from their positions those who fail to perform their duties.