An analyst stated: «A fraction of the gangs was supported to crush the competition under the guise of social programs and supposed pacification plans». According to him, this strategy strengthened criminal structures that today exhibit an overwhelming firepower, as was evident in recent shootouts in populous areas of the capital.
The operation in Colombia and its Panamanian mirror Camargo detailed that in Colombia, the crisis erupted with communications and chats linking alias Calarcá — leader of one of the FARC factions — to an active-duty general and a high-ranking intelligence official. At the same time, President Gustavo Petro is negotiating with that faction while bombing the one led by Iván Mordisco, his strongest internal enemy.
«That is not infiltration. A classic intelligence warfare operation», he indicated.
The analyst maintains that the same was applied in Panama: «Here, too, some gangs were pursued while others received tacit protection. Today we see the consequences: more organization, more weapons, and more territorial control».
For the expert, organized crime only grows «when a part of the state cooperates, be it by strategy or corruption».
A legacy that still explodes in the streets The analyst considers that the current disputes between gangs in Panama — which the official version presents as internal wars — are in fact the continuation of those criminal control operations driven, directly or indirectly, from power. «When you see executions, collateral damage, and gangs acting with an advantage, it is no coincidence».
