Milena Gómez Cedeño, the educational manager of the Higher Technical Specialized Institute (ITSE), submitted her irrevocable resignation from her post, citing a lack of legal certainty and direct harm to the institution's academic and administrative autonomy. The decision was communicated via a letter to the Board of Directors, in which she made it clear that the internal situation had become unsustainable. Gómez Cedeño recalled that her appointment was made through a public merit competition for the 2021-2025 period, a process that was later extended to 2029 based on performance evaluations, results, and institutional impact. Among the achievements was the growth of enrollment from 800 to over 4,000 students, the creation of five new careers, and the establishment of governance structures and regulations that did not exist at the beginning of her administration. She also highlighted alliances with national and international entities such as the Panama Canal, COPA Airlines, CAF, UNESCO, and Tecnológico de Monterrey, in addition to signing more than 170 cooperation agreements. She indicated that nearly 80% of graduates managed to secure quality employment. Gómez Cedeño also noted that during her tenure, internal, external, and Comptroller General's office audits were promoted, without any findings to date that compromise her administration or institutional management. The resignation occurs at a key moment when the country is discussing educational reforms and the possible modernization of the system's legal framework, including the Organic Law on Education. The national debate points to structural changes, but the ITSE case raises concerns about institutional autonomy and the stability of technical positions. In closing her letter, the former manager thanked the ITSE staff, the academic community, the allied productive sector, and the students, whom she considered the central axis of her management. A copy of the document was sent to the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino Quintero. All this, as she explained, was formally approved by the same Board of Directors that today endorses changes she questions. In the document, she stated that starting in October 2025, situations of tension arose, including forced vacations and a separation from the post. Although the Board itself maintained at the time that these actions did not constitute a violation or impairment of rights, the landscape changed with the subsequent reform to the ITSE statute. The modification, approved on January 19 and published in the Official Gazette, incorporated the figure of 'loss of confidence' as a cause for the removal of the Educational Manager. According to the former official, this transforms a technical, fixed-term position into one of free appointment and removal, affecting legal security and institutional stability. Despite the context, the former manager highlighted the results of her management.
