Draco's Laws in Panama: Protest as an Inalienable Right

In the 21st century, an authority figure in Panama is attempting to punish street protesters with four or five-year prison sentences and label them terrorists. Civic protest is the most legitimate expression of national sovereignty. The argument that protesters can be excessively punished or labeled terrorists simply for wearing masks is a way to align with draconian extremists who commit arbitrary acts, abuse of power, corruption, arrogance, and excessive pride. In Panama, they seek to emulate Draco, imposing draconian laws and decrees that serve their economic interests. This is a ploy to prevent future protests when the government tries to approve a copper mine project in Donoso or sign contracts with companies controlling ports with clear evidence of collusion, or any other agreement that violates national interests, as previous governments have done. Protest is an inalienable right. Throughout history, there have been numerous violations of the right to protest, even on our own soil, with fatal outcomes, yet those in power have not been held criminally accountable. Protesters against the imposition of a Tenant Law in 1925, which increased rental fees, were attacked in Santa Ana Park not only by the government but also by the U.S. army, resulting in deaths and numerous injuries. In recent history, the heroic students who marched chanting 'More schools, fewer barracks' are remembered. It is a tool to claim economic, social, and political rights that underpin democracy. In that struggle, student José Manuel Araúz was killed, and a long list of dead and injured marked the administration of Ernesto de la Guardia as one of the bloodiest and most violative of the right to protest. That is undoubtedly a potential draconian. The law of the Athenian legislator went down in history as a series of draconian actions that surpassed the limits of justice, including severe punishments for minor offenses. This allows us to affirm that repression is not an accident but a strategy for those who fear the truth. It acts as a mechanism of social control when formal institutions (courts, prosecutors, assemblies, comptrollers) are weak or co-opted by power. Faced with the incompetence of officials, protest is an assertion of dignity and the right of Panamanians to be heard. March in defense of water and a dignified life. By Alberto Velásquez, Journalist and Public Relations Specialist. The law of the Athenian legislator Draco from the 7th century BC penalized almost all crimes with excessively severe, rigid, and cruel punishments. (Articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). None of the students were masked during the clashes. In contemporary history, there are abundant pages stained with the blood of citizens who, armed only with their voice and presence, dared to question the arrogance of power. Let us recall Operation Condor, unleashed by the United States in the region. States have an obligation to protect and facilitate protest rather than restrict it. It is an essential form of freedom of expression. This has happened in other countries.