Who defends the citizen when the institution is born compromised and is thought of in terms of payroll and power? When the selection process depends on political agreements, the result ceases to be a merit-based evaluation and becomes a negotiation of quotas. Can a defender chosen by quotas oversee the power? But the problem is deeper. Panama has not yet fully incorporated a human rights approach into its state apparatus. Beyond the 35 candidates for the Office of the Ombudsman, the problem lies in who decides. Can a person who must face abuses of power and defend fundamental rights be evaluated in this way? Under the current leadership of the Government Commission, doubts about the independence of the process are inevitable. It is difficult to take seriously a process in which each candidate has only five minutes to present their suitability. This is not an isolated fact. Without that foundation, any appointment will be insufficient. The history of the Ombudsman shows a persistent pattern of appointments influenced by partisan interests.
