The budget distribution shows a structure focused on sustaining the entity's daily operations, with a limited margin for developing new projects or institutional strengthening. To this financial reality is added the weight of the payroll. The Office of the Ombudsman maintains 254 officials, whose salary burden is around 400 thousand dollars monthly. The change of leadership occurs in a context in which the entity's role as a guarantor of human rights is once again at the center of the national debate. The Budget. The entity's budget figures reflect a fluctuating trend in recent years. For 2026, the institution has an allocation of 7.2 million dollars, a reduction from the 7.9 million in 2025 and the 8 million registered in 2024. Although initiatives have recently been proposed to restore that figure, they have not prospered, which keeps the debate open about state investment in the defense of human rights. There are also salaries for regional directors who earn around 1,700 dollars and secretaries with incomes of approximately 800 dollars monthly. Role under scrutiny. The Office of the Ombudsman's main function is to ensure that the human rights of Panamanians are not violated, acting as a guarantor against possible abuses or irregularities. Its mandate covers the protection of rights enshrined in the Constitution, national laws, and international agreements signed by Panama, including human rights treaties, which makes it a key piece within the democratic system. Although it has no power to sanction and does not act as a court, it does have the authority to investigate the actions of public institutions and point out possible irregularities, in addition to issuing formal recommendations that authorities must consider to correct flaws, guarantee respect for citizens, and foster a culture of peace. For sectors of civil society, that mandate is not abstract, but implies clear functions that, they argue, have been repeatedly neglected. Lawyer and human rights defender Magaly Castillo warns that the Office of the Ombudsman has ceased to be an effective point of contact with the citizenry to become a bureaucratic structure that receives complaints, initiates processes, but does not offer timely responses. In addition to the intense political struggle of the ruling party for control of the Office of the Ombudsman in the National Assembly, a key question arises: what is behind the interest in dominating an entity whose mission is the defense of citizens' rights? All signs point to the weight of its resources: a budget exceeding 7 million dollars and a payroll of more than 250 officials, with salaries ranging from 800 dollars —like that of a secretary— to the 7 thousand dollars that the Ombudsman receives, which turns the institution into a space of administrative and political influence, beyond its constitutional mandate. With the arrival of a figure questioned for some of her rulings, such as former Supreme Court Justice Ángela Russo, who was chosen this week by the National Assembly with 37 votes, the Office of the Ombudsman begins a new stage. In previous years, the budget was 7.8 million in 2023 and 7.6 million in 2022, which shows progressive adjustments over time. Of the amount corresponding to 2026, about 7 million dollars are destined for operating expenses, while only 200 thousand dollars are allocated for investment. This component represents one of the main commitments of institutional spending. According to the central payroll held by the Comptroller General's Office, Eduardo Leblanc González, whose term in the entity expired on March 31 of last year, earned a base salary of 3,500 dollars, plus 3,500 dollars in representation expenses, for a total of 7,000 dollars monthly. This amount corresponds to a cut approved by the National Assembly in 2005, which reduced the original salary of 10,000 dollars.
