On 20 June 2025, after acts of vandalism were reported in Bocas del Toro, the Cabinet Council declared a state of emergency and the suspension of constitutional guarantees in the province of Bocas del Toro, through Decree No. 27 of 20 June 2025. Subsequently, the National Public Services Authority (ASEP) temporarily suspended public mobile phone and internet services in the province. Currently, the province of Bocas del Toro remains isolated, so the names of those arrested during the police operation remain unknown. People whose family members have been detained are unable to communicate with national human rights organizations.
On 22 June 2025, provincial lawyers filed habeas corpus petitions on behalf of 74 detainees held in the Chiriquí Provincial Penitentiary Center under orders from the General Directorate of the Penitentiary System.
The suspension was decreed for a period of five days but could be extended for an additional five days. This situation creates serious risks of human rights violations and possible abuses by law enforcement.