Event Summary
On September 9, 2025, the Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Panama and the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture (MNTP) published the report corresponding to the visits carried out following the riots and declaration of a state of emergency in the province of Bocas del Toro. According to the report, based on interviews with victims, the following was found: “Police and security personnel employed excessive and indiscriminate force, using tear gas, pepper spray, and other non-lethal weapons such as rubber bullets, causing physical injuries and using them at close range from the victims, which is contrary to standards regarding the use of non-lethal weapons.”
Evidence was also documented of excessive use of force, acts of humiliation, deprivation of food and water for detainees, and failure to provide medical care. The detentions were carried out for prolonged periods without a warrant from the competent authority, and transfers were made to other provinces without notification to family members and without the right to defense. These acts constitute violations of international human rights standards.
The Ombudsman’s Office confirmed the deaths of a minor and another adult during the riots. Both cases are under investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The report concludes that the United Nations Human Rights Guidelines on the Use of Non-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement were not respected, as well as the the Organic Law of the National Police. Furthermore, the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) were violated.
Based on the report, civil society and other stakeholders can put pressure on government and demand accountability from the National Police for the measures taken to investigate and punish the human right violations committed.