Event Summary
On July 3, 2025, the Ombudsman’s Office and the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture presented a preliminary report on human rights violations that occurred during the state of emergency in the province of Bocas Del Toro at a press conference.
The Ombudsman’s Office informed that it interviewed 186 persons deprived of liberty, who denounced having been victims of beatings and prolonged handcuffing. Of these, 99 reported having suffered cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and 26 reported having been coerced to obtain confessions.
In view of the findings, the Ombudsman’s Office filed a criminal complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.
Likewise, the institution has 73 open complaints related to human rights violations that occurred during the protests in Bocas del Toro within the framework of the state of emergency.