Is it too much to expect that a minister who - together with his colleagues - constantly worries about attacks on his honor and seeks to protect it with ever wackier anti-press laws, in fact acts honorably? In Panama it is.
Raúl Mulino, minister of security and responsible for the police, is quoted in La Prensa today saying that he is not thinking about resigning after the police killed five teenagers by burning them alive in a juvenile correction center. "I had nothing to do with that", Mulino said.
Sure. He wasn't there. Nor was the police chief, former Noriega hitman Gustavo Perez.
But what these people don't get - will never get, we're afraid - is that they are responsible for a police force that is showing time after time that they are so badly trained and so badly motivated that all they do is act like rabid dogs. See Changuinola last year, where they even killed a baby, many others and maimed even more. See Tocumen, just two weeks ago, with five teenagers dead after having been deliberately burnt. See protests in Colón, yesterday, against the failure of the authorities to administer potable water - where protesters were brutally treated and pepper-sprayed by these goons.
Since they were appointed, Mulino as well as Perez have failed to create a professional police force that knows how to behave itself. On the contrary, the police has become increasingly corrupt, increasingly undisciplined, increasingly incompetent and increasingly abusive.
In the face of such massive failure, the honorable thing to do for a minister is to resign, and the same goes for a police chief. Their failure to act honorably absolves us, the people who pay these amateurs, from the obligation to respect their honor - they clearly don't have any.
What you failed to point out that the two largest entrepreneur enterprises in the country are the Police and the Court System. Basically, nobody moves a finger unless they are paid by someone. Well, I guess that goes for the Water Authority, the Fire Department, and basically everywhere government has anything to do with anything. Panama is the perfect pure Capitalist Country that Karl Marx wrote about!
“I had nothing to do with that.”
Shame on him. This cowardly and incompetent thug should resign immediately. He is a disgrace to himself, his family and his country.
Of course this sadistic cowardly warlord minister of security had nothing to do with the burning of these teenage Prisoners!
How could he?
He was off in the Darien Jungle in his Government supplied attack helicopter managing the shootings of Plasma TV’s and and generators for the National television hews!
Wow, that was his great excuse!
He did not capture one single so called Rebel(FARC Terrorist), Narco Drug runner, any other criminals or was able to confiscate any drugs or any other contraband for his $50,00.00 weekend Sight Seeing Adventure(hunting trip) into the deep dark Darien Jungle!
So were is the NON uniform wearing Neo-Nazi shaved head lapdog ?
Where was this so-called leader of the National Police Army during of these Dead and Dying Games at the Youth Prisons?
This National Police Army has become so very afraid of the Panamanian People that it is comical!
They will never confront or disband a demonstrating organized labour(Taxi, Truck, or Bus drivers) or any organized Political meeting or rally in Public!
This National police army will tear gas, beat up, and arrest poor and underprivileged Unarmed citizens for demonstrating for Water, Food, and shelter which they have be denied by this government!
No water for fifty five days now in over 50% of Panama!
This National police army under this government does not do any basic due diligence to which it is mandated to do!
This so called Sadistic Cowardly Minister of security and his lap dog puppet Neo-Nazi NON uniform wearing bootlicker are so out of touch with the People of Panama and the reality to which we all live in here in Panama!
They are spending Millions and Millions of Dollars on heavy anti Personnel, Anti Riot Military equipment, Military Radars, Military Attack Helicopters, Judge Dredd style Police uniforms(unfit for a tropical Climate) while the rest of us here in Panama do not even have fit, clean, safe,drinkable water to drink!
The Police here in Panama do not do any thing a National or Local Police force is mandated to do!
This National police army now harasses the poor and underprivileged with more security Checks than before the invasion of 1989!
The National police have become a standing army that is now used to attack, control, and to with hold the rights of it’s Citizens of Panama under the Panamanian Constitution!
This National police army suppressing the very people that they are suppose to serve and protect!
It is time for this sadistic cowardly warlord minister of security and his neo-Nazi bootlicker to step down and let Panama become a country that is once again safe and some what sane!
“Panama where the numbers never add up”
Damn.. Dr Dias summed it up for me.
Beer time.
I think the good Dr. Dias deserves some sort of reward for his tagline, “Panama where the numbers never add up”. I love that quote.
Yes, it is catchy. I think it would look great on a t-shirt or a coffee mug.
It is really sad when these politcos, who don’t deserve an ounce of respect ,
have to resort to writing laws to force the public to respect them. Nothing is more pathetic that a person who can only gain respect by threats.
Respect can only be earned – all the rest is obedience under threat of punishment. Beneath all their blustering thuggery , perhaps the politicos are just sensitive souls who cannot stand a word of criticism. Maybe ‘sensitive’ is the wrong word though, as ‘sensitive’ implies an awareness of the needs of others. ‘Touchy’ would be better. Or ‘precious’. Yes, the politicos are precious souls. Even the criminal class must cringe at the thought of them.
Did anybody see Martinelli’s attempt and a public service announcement on RPC? What a f***ing joke of a president. He came on for literally 30 seconds to babble some bullshit about la injustia of the events in the juvenile prison and how he won’t rest until they receive justice. Yeah I’m sure he cares deeply for the victims. Not a single word about the water situation or the list of disasters in this country. Dr. Dias pretty much summed it up for all of us. This right-wing quasi-fascist government is going to destroy Panama and bring down the people with it.
Though it is true that laws are needed to maintain order, and a cohesive social structure, proper psychological training is required, as well as a cursory knowledge of the Constitutional rights of all citizens. This is not done in Panamá. The mentality exhibited by many in power in Panamá is feudal, with all the inherent prejudices present. It is a “them” and “us” mentality. Little-minded people are given positions of authority, and what we see is the display of their inferiority complexes, and complete lack of emotional intelligence. They are not leaders, they have no charisma, no foundation, just machismo, huge doses of it. These ‘authorities’ surround themselves with gophers, who are as inadequate and as inept as they are. And about these ‘authorities’ being sensitive souls: The only thing they care about is being ‘right’, at ANY cost. They do not accept responsibility of any kind when things go wrong, on the contrary. I’m not a psychiatrist, but even I recognize a megalomaniac, and a sociopath when I come across one. And Panamá is full of these types. They are dangerous. And they’re in positions of power, given to them by the current government, whose campaign slogan was “Los Locos Somos Más”…And they WEREN’T kidding!