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Violence
By The Boss on Mar 23, 2008 | In Politics | Send feedback »
In just the last year, we've seen more violence and death related to protest and discontent than in the last decade. Workers shot and killed. Battles in the streets. Remember the social security protests? We vividly remember how Telemetro quickly switched away from a shot showing a policeman pointing his gun at the crowd and firing.
In Panama, contrary to many other Latin American countries, there is no organized left, as it has been hijacked by either the PRD or fragmented sectarian groups. Together with the second-highest difference between rich and poor of the continent, high poverty rates and increasing prices, this makes for an explosive combination. What we've witnessed so far is just the beginning.
This author has long predicted that political and social protest will merge with violent crime in Panama. Last Friday, a police station in Rio Abajo was attacked with stones, sticks and guns by a group of youngsters who took revenge for the arrest of their comrades for drinking alcohol on Good Friday. Case in point.
