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Organized crime and corruption in Panama

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-17 20:15 UTC → 2026-09-12 00:54 UTC · added removed

Panama is experiencing significant challenges related continues to face systemic challenges regarding organized crime, corruption, and money laundering within its public institutions. Authorities are actively addressing the infiltration of criminal structures into the National Police and the legislative branch. institutional infiltration. The National Police Police, through its Directorate of Professional Responsibility, has dismissed several officers and referred them to the Public Prosecutor’s Office following internal reviews, while links to criminal structures. Police Director Jaime Fernández noted that criminal organizations have spent decades strengthening their access to various institutions, citing over 900 complaints against members last year. In the political sphere, the Supreme Court continues to investigate is investigating two deputies for potential ties to criminal penetration by organized crime. This follows President José Raúl Mulino’s stance against negotiating with drug trafficking organizations. Data from Simultaneously, the Public Ministry shows a rising trend in convictions for crimes against National Police has admitted to using undercover agents within social organizations and labor unions, such as Suntracs. While the police maintain these operations are legal measures to preserve public administration order, activists allege the surveillance is used to intimidate those opposing government projects, such as mining in Donoso. Corruption and money laundering, with 2026 seeing laundering trends remain high. The Public Ministry reported 164 convictions compared to in 2026, surpassing the 138 convictions recorded between 2024 and 2025. Attorney General Luis Gómez Rudy reported over oversees more than 6,500 active anti-corruption cases. While Although over $9 million has been recovered this year, the economic impact of corruption damage remains substantial; for example, severe; ‘Operación Pandora’ involving illegitimate tax credits alone has caused damage losses exceeding $40 million. Long-term legal proceedings also continue to shape the landscape, including Furthermore, the decade-long investigation into the Odebrecht case, where the Brazilian firm admitted to paying over $100 million investigation nears a conclusion, with a sentence expected in bribes. the coming months after 11 years of legal proceedings.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-12 00:54 UTC Organized crime and corruption in Panama
  2. 2026-08-17 20:15 UTC Organized crime and corruption in Panama

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