That day, a protest organized by workers from banana plantations in Bocas del Toro was repressed by security forces, resulting in the death of three people and more than a hundred injured demonstrators. Also, another hundred people were arrested by the police.

“The Inter-American Commission reminds the Panamanian State of its duty to control demonstrations within the framework of respect for inter-American human rights standards. As the Commission has stated previously: “In the Commission’s view, agents may impose reasonable restraints on demonstrators to ensure that they are peaceful or to contain those who are violent, as well as to disperse demonstrations that become violent and obstructive. However, the actions of the security forces should protect, rather than discourage, the right to assembly and therefore, the rationale for dispersing the demonstration must be the duty to protect people. The law enforcement officer deployed in such contexts must contemplate the safest and quickest methods of dispersal that cause the least harm to the demonstrators.”, reads the statement issued on Tuesday by the Commission.

After the events, Panama´s President Ricardo Martinelli met with the families of the victims and apologized for the abuses.

“I apologize if there were excesses or abuses, or if things got out of hand”, said Martinelli according to the local media.

But his words were not considered enough, and couldn´t silence the claims for justice at the funeral procession for the victims.

Around five thousand demonstrators, most of them Ngabe indigenous people, together with union leaders and peasants, rejected the attitude of Martinelli and his administration.

“We do not want this president, we want change, we want a president of the people. The memory of the people who died cannot be bought with the bicycles and food given away”, said one of the demonstrators, according to Oilwatch.

The demonstrator was making reference to the fact that government officials were giving bicycles and were trying to convince people to accept food baskets, which was criticized by the population.

The IACHR also stated: “The Panamanian State has the duty to investigate the acts that were in violation of human rights, in accordance with due process, until the facts are fully clarified, as well to prosecute those responsible and remedy the consequences of the violations.”

Photo: www.oilwatchmesoamerica.org