Pension Protests: Panama Declares Emergency, More Than 300 Arrested

PANAMA – Panama has declared a state of emergency in Western Bocas Del Toro Province, where anti-government protesters opposing a pension reform law are accused of setting fire to a baseball stadium and of looting businesses, including a provincial airport.

The protests erupted two months ago in Bocas Del Toro, which is a major banana-producing region.

But they intensified this week, culminating in clashes with police that left one person dead and injured about 30 people, including several officers.

The Caribbean nation is feeling the ripple effects of a union strike on the mainland that’s far from where the protests are happening, yet still affecting many communities.