Perfil del ambiente de seguridad en Panamá

ID DOC: 194707

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FECHA: 2009-02-03 00:00:00

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FUENTE: Embassy Panama

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PRIVACIDAD: SECRET//NOFORN

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REFERENCIA: R 021354Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3054 INFO FBI WASHINGTON DC DIA WASHDC CIA WASHDC

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S E C R E T PANAMA 000171

 

 

NOFORN

 

DS/TIA/ITA, DS/IP/WHA

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2019

TAGS: ASEC, PTER

SUBJECT: PANAMA'S SECURITY ENVIRONMENT PROFILE

QUESTIONNAIRE (SEPQ) SPRING 2009

 

REF: A. STATE 13023

     B. PANAMA 00694

 

 

Classified By: RSO ED FORTNEY, REASON 1.4 (b,c,d,g)

 

SECRET/NOFORN

 

(U) The responses are keyed numerically to the questionnaire

provided in ref A.  Ref B is Post's previous SEPQ from August

2008.

 

POLITICAL VIOLENCE

 

I. (U) Demonstrations

 

A. Are there any ethnic or religious communities in-country

prone to carrying out significant anti-American

demonstrations?  If yes, please describe.

 

(U) Capable, Yes. The Muslim community in Panama is estimated

to be between 8,000 and 10,000 people.  This community held

Anti-American demonstrations in 2007 but did not in 2008.

 

  i.  (U) Yes.  On 20 December 2008, there were approximately

60 demonstrators in front of the old chancery to commemorate

the anniversary of the U.S. Operation: Just Cause.  This

protest occurs every year and includes leftist labor unions

and family members of Panamanian personnel killed during the

U.S. invasion.  The protest was peaceful but did include

burning a U.S. flag that a demonstrator had brought with him.

 

  ii. (U) Yes, reference demonstration in (i) took place in

front of the former chancery which is still considered a

diplomatic facility.

 

  iii. (U) 30-60 people.

 

  iv. (U) When they have occurred it has been because of U.S.

Foreign Policy Initiatives and military action

 

B.  Are demonstrations generally violent or peaceful?

 

(U) Demonstrations are generally peaceful, however there have

been incidents where the protesters and police have clashed.

When these incidents occur, there are massive traffic

disruptions and property damage along the route of the march.

 

   i.  (U) No

 

   ii. (U) No

 

 

C. Have any anti-government demonstrations taken place in the

country within the last 12 months?

 

(U) Yes, with the Presidential election scheduled for May,

there are almost daily anti-government protests and marches.

 

  i.  (U) Yes, anti-government demonstrations have taken

place near the old chancery on Balboa Ave., usually in the

form of walking marches.  Numerous demonstrations have taken

place to protest everything from social security reform to

transportation reforms, and from teacher salary disputes to

construction worker safety.

 

  ii.  (U) The average size of an anti-government

demonstration could range from 15 to 200 persons.  However,

on Aug 14th, 2008 various labor union groups representing

teachers, nurses, and construction workers organized a large

march in downtown Panama City that numbered close to 5,000

persons.  The protesters marched from rally points to the

Presidential Palace to protest against a variety of labor

related issues.

 

  iii. (U) Generally peaceful

 

  iv.  (U)  No

 

II. (U) Macro Conflict conditions

 

A. (S/NF) There is no interstate or intrastate conflict in

Panama.  However, the GOP continues to make efforts at

combating the international narco-trafficking elements as

well as elements of the FARC in the Darien Province.

Historically the GOP efforts in successfully engaging

narco-traffickers and elements of the FARC have met with

mixed results.  However, recently the USG has noticed an

improved interest and ability on the part of the GOP to

interdict international criminal organizations.

 

B. (U) N/A

 

C. (U) N/A

 

D. (U) N/A

 

III. (U) Host Country Capabilities

 

A. (U) Are law enforcement agencies professional and

well-trained?

 

A. (S/NF) The Panamanian police services are structured and

professional.  However, they are hampered by several factors;

non-responsiveness, lack of manpower, lack of technology, and

lack of mobility all create challenges within the Panamanian

law enforcement community. (Note: All of the U.S. law

enforcement agencies within Embassy Panama report a good

working relationship with local police agencies.)   Law

enforcement officers in Panama receive limited initial

training but future training opportunities are stunted.

Additionally, the law enforcement community is highly

politicized and aggravating this problem is the fact that

there is no civil service system in place in Panama, officers

and inspectors can be fired with little recourse or redress.

 

B. (U) Have they been trained by U.S. Agencies?

 

(S/NF) Multiple agencies at Post have offered a wide variety

of training (ATA, NAS, LEGATT, DEA, NCIS, ICE, DOD, CBP,

USCG, etc).  Specialized vetted units and individual officers

and inspectors have demonstrated an ability to perform

effectively but there are large sections of the police and

security services which remain ineffective.  The

effectiveness of the training has been hampered by a lack of

appropriate planning on the part of Panamanian officials in

respect to personnel rotation and lack of retention of those

who have received specialized or technical training.

Refresher training for those specialized skills is lacking.

 

C. (U) Are law enforcement agencies confronted with serious

widespread corruption inside their agencies?

 

(S/NF) Panamanian law enforcement agencies are confronted

with serious corruption issues.  The corruption issue

continues to hinder Panamanian law enforcement, and almost

weekly the local media reports another officer or official

involved in a corruption scandal. At times the mentality

within the law enforcement community is that if an officer

does nothing, one will not be fired, so why risk one's job.

Several Panamanian National Police officers were implicated

in the kidnapping of a USC from a neighborhood in Panama City

in April 2008.  Additionally, corruption within the Servicio

Nacional AeroNaval (SENAN) which has the responsibility for

maritime drug interdiction, is widely reported.  The former

Director of the SENAN (then referred to as the SMN) is

currently in prison and awaiting trail for smuggling, money

laundering, and other illicit activities.  However, there

have been some efforts with in the police services to combat

corruption by the establishment of a disciplinary body and an

internal affairs section to investigate allegations.

 

D. (U) Are the intelligence services professional and capable

of deterring terrorist actions?

 

(S/NF) Yes.  However, host country capabilities are

constrained by lack of resources and training that can limit

their ability to respond and neutralize a threat.

 

E. (U) Have the intelligence services been cooperative with

U.S. Embassy requests?

 

(S/NF) Yes.  The intelligence service is fully cooperative

when they perceive that a particular issue, such as a

terrorist attack, is a threat to Panama.

 

F. (U) Assuming there have been significant terrorist threats

in recent years, have host country services had any major

anti-terrorism successes?

 

(S/NF) Yes.  Two Iranian "journalists" filming areas of

interest, to include the Panama canal and the airport, were

briefly detained by Panamanian authorities in late June 2006.

 Though not necessarily viewed as an anti-terrorism success,

it is certainly viewed as a success for the Panamanian law

enforcement community.

 

G. (U)  Has host country been responsive to U.S. Embassy

requests for protective security?

 

(SBU) Yes.  From October 2006 until May 2007 and again in

January 2008, we had an on-going protective detail for

President Bush's daughter who had been living in Panama.  In

2008, the GOP was very responsive in providing protective

security for several USG delegations including; FLOTUS, the

Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Health and Human

Services.  The cooperation between Panamanian protective

security and the embassy has been outstanding.

 

H. (U) How does the Embassy assess the overall security at

major airports?

 

(S/NF) Good overall, very good for the region.  Tocumen is

the International Airport.  It is a modern airport that has

received major renovations and funding from US agencies to

update and streamline the customs and immigration procedures

and resources.  Each U.S. airline also employs private

security at their individual boarding gates.  (Note: There is

a concern that there is insufficient control or screening of

passengers transiting Panama.  If a passenger arrives from

another international airport, they do not have to go through

any additional screening prior to boarding their connecting

flight, except for those boarding US. bound flights as the

individual airlines employ security personnel to inspect the

carry-on luggage of all departing passengers.)

 

I. (U) How effective are customs and immigration controls

agencies?

 

(S/NF) Average.  Panama does not have the technology systems

to implement customs and immigration screening similar to

what is found in the US.  Corruption is also a concern in the

customs and immigration procedures.

 

J. (U) How effective are border patrol forces?

 

(S/NF) Average.  Technology, manpower, mobility, and

impenetrable jungle greatly complicate border patrol

operations in Panama's Darien province on the border with

Colombia.  The FARC and criminal organizations operate freely

across the Panama-Colombia border.  The FARC maintains

semi-permanent to permanent bases in this remote region.

Panamanian officials do not have a TECS or NCIC type system.

If there is a BOLO for a person entering or exiting Panama,

the authorities have to post the suspect's photograph at the

inspection station.  Panama is in the process of creating a

border police force with a greater emphasis in military style

training and organizational structure.

 

Indigenous Terrorism

 

IV. (U)  Anti-American terrorist groups

 

A. (U) No.

 

B. (U) N/A.

 

C. (U) No.

 

D. (U) N/A.

 

E. (U) No.

 

F. (U) No.

 

G. (U) N/A.

 

H. (U) N/A.

 

 

V. (U) Other Indigenous Terrorist Groups

 

A. (U) No.

 

B. (U) N/A

 

C. (U) No.

 

D. (U) N/A

 

E. (U) No.

 

 

VI.  Transnational Terrorism

 

(U) Transnational Terrorism Indicators

 

A. Are there any foreign terrorist groups that have a

presence in-country?

 

(S/NF) The FARC has an established logistical network in

Panama and has used Panama to launder funds, move arms, and

transport narcotics.  It also sustains a constant low level

presence in Panama's Darien province operating from

semi-permanent and permanent bases.  In January 2006, it

kidnapped a dual U.S.-Spanish citizen, and his Spanish

citizen father.  The two were subsequently released unharmed

in early April 2006.

There are also "indicators" that money is being funneled to

Hizballah and possibly Hamas from Panama to include the Colon

duty free zone.  In 2008, the FARC kidnapped a U.S. citizen

from a suburb of Panama City where U.S.G. employees reside

and did not release him until February 2009.

 

B. (U) How does Post assess this presence?

 

(S/NF) The FARC can be categorized as support and finance

cells (57th Front).  These cells have traditionally been

logistical in nature, but there has been some activity in the

Bahia Pina area where recreational fishermen from a nearby

fishing lodge were fired upon by a suspected FARC go-fast

boat which had apparently broken down and was adrift.

Additionally, there were recent reports that elements

associated with the FARC raided a village and robbed local

stores of supplies. With regards to Hizballah and Hamas,

there is a strong suspicion, as yet unconfirmed, that

financial cells exist in Panama.

 

C. (U) Is the host government sympathetic to these groups?

 

(S/NF) In regards to the FARC, the Panamanian Government has

historically had a "Live and Let Live" policy.  There are

individuals within the Panamanian security services who are

reluctant to challenge the FARC out of concern that the FARC

would take retaliatory measures in Panama that the government

would be ill-equipped to respond to.  As an indication of

this attitude, the GOP generally prefers to refer to them as

armed Colombian criminal organizations and not use the

acronym FARC.  The GOP has recently expressed its intent to

take a more active role in combating the FARC and the GOP has

arrested several FARC logistical operatives in Panama City.

Regarding Hizballah and Hamas, and other Islamic terrorist

groups, the Panamanian Government is not sympathetic to their

goals and works with USG agencies to identify any potential

terrorist threat.

 

D. (U) Are there suspect non-government organizations in the

country that have a relationship with these groups?

 

(S/NF) There is unconfirmed information that the FARC in the

past has used religious NGO's to launder their funds.

 

E. (U) Are there any ethnic or religious communities

in-country that are sympathetic to these groups.

 

(S/NF) Some of indigenous communities (Embera Wounaan) have

supported the FARC, but Post suspects that this is out of

fear and poverty, not shared ideology.  Four members of the

Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) - Tied group Askapena

visited the Kuna Indians in San Blas in the fall of 2006.

The ETA affiliated visitors were reaching out to the

indigenous population in Panama in an effort to strike up

unity among the two groups and met with the leadership of

several leftist student and union groups in Panama City

before they left.

Additionally, there are ten mosques throughout Panama, and

between 8,000 and 10,000 Muslims living in Panama.  The

majority of the Muslims are originally from India and

Lebanon.  The Lebanese community conducted peaceful marches

to protest the summer of 2006 conflict between Israel and

Lebanon.

 

F.  (U) How does Post assess the level of hostile

intelligence services?

 

(S/NF) The only possible hostile intelligence service in

Panama with a history connected to anti-American terrorist

acts is Libya.  Note:  The Libyan Government announced that

it will be closing its mission in Panama.  However, the

Russian, Cuban, Chinese, and Venezuelan governments all

maintain diplomatic missions in Panama and while they may not

foster terrorist acts are hostile to U.S. Government goals.

 

G. (U) How does Post assess the availability of weapons and

explosives in-country?

 

(S/NF) Panama is a transit area for the illicit arms market,

as such weapons and explosives are easily obtainable.

 

 

STEPHENSON