The Panamanian branch of the international charity SOS Children’s Villages has reported that a baby girl died as a result of tear gas deployed by police during protests over pension reforms in the country.
The child, aged one year and eight months, reportedly succumbed to tear gas discharged inside her home in Pueblo Nuevo, located in the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro, the NGO said in a social media statement released late Tuesday.
SOS Children’s Villages condemned what it called the police’s “excessive and irresponsible use of force” and announced plans to file a complaint to ensure that “this homicide does not go unpunished,” though the exact date of the baby’s death was not specified.
However, Police Director Jaime Fernandez said no formal complaint regarding the infant’s death had been made and accused the NGO of making premature and unsubstantiated claims.
“There have been no clashes in these areas, particularly Pueblo Nuevo, for more than five days,” Fernandez told reporters, adding that evidence was needed to begin an investigation.
Anti-government protests have been ongoing for nearly two months in Bocas del Toro, a key banana-producing region, intensifying last Thursday with acts of violence including arson and vandalism in the city of Changuinola.
Since late April, demonstrators have established numerous roadblocks.
In response, President Jose Raul Mulino declared a state of emergency, imposing restrictions on assembly and movement within Bocas del Toro. Authorities say violence has diminished since then.
If confirmed, this would be the second death linked to the protests, which officials report have resulted in dozens of injuries—including 14 police officers—and over 300 arrests.
