Panama records 300 homicides in first half of 2026 amid gang violence

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Panama recorded 300 homicides in the first half of 2026, putting the country on track to exceed the 593 total murders reported in 2025. The Attorney General’s Office attributed 70 percent of these killings to more than 180 gangs, including major factions Calor Calor and Bagdad, which are fighting over drug trafficking routes near ports and coastal regions. Local authorities in areas such as San Miguelito, Colón, and Antón implemented nightly curfews, primarily targeting minors, in response to rising violence that included the targeted killings of a deputy prosecutor and a local politician.

Consequences

With current anti-crime measures like curfews failing to slow the daily homicide rate, which rose to 1.64 in 2026, the country faces a continued struggle to control organized executions and gang recruitment. Unless interventions evolve beyond existing curfew policies, the national homicide count is expected to surpass the previous year’s total.

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