Security & Strategic Review - July 2026

A deadly riot which took place on 1 June in La Joyita prison outside Panama City, from which 195 prisoners escaped, and which left three dead, is fanning concerns over the country’s security situation. This came as the government led by President José Raúl Mulino was already under pressure amid a rise in homicides which it has attributed to narcotrafficking, with the country a prime maritime and overland passage for drugs, primarily cocaine flowing from South America to North America and Europe.