Security & Strategic Review February 2009 (ISSN 1741-4202)

PANAMA | Acknowledging the Farc's presence. A reluctant Panamanian government is slowly acknowledging that the presence of the Colombian Farc guerrillas is greater than has been previously admitted. Since the beginning of the year, four episodes illustrate this shift. On 6 January the public prosecution service announced that it was charging a Colombian with crimes against collective security; while he was openly described in the media as a member of the Farc, this was not mentioned in official statements.