Some American Expats recently in Boquete built a Roller Skating Rink. It is unusual to have something here in Panama like that, but certainly a progressive idea. Rinks are big in North America. Well it just got robbed. Four Panamanian adults, two men and two women who looked right into the security cams, robbed Skateworld in Alto Boquete the other day during daylight hours. The Police responded quickly and viewed the camera footage.
One couple came in and attempted to distract while the other couple was outside trying to pry open the office window, When they couldn't get it open, they came in and began scouting the room for victims. They made off with personal belongings of a few patrons. The entire thing is caught on inside and outside cameras. The pictures of the faces are great quality as they looked directly into them many times. I think they must have thought they were fake as you could tell they noticed them and made reference to them. We even have the car and license plate on camera. These were adults,2 women and 2 men. I could easily identify them....even without referencing the cameras and I will if I get the chance. I will post pictures as soon as I get them pulled off of the cameras. We did not see any weapons. This was in broad daylight with many people in the rink.
This is really, really scary on many levels. It appears that if a gang wanted to kidnap a child from a wealthy family for ransom then this place would be an ideal place to find a victim. And the fact that this happened in the daytime in broad daylight only indicates how desperate and blazen criminals here are. In the eyes of most Panamanians, most foreigners are from wealthy families. Maybe a security guard stationed at the front door would deter this kind of criminal activity. No place is safe here!!! I hope that they catch the criminals really fast and are sent away for a long time.
Most American, Canadian and European foreigners are more wealthy than the average Panamanian family. My teenage daughter happened to go to that Roller Skating Rink and it is a concern that maybe a security guard should be posted just like at Ivan's, Romero's, Mandarin, all the Banks (both inside and outside), any place that has a cash register. Would you like to converse with my Wife, Daughter, my Uncles, Aunts, my hundreds of cousins? My opinion and my families opinon are of the same. I think your opinion is out of reality. Kidnappers do not kidnap children from poor families unless it is a vendetta.
This is not right. Any association of expats, Panamanians citizens, business people of the Boquete area and other nearby areas should reunite with the mayor, police chief, and media to denounce the increase of crime in the Boquete district. Raise your voice, present statistics, tell them that this is affecting the people living here and some expats are scared and leaving Panama because of the fear to be the next victim.
The Mayor has been involved, the local Captain and now the Chief of Chiriqui have been changed.
I have been following the activities of Rodolfo Aguilera, the Minister of Security from Chiriqui. Nobody wants less crime here than he does.
We are seeing more foot patrols but few if any additional vehicles.
These incidents are occurring in relatively rural or suburban areas and quite often, during late afternoon.
Let me start this with the following. I am a middle aged Panamanian. Born, raised and living here almost all my life. I studied here, worked here and have not only family but friends and good commercial relations in this country. I have been a member of several business associations in Panama so I guess I am very well qualified to talk about my country properly. I have more time than you in Panama. That could mean something, right?
What really amazed me is that even that you say you have family from Panama you always talk in such way of Panama and Panamanians that usually give another impression of your opinion about this country. I don't attack anybody here. I just only want to make clear some statements that some people express here. If they are opinions, great but it shouldn't be considered as the only truth. I know how some people here think and that their opinion is the only valid one.
Most people in Panama don't really care about foreigners in Panama. They are just people living here and sharing the good, the bad and the ugly or our country. Some people know the normal and the obvious that people from Northern Hemisphere have better wages, income, revenues, etc. But that doesn't mean that they are under all people's scrutiny.
In my opinion, most Panamanians do care about foreigners living in Panama. They see jobs being lost to outsiders, crime by outsiders (drug gangs, etc) increasing, illegal activities and all the things in the U.S. that people there are worried about due to illegals coming into the country. But that is just my opinion. In none of my original comments, have I used the word ALL.
It is really bad and I am so sorry that you daughter was present at the roller skating rink when the maleantes showed there. It is a very traumatic experience for anybody. I know and am aware of that. But telling people that the intention of the maleantes was to kidnap a child from expats because they are wealthy and can ask for a ransom it is not right. Kidnapping cases in Panama has been so rare and only a few in the last 10 years and no one have involved foreign kids and the results of them have been so bad for the kidnappers.
Opinions are only that....opinions, and everybody has one but it is not a fact. There are a lot of Panamanians that have an opinion that we were better with the Military Regime and Noriega but that doesn't mean it is true for all the Panamanians. Regarding those Panamanians with such kind of opinions about their country I do recommend to search "The Malinche Syndrome". Interesting reading.
Relax. I don't take what people post here personally. I am one of the only few people here in this site that don't use bad words, insults and harsh comments about anybody. I just only try to clarify concepts, things and facts. So I don't need to attack you for any reason.
Have a Good Day
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