The Panama Review

Although it can be said that Panama’s environment is much safer than most Latin American countries, recent events of the past months bore witness to foreign victims of violent crimes. Thus, the question regarding how truly safe it is for foreigners living in Panama is thrust back into limelight.

I recall a recent conversation with a female American friend of mine, who has been living in Panama for the past 3 years. She recounted that, when she first came to Panama to start a restaurant business, she had to constantly be alert of her surroundings. Looking over her shoulders, never walking at places at night became a routine she did earlier on. Only later when she was comfortable in her current environment was she able to let her guard down. And then her restaurant was broken into the other night. That break-in coupled with the news of crimes committed against expats further amplified her safety anxieties.

Not surprisingly, a lot of expats have voiced similar concerns. Home invasions have become more common place recently. At times it is found that the intruders would go to great lengths in attacking the homeowners. Another source of fear for expats are the kidnappings that occur from time to time. Criminals usually approach the expats, who are near the ATM, and forcibly removed from the scene where they are then requested to hand over the cash and other valuable items. The victims are then brought to a secluded area where they are released unharmed.

Personally, having lived in Panama for almost two years, I have felt consistently safe. With recent news and the heightened awareness of fellow expats, has caused me to raise my guard and be more aware of what is going on. There was a recent report of a Canadian national who was shot by some locals in a town near Chitre, however this did not appear to be a act of crime towards an expat, but rather that of some sort of altercation that the individual had had with some or other person of the surrounding area.

Obviously, there are no fool proof methods to ensure that one will never ever become a victim of a crime in a foreign land. However, using common sense and being alert decreases the opportunity for criminals to make you their next victim. This sort of awareness would keep you out of trouble anywhere in the world.

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Tags: expat, living, Panama, safty, travel