Panama temporarily suspends some constitutional guarantees in protest-rocked province

A detained demonstrator is loaded into a police vehicle during an operation by the police to clear roadblocks set up by protesters as part of a widespread strike by workers of the Chiquita banana company, which had ceased operations in the area, and are part of broader protests against social security reforms, in Bocas del Toro, Panama, June 14, 2025, in this still image taken from video. Reuters TV/via REUTERS

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) -Panama's government on Friday temporarily suspended some constitutional rights in the western province of Bocas del Toro hours after businesses and government offices were ransacked, following more than a month of protests and road blocks over a pension reform law.

"In the face of the disruption of order and acts of systematic violence, the state will enforce its constitutional mandate to guarantee peace," said Juan Carlos Orillac, minister of the presidency. The measure will be in place for five days, he said.