Panama to build a maximum-security prison to isolate gang leaders

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino announced the construction of a maximum-security prison to isolate gang leaders during his president's address, following a mass prison break and a surge in violence in the country.

Ecuador and Costa Rica are currently building prisons in the model of the El Salvador’s notorious Center for Terrorism Confinement. There, prisoners are subjected to strict rules and NGOs denounce widespread human rights violations. Panama has around 24,000 inmates housed in around 20 prisons that have a total capacity is for 14,700 people.