Ombudsman’s office becoming a political reward

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OPINION: Ombudsman’s office  becoming a political reward

Posted 28/09/2019

The Ombudsman's Office faces an institutional crisis. The entity, which was created more than two decades ago to defend the human rights of Panamanians and foreigners who inhabit this territory, faces a cruel paradox: the Defensoría has no one to defend it. Partisan politics has turned the entity into a spoil of the government of the day, another space that must be filled by those who "walked" seeking votes, or by loyal bearers of the party card. Gone are the claims that the Ombudsman was a spokesperson for the great social, political, economic and environmental claim. Although he had glimpses of this in his beginnings, the most recent defenders are remembered for the aggressive use of cell phones, the luxury spending on furniture, or for having reduced a giant to a rag doll. In addition to the specific situation of the defender on duty, the institution has to regain its central role in criticism and in questioning power. More than an office job, the Ombudsman must be seen and understood as a vocation of service, in favor of those who have no voice, or of those to whom no one listens. Today, the Ombudsman's Office is about to become another source of appointments and another valley of the fallen for defeated politicians. Because of all this, human rights in Panama have suffered a great loss. The Ombudsman must be seen and understood as a vocation of service, in favor of those who have no voice, or of those to whom no one listens. Today, the Ombudsman's Office is about to become another source of appointments and another valley of the fallen for defeated politicians. Because of all this, human rights in Panama have suffered a great loss. The Ombudsman must be seen and understood as a vocation of service, in favor of those who have no voice, or of those to whom no one listens. Today, the Ombudsman's Office is about to become another source of appointments and another valley of the fallen for defeated politicians. Because of all this, human rights in Panama have suffered a great loss.- LA PRENSA, Sep.28

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/opinion/opinion-ombudsmans-office-becoming-a-political-reward

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Politicizing  of Ombudman’s office under attack

Posted 30/09/2019

Panama’s “Ombudsman's Office-the “voice of the people” - continues to be an institution swathed in controversy, with new charges that it is being illegally politicized.

Two previous holders of the post  have left under a cloud, and this week a National Assembly committee will announce irs ruling on allegations of sexual harassment by the current Ombudsman Alfredo Castillero

.On Monday, September 30, Joyce Araujo.former Secretary-General of the entity gave her reasons for her abrupt resignation which came following the appointment of Maribel Coco, as deputy  Ombudsman.

Coco was recently fired as a university professor  because of plagiarism

Araujo explained that, when checking references, she found that Coco was very active in the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) but does not have enough experience in human rights issues.

She emphasized that the law that created the Ombudsman's Office is clear and establishes that the persons designated as a defender or deputy defender, cannot be linked in partisan matters nor be militants.

She said  that the Office of the Ombudsman, is a space that has been created armored from partisan issues to be able to develop its objectives and functions properly, “but Coco's being a purely political designation minimizes activities that the defender must handle.”

According to Araujo, there is pressure on the institution from the Executive. But the ombudsman is the entity that is responsible for investigating cases of human rights violations committed by the State.

She  said that Coco's designation would " greatly " impact the work of the Ombudsman's Office, because with what autonomy could human rights violations.investigations be done.

 

https://www.newsroompanama.com/news/politicizing-of-ombudmans-office-under-attack