Panama acknowledges human rights violations
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(radionetherlands.nl) The government of Panama has acknowledged that civil rights were violated during the country's military regime in the 1970s and 1980s. The Central American country has agreed to pay damages of approximately 250,000 dollars to the family of political activist Heliodoro Portugal, who disappeared in 1970. In so doing, it is complying with a ruling by the Inter-American Court for Human Rights. The court also ordered Panama to apologise publicly for human rights violations, but it has so far failed to do so.
Heliodoro Portugal was one of dozens of political activists who disappeared during the rule of General Omar Torrijos. Omar Torrijos was the father of the current Panamanian president, MartÃn Torrijos.
