What Happened
Tension between the Parque Lefevre corregimiento and Panama City Hall intensified after representative Rodolfo “Rody” Rodríguez, of the Movimiento Otro Camino, accused Mayor Mayer Mizrachi of applying pressure following criticism of the municipal budget approved on November 25.
Rodríguez said on social media that the municipal inspector assigned to Parque Lefevre was removed after he publicly questioned the $242.3 million budget. He described the inspector as a key figure in keeping order among local businesses and said the move would weaken a corregimiento that already has limited staff.
In a video, Rodríguez rejected the removal and said he would not be silenced or intimidated. The Parque Lefevre representative also said his corregimiento was the only one of the district’s 26 that did not receive Christmas lighting from City Hall.
The Municipality’s Response
Panama’s Municipality said the inspector was dismissed after a complaint involving an alleged coima request filed by a vehicle owner. According to the municipal version, the citizen went to City Hall to report that the inspector allegedly asked for $50 in exchange for not issuing a fine for a vehicle abandoned on a public street in Altos del Romeral.
The municipality said the legal director, Gitanjali Mohinani, filed a complaint with the Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office on October 15 after receiving the citizen’s complaint. The municipality shared that account after being asked to explain the dismissal.
Rodríguez, however, said the dismissal document did not cite misconduct and instead listed the inspector as a free appointment and removal position. He also said the decree was dated October 21, 2025, but was delivered on November 27, two days after the budget debate.
Why the Budget Became Part of the Fight
The dispute comes in the wake of the approval of the Municipality of Panama’s 2026 budget, which passed the Municipal Council with 22 votes in favor out of 26 possible. Some council members criticized the speed of the debate and the way the review was handled.
Ismael Atencio, representative for Ernesto Córdoba Campos, described the budget process as questionable and said the Finance Commission held only two sessions, each lasting less than an hour. He and others also questioned how the funds are distributed, noting that the budget increases by $10.5 million compared with the current one but sends most of the money to City Hall rather than to decentralization funds that support corregimiento boards.
What This Means
The controversy highlights a broader clash over municipal management, budget priorities, and the relationship between the mayor’s office and local representatives. It also places public attention on the use of municipal inspectors, who are responsible for enforcement in neighborhoods and commercial areas.
With accusations of political retaliation on one side and a bribery complaint on the other, the dispute has become part of a larger debate over transparency and accountability inside the Municipality of Panama.