What Happened
The National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and Family Affairs organized a cleanup and repair day at the Comprehensive Care Center in Tocumen after recent vandalism inside the facility, including broken televisions, damaged furniture, shattered lamps, stained structures and a large hole in a gypsum ceiling.
The effort came after incidents involving a minority of adolescents in the center. Senniaf director Lilibeth Cárdenas said the latest two cases at the site had crossed every line because they included violent and criminal behavior.
Security Review and Immediate Response
As part of the response, Cárdenas held a meeting with Gustavo Pérez, described by her as a security adviser. Pérez is a former director of the National Security Council who was convicted in the wiretapping case.
In a video posted by the institution, Cárdenas said the agency carried out a comprehensive review of conditions in the shelters, examining protocols, access controls, staff supervision and response mechanisms for events that could affect the safety of children and adolescents.
She added that the institution agreed to strengthen existing security measures and put new strategies in place to reduce the risk of future incidents.
Community Support and Public Call
The cleanup day was also presented as part of a broader push to involve more sectors of society in the care of children under state protection. Cárdenas said child protection should not depend only on the government and called on citizens to join the effort.
On March 30, she sent letters to lawmakers requesting support with paint, cleaning supplies, maintenance tools and volunteers. One of those requests reached Roberto Zúñiga, head of the independent Vamos caucus. Cárdenas also said she invited all 73 deputies to take part in the cleanup activities.
She said some institutional backing had already arrived, including donations from the Office of the First Lady, the president and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, but she wanted wider participation from organizations, foundations and private citizens.
Why It Matters
The cleanup at the Tocumen center highlights the pressure facing facilities that care for children and teenagers under state custody. Beyond the physical damage, the incident has renewed attention on security, supervision and the responsibility of public institutions to maintain safe conditions in residential care settings.
The move also comes against a broader debate over public spending and management. Finance Minister Felipe Chapman said in February that Senniaf had the funds needed to manage the shelters under its responsibility, arguing that the challenge is not only budget availability but also how public resources are administered.
For Senniaf, the immediate goal is to restore the facility and reinforce controls while trying to build broader civic support around the protection of vulnerable minors in Panama.