An 82-year-old man who lives alone with Parkinson’s disease lost his home in the community of El Cedro de Los Pozos, in Panama’s Herrera province, after a powerful earthquake struck the region. Neighbors rushed to help the elderly resident, identified as Don Erminio, escape the damaged house, and are now urgently calling on authorities to relocate him to a place where he can receive the care he needs.
What Happened
The earthquake that shook Panama left its mark on the rural sector of El Cedro de Los Pozos, in Herrera province, where the residence of an elderly man suffered significant structural damage. The homeowner, 82-year-old Erminio, battles Parkinson’s disease and lives by himself, making the situation especially precarious.
According to reports from Telemetro, neighbors reacted quickly when the quake hit, helping the senior citizen get out of his damaged home safely. However, with his house compromised and his health condition requiring ongoing attention, community members say that emergency assistance from the government has become essential. They are asking authorities to transfer him to a facility or location where his medical and personal care needs can be properly met.
Background
Panama sits in a seismically active corner of Central America, where the Caribbean, Cocos, Nazca, and South American plates interact. While the country does not experience earthquakes as frequently as some of its neighbors, tremors strong enough to damage homes and infrastructure do occur, particularly in provinces near the Azuero Peninsula such as Herrera and Los Santos.
Rural communities like El Cedro de Los Pozos often consist of older housing stock that is more vulnerable to seismic damage, and many residents in Panama’s interior provinces are elderly, as younger generations increasingly migrate to Panama City and other urban centers. Older adults living alone with chronic conditions such as Parkinson’s disease face compounded risks in natural disasters — from the immediate physical danger of evacuation to the longer-term challenge of accessing medication, mobility assistance, and daily care when their homes are damaged or destroyed.
In the aftermath of earthquakes in Panama, damage assessments are typically carried out by civil protection authorities, who evaluate which structures remain habitable and coordinate aid for affected families. The role of neighbors and community networks is often critical in the first hours after a disaster, especially in remote areas where official response teams may take time to arrive.
What This Means for Panama
Don Erminio’s case highlights the human toll earthquakes can take beyond collapsed buildings and statistics: a vulnerable, isolated senior now without a safe home and dependent on the goodwill of his neighbors. The community’s direct appeal to authorities for his relocation signals that local resources have been exhausted and that formal intervention — whether from the Ministry of Social Development, health authorities, or civil protection agencies — is needed.
The coming days will be telling. Observers will be watching whether authorities conduct structural assessments of damaged homes in Herrera, whether other residents in the affected zone report similar damage, and whether assistance for vulnerable populations — the elderly, people with disabilities, and those living alone — is prioritized in the official response. The situation also serves as a broader reminder of the importance of disaster preparedness plans that account for Panama’s aging rural population.
For now, the people of El Cedro de Los Pozos are waiting for a response, hoping that their neighbor’s plea does not go unanswered.
This story was originally reported by Telemetro.