Coiba Island, located approximately 25 kilometers southwest of Veraguas on Panama's Pacific coast, has long been recognized as a pristine natural paradise. However, this archipelago of crystal-clear waters carries a dark history spanning 85 years as a feared open-air prison where torture, forced labor, and brutal massacres were documented. During the Panamanian dictatorship from 1968 to 1989, the facility detained dangerous criminals alongside political opponents. The prison closed in 2004, allowing the island to be fully dedicated as a natural reserve to preserve its memory, a move that earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.
The decades of incarceration inadvertently helped keep Coiba's ecosystems and biodiversity nearly untouched by human intervention. However, this isolation has recently been challenged. In June, following a mass escape from a major prison in the capital, Panama transferred 29 inmates to a naval air base on the island. By August, three additional individuals were moved there, including former Colón mayor Carlos Lee, who faces charges related to crimes against public administration but has not yet been convicted.
President José Raúl Mulino defended the transfers as necessary for national security rather than a discussion about the reserve's status. His administration stated the goal was to strike against criminal structures operating within the prison system. Despite these claims, the measure has sparked controversy among scientists and environmental leaders. Coiba is Central America's largest marine park, covering 270,125 hectares, and serves as a massive open-air laboratory for studying untouched ecosystems.
The island's history of violence is well-documented by former inmates like Narciso "Mali Mali" Bastidas, who served ten years there before becoming a park ranger and research assistant. Bastidas recounted the harsh conditions under military rule, including forced labor in deforestation and cattle farming, brutal beatings, and insufficient food. He described a particularly dark moment in 1998 when four prisoners attempting to escape were intercepted by rival gangs and decapitated, an event that contributed to the prison's eventual closure due to both public outrage and high operational costs.
Today, researchers view Coiba as a "modern Jurassic Park," offering a unique opportunity to study ecosystems that have remained intact for 12,000 years. Marine biologists like Edgardo Díaz Ferguson utilize the island to track migratory routes of whales and sharks and understand how natural nurseries regenerate marine life. On land, the area hosts exceptional levels of endemic species, including the harpy eagle and scarlet macaw, which are rare elsewhere in Panama.
Environmental organizations, such as the Center for Environmental Defense of Panama, have expressed concern that the presence of prisoners violates laws protecting the reserve. They argue that legislation mandates the territory be used exclusively for park administration, scientific research, and ecotourism. While the Ministry of Environment claims there is no environmental impact since no new infrastructure was built to house the inmates, families of the transferred prisoners have protested, demanding access to their relatives and legal representation.
Despite the controversy, scientists note that current research activities remain unaffected. Mali Bastidas, who now works on forest regeneration projects alongside botanists, views the transfer as a temporary security response rather than a long-term plan to reopen the penal colony. He hopes Coiba will be preserved for future generations, noting how the island transformed from a place of his suffering into a source of gratitude and connection to nature.
Sources: G1.