Coiba, an archipelago off Panama’s Pacific coast, is known today for its rich wildlife and largely undisturbed ecosystems. But for 85 years, the island also housed a penal colony where former prisoners described forced labor, beatings and other abuses. The prison closed in 2004, and the area was later recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.
That history has returned to the spotlight after Panama transferred 29 prisoners to a naval air base on Coiba in June, following a mass escape from La Joyita prison. Three more people were reportedly sent there in August. President José Raúl Mulino said the move was based on national security needs and intended to disrupt criminal networks operating inside the prison system. His government did not respond to requests for information from BBC Mundo.
The transfers have prompted concern from environmental organizations and scientists. A statement signed in June by the Panama Environmental Defense Center and other groups argued that the law governing the reserve does not provide for holding prisoners there, and limits use of the territory to park administration, scientific research and ecotourism. Panama’s Environment Ministry said there had been no environmental impact because no new infrastructure was needed to house the inmates.
Coiba covers 270,125 hectares, including its marine and land areas, and is the largest marine park in Central America. Researchers study its reefs, wildlife and the migration routes of species including whales and sharks. Marine biologist Edgardo Díaz Ferguson describes the islands as a natural nursery that supports marine life and contributes to fisheries on the mainland. UNESCO has also identified the area as a refuge for species that have disappeared from much of Panama.
The prison was established in 1919 as a self-sustaining colony. Inmates worked without pay on farms and lived largely in camps across the main island. During Panama’s 1968–1989 military dictatorship, former prisoners reported harsh treatment, inadequate food and medical care, and excessive labor. A 2002 report by Panama’s Truth Commission included accounts of brutal beatings and other abuses.
Narciso “Mali Mali” Bastidas, now a research assistant and park ranger, served a 10-year sentence on Coiba after being convicted of murder, a charge he says was based on a confession forced from him. He recalls being assigned to clear jungle and says prison officials subjected inmates to violence. He later worked with researchers studying the island and its recovering ecosystems.
Coiba’s prison closed in 2004, after a 1998 incident in which four inmates attempting to escape were killed by rival prisoners. Historian Ezer Vierba told BBC Mundo that the massacre helped accelerate the closure, while the cost of maintaining a remote prison was also a factor.
Families of the prisoners transferred to the reserve protested outside Panama’s Government Ministry in August, seeking access to their relatives and their lawyers. Researchers said the latest transfers had not affected their work at the time of the report. Bastidas views the move as a response to a security emergency rather than a long-term plan, and hopes the island will remain protected for future generations.
Sources: Folha Mundo.