Expat Community > Panama

gSky
Joined 2020
Posts: 630

5th amendment equivalent in Panama

2 years ago

Is there a right for silence that will not be held against you/aka Miranda in Panama?

Also
In the US and Europe the police as well as vampires cannot enter your property without having been allowed by you or through a court order.

I did not have the opportunity to have police interact with me (and I live quite fine without having experienced a police confrontation). Therefore my question in advance: Do cops have body cameras, do I have the right to record an interaction with the police with my cell phone (as a bystander or participant)?

Do I have a free phone call (to friends/Embassy) if arrested?

My experiences both as participant and as a 'watcher':

1) Police does NOT appear to be racist, but they have a different attitude towards obvious foreigners ...
2) They know the difference between a gun and a taser
3) Your chance being killed by police is slimmer -in PANAMA- than by COVID. I,o.w.: cops in Panama are like cops in the US 20 years ago. They -most of them- are not out to 'get' you or anyone else, no matter what color you are. I have heard different opinions, but have not seen any proof of that other than as rare hearsay.

I heard that you should under any circumstance avoid going to jail and/or having to go to court... to avoid that, how do you bribe a police man. I got my car towed, standing in front of it and there was nothing I coul do since I did not know how to 'motivate' the cop to let me off the hook and save 130$ for towing and a 70$ fine to be paid in Bugaba, 50 km away from where this happened - WITHOUT CAR since that was impounded!

Would I have known how to 'motivate' the cop to forget whatever (not dangerous/drastic) I was guilty of, there would have been a happier XMas., Both for the cop who would have more cash for Christmas presents and me having had kept my car without 4+ hours to get my car back.

Did others have different or similar experiences?

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5th amendment equivalent in Panama

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