They investigate alleged sterilizations of indigenous people without authorization in Panama

(CNN Spanish) — The Public Ministry of Panama reported that it opened an investigation for alleged sterilizations without authorization of several women from Charco La Pava, an indigenous community located in the province of Bocas del Toro.

On February 17, opposition deputy Walkiria Chandler publicly denounced before the National Assembly that during a health tour that took place in October 2021 in the aforementioned province, a woman claimed that she had been sterilized without consent, after giving birth. . He did not give details about when this supposed procedure would have been carried out.

The legislator, president of the Commission for Women, Youth and the Family, told CNN that 12 women would have been sterilized without authorization, an issue on which she only has verbal testimonies.

Given the complaint, the Public Ministry reported this Monday through a statement published on its Twitter account that a special team of prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office was formed, who will carry out investigations on the spot, given the alleged crime against humanity. , about possible non-consensual sterilization procedures.

Before the announcement, Deputy Chandler assured CNN that she is optimistic that the Public Ministry “carries out a legal and non-politicized investigation” and that “charges be brought against all those who are responsible, in case the sterilizations are confirmed without consent on indigenous women in a state hospital”.

In a note from the Ministry of Health, several directors and heads of health and sexual reproduction units denied that this type of procedure is carried out without informed consent and assured that this rule applies to the entire country. They added that the authorization of all sterilized women is on file, and that so far no related complaint has reached the Ministry.