According to a recent report by Freedom House, Panama is one of the freest countries in Latin America. Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that was founded in the U.S. in 1941. Each year, the organization publishes it’s “Freedom in the World” report, along with political rights and civil liberties statistics.
In the “Freedom in the World” report, countries are rated on a scale of 1-7, with 1 representing the highest level of liberty and 7 representing the lowest. Countries with a score of 1.0 to 2.5 are deemed “free,” whereas countries with a 3.0 to 5.0 are classified as only “Partly Free.” The rest are considered “Not Free.” You can find a more detailed explanation of the rankings and criteria at the Freedom House Website.
According to the most recent statistics (for the year of 2009), Panama’s combined political rights and civil freedom score is 1.5 – representing an extremely high level of freedom. The only Latin American countries to receive a higher score were Chile and Costa Rica.
Most countries in Latin America ranked high on the ratings scale, with Venezuela receiving the lowest score, 4.0, and Nicaragua, Guatemala and Colombia receiving a 3.5 rating. Ecuador, Honduras, and Paraguay were also placed in the “Partly Free” category with scores of 3.0, while El Salvador, Mexico and Peru barely made the “Free” category with scores of 2.5. Worldwide, countries such as Italy, Monaco, Greece, Belize and Japan received the same score as Panama.
An electoral democracy, Panama’s president and National Assembly are elected by popular vote for five-year terms. Per Freedom House, “Freedom of religion is respected, and academic freedom is generally honored. Freedom of assembly is recognized, and nongovernmental organizations are free to operate. Although only about 10 percent of the labor force is organized, unions are cohesive and powerful.”
As per the report, some of the challenges still faced in Panama include an overburdened, inefficient judicial system and overcrowded prison facilities.
Published annually since 1972, the survey reports on over 200 countries and territories. The information is used by policymakers, the media, international corporations, and civic and human rights activists to monitor trends, improvements and setbacks in democracy and freedom worldwide.
Freedom House’s 2010 findings will be published in late spring 2010.
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