Once again, Panama is one of the freest countries in Latin America, according to watchdog organization Freedom House. The independent organization’s annual “Freedom in the World” report, says Freedom House, measures freedom, defined as: “the opportunity to act spontaneously in a variety of fields outside the control of the government and other centers of potential domination—according to two broad categories: political rights and civil liberties.”
This year, once again, Panama’s combined political rights and civil freedom score is 1.5, representing an extremely high level of freedom. Panama has maintained this score since 1999.
In the report, countries are rated on a scale of 1-7, with 1 representing the highest level of liberty and 7 representing the lowest. Those whose ratings average 1 to 2.5 are considered “Free,” whereas countries with a 3 to 5 are classified as only “Partly Free.” The rest are considered “Not Free.”
Freedom in Latin America
Many countries in Latin America ranked high on the 2010 Freedom ratings scale, with Belize matching Panama’s 1.5 score and Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay coming in with a slightly better score of 1. In the region only Cuba was ranked as “Not Free,” with Venezuela once again taking the bottom score in the “Partly Free” category with a 4.5. Worldwide, countries such as Italy, Monaco and Japan received the same score as Panama. The U.S. received a score of 1.
Freedom House describes Panama as an electoral and liberal democracy, and cites the 2009 presidential elections in Panama as free and fair. The current administration is not analyzed in the report. Says Freedom House: “The survey does not rate governments or government performance per se, but rather the real-world rights and freedoms enjoyed… While Freedom House considers the presence of legal rights, it places a greater emphasis on whether these rights are implemented in practice.”
Freedom in Panama – Report Highlights
Among other things, Panama’s freedom score stems from the nation’s constitution, which “guarantees freedom for political parties and organizations,” and general freedom of religion and assembly. Academic freedom is also generally honored, says the report.
Some of the challenges still faced by Panama, according to the report, include a “harsh” legal environment for journalists, an overburdened, inefficient judicial system, and human rights considerations such as overcrowded prisons.
The Freedom House Report sums up the socio-political scene in Panama, with reference to its pre- and post-dictatorship history. You can read the full report here.
The “Freedom in the World” report is considered the “standard-setting comparative assessment of global political rights and civil liberties.” Published since 1972, it has been referred to as the “Michelin Guide to democracy’s development,” by the Wall Street Journal and “indispensible” by Newsweek.
With more than 200 countries and territories surveyed, the report 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.
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