One accused and 126 victims

PANAMA. Two years have passed since the diethylene glycol health crisis that killed 126 Panamanians and injured 57. In the months of June and July 2006, more than 20,000 syrup bottles mixed in the Caja de Seguro Social (CSS) were poisoned with this substance also known as anit-freeze

Only one person, Angel De La Cruz, president of Medicom S.A., the company that introduced the 2,400 gallons to the country, has been held responsible so far. No one from either the company that brought the mortal substance from China nor the Caja de Seguro Social (CSS), whose careless employees concocted the medicinal mixture without verifying the quality of each one of its components, has been held responsible.

Meanwhile, the case file is in the penal room of the Supreme Court of Justice, and family members and society at large do not know if everyone involved in the case has been identified so sanctions can be applied.

The family members of the victims criticize the labor of special prosecutor Dimas Guevara, who during two years of investigations was only able to detain Angel De la Cruz, while the other 16 under investigation roam free.

Throughout the diethylene glycol tragedy, the government made an effort to mitigate the pain suffered by family members of some of the deceased by paying $30,000 dollars to at least 50 victims The rest of the victims areceived nothing.