Hope for poor young people

PANAMA. “The crime is not bigger than our determination, no stronger than our valor and no more powerful that our dreams,” said President Ricardo Martinelli during the launching of the security program “Choose your life, we are here to help you”, which is directed to young people who live in high risk zones or where the criminal indexes are significant.

The launch of the program took place in El Chorrillo an area infamous for juvenile gangs.

The object of the program is to diminish and prevent young people’s involvment in a life of crime and create a conscience in society about the problems of juvenile delinquency.

Martinelli said: “the thugs will not defeat us, they are not going to win against Chorrillo or the government.”

“Crime is not the answer to poverty and nobody can say that thanks to crime there is more health and education,” said Martinelli.

“The Choose your life” program will coordinate the different government and civil institutions to give alternatives to young people, besides gangs and crime. A campaign will be launched in mass media explaining how the project how will help communities.

The president said: “I do not want to criticize or condemn anybody. Who knows what are the causes of what is happening in the country, but we cannot allow the law of the gun to exist or permit criminals to take advantage of society. Here we know where things start and finish.”

Martinelli said that youth needs to know that there are better options than crime to obtain a better life.

Recently studies of the National Police demonstrate that a great percentage of crimes that in the country are committed by minors.

Since Martinelli came into power he has vowed to tackle the insecurity problems that are affecting the country and has introduced a series of initiatives such as curfew for adolescents and children to disband gangs that terrorize whole neighborhoods at night.