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Two Environmental Protesters Shot and Killed by Motorist in Panama

People holding small Panama flags. Panamanian environmental protesters shot and killed.

The motorist who shot and killed two environmental protesters in Panama has been identified as Kenneth Darlington. Protests in the country have been ongoing for the past two weeks. The protesters were opposing the reopening of a copper mine by Minera Panama, which is the Panamanian subsidiary of a Canadian-based company. Environmental protesters have asserted that the reopening of the open pit mine will cause environmental damage and contaminate local drinking water. Darlington, the motorist, appears to have become frustrated with delays caused by a barricade that had been erected. Darlington, who holds both United States and Panamanian citizenship, was caught on camera as he approached and shot the protesters.

Source: Daily Mail/YouTube

In the footage, a disheveled Darlington can be seen approaching demonstrators on the Pan-American highway. This highway is located roughly 50 miles to the south of Panama City, which is the capital of the country. Darlington can be seen getting out of his car and angrily walking up to the group that was protesting. He begins to argue with members of the group. The environmental protesters that the motorists engaged with were primarily teachers.

As Darlington becomes more agitated, he draws a handgun from his pocket. He starts to remove a barricade that the protesters had created. Three men confront the man. Protesters can be heard yelling “Why don’t you shoot?” and “Are you going to kill someone?” Darlington allegedly responds “Do you want to be the first?” He then opens fire.

The enraged motorist shot and killed two of the protesters. Abdiel Diaz died at the scene. The second victim, Ivan Rodriguez, was declared dead when he arrived at a nearby medical clinic. Both of the deceased were reportedly teachers.

After shooting the two victims, Darlington finishes dismantling the roadblock and returns to his car. According to passengers in the vehicle, when asked if he knew what had happened, he replied “Yes, I killed one and shot another.” Darlington then reportedly tried to leave the scene, however, the car’s other occupants refused to leave and called National Police Agents. Darlington was later arrested.

Darlington has previously been convicted for other charges involving a firearm. The prior conviction is for illegal possession of a firearm. Additionally, in 2005 he was again charged with possession of illegal weapons. He was acquitted of this charge after arguing that the weapons were part of a collection. The weapons that he possessed at the time included an AK-47 and an M-16, both of which were automatic assault rifles. He now is facing two murder charges and a charge for illegal possession of a gun. He will appear in court for these charges on November 15th in Panama City.

Environmental protesters often face unjust violence from both government entities and private individuals. In 2022 alone, 177 environmental protesters were killed according to reports from international human rights groups. Latin America saw the largest number of deaths of environmental protesters. Global Witness reports that more than 1,700 environmental protesters have been murdered in the past decade at a rate of one person every two days. Early in 2023, an environmental activist named Tortuigita was killed in Atlanta, Georgia by police officers while protesting plans to build a police training center in a nearby forest. These deaths highlight the danger that protesters, many of whom are indigenous, face while deafening natural spaces from destruction. A reported one-third of all environmental protesters killed were from indigenous peoples.

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