麻豆社

Panama has a gang problem. The small Central American nation may have only four million inhabitants, but it has around 250 gangs. Its members are believed to be behind the majority of the murders committed in recent years and also play a key part in drug trafficking. Successive governments have tried a variety of approaches to tackle them. Our Latin America editor, Vanessa Buschschluter, reports from the city of San Miguelito on the latest attempt to lure them away from a life of crime.

(Photo: Former gang members and local police officers. The faces of former gang members have been blurred to protect them from being targeted by rival gangs. Credit: 麻豆社)