Senniaf in Panama Remains in Crisis after Seven Directors in Five Years

2026-03-08 - 14:08

Friday, March 6, the government announced that Lilibeth Cárdenas Chanis pictured below, formerly the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Women, has been appointed to head the agency. She is the fourth person appointed amidst the current crisis. Two governments, five years and seven directors have passed since the first scandal over the management of state shelters involving the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and Families (Senniaf) in 2020. Despite the many questions, citizen protests, complaints to the competent authorities and changes in the entity’s leadership, there is no difference in the management of these centers or in their role as protectors of vulnerable minors. The series of events and irregularities dates back approximately 11 years, although the information was not officially released until 2021, when the National Assembly’s Commission on Women, Children, and Families submitted its investigation report to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Attorney General, Eduardo Ulloa, pledged to expedite the prosecution of the crime. At that time, the report prepared by the legislative commission revealed that violent and traumatic acts had been committed for years in approximately 14 shelters under state supervision. Their investigation documented abuses that had been occurring since around 2015. Outbreak of the Scandal The discovery was made during the administration of Laurentino Cortizo (2019-2024). The turning point came in February 2021, during the presentation of a report to the National Assembly that revealed that children and adolescents in shelters run by Senniaf suffered sexual and physical abuse. The report stated that there was “concrete evidence of abuse, violence, and physical mistreatment of children and adolescents in shelters, especially those with intellectual disabilities.” At that time, the head was Sara Rodríguez, who took over the institution amid apparent calm and ended up resigning when the storm threatened to hit. Her term ran from July 1, 2019, when she was appointed by former President Cortizo, until January 2021. With her departure, the institution was headed by Mayra Inés Silvera, who was appointed on January 7, 2021, and left the position on March 4: her tenure lasted only 60 days. Silvera was the first official to leave her post after the scandal broke. At the time, Silvera asserted in an interview with Radio Panamá that she was forced to resign. According to her account, she was summoned to the Presidential Palace where she was presented with a pre-written letter to sign, which did not detail the reasons for her dismissal. Silvera claims that before she was forced to resign, she attempted to leave her position as director. She states that she submitted a resignation letter, written by herself, in which she described it as “impossible under these circumstances” to make the necessary changes at the institution, and that the request was not accepted. In the midst of the crisis, it fell to Graciela Mauad to manage the storm and take the helm of an institution that was under intense public scrutiny. Her appointment was made on April 14, 2021, and she broke the cycle of constant resignations; she remained at the head of Senniaf until the end of the Cortizo administration. Governmental Term of José Raúl Mulino With the arrival to power of the new constitutional president, José Raúl Mulino, on July 1, 2024, Ana Fábrega was appointed, promising a new era for the institution. However, in February 2026, a shadow once again fell over the institution, this time regarding the management of the shelters. New questions have arisen, and another complaint has been filed by the National Assembly’s Commission on Women, Children, Youth, and Family, this time by its president, Alexandra Brenes, regarding irregularities at the Tocumen Comprehensive Care Center. Their findings document the cohabitation of minors with adults, several of whom have severe disabilities, as well as unusable bathrooms, dormitories in poor condition, a lack of basic supplies, and the absence of individualized care plans, despite the diverse medical and psychological conditions of the residents. Fábrega left his post on March 3, the same day he was supposed to present his annual report (memoir) to the legislative committee chaired by Brenes, which he never did. Fábrega’s successor was appointed the following day, March 4, but Otilia Rodríguez’s tenure lasted only 24 hours because her name was mentioned in the complaint filed by Representative Brenes, as she had been serving as Director of Protection for Comprehensive Care Centers. Furthermore, two alleged complaints were cited from parents who claimed their children had been separated from them during Rodríguez’s tenure. Ultimately, the appointment did not materialize. Then, the management of Senniaf was assumed on an interim basis by Andrea Carolina Vega, who until that moment served as general secretary of Mides. This Friday, March 6, in the late afternoon, the government announced that Lilibeth Cárdenas Chanis, formerly Vice Minister of the Ministry of Women, will now lead this institution. In its statement, the Ministry of the Presidency emphasized that “the appointee has extensive knowledge of international and Panamanian law. She also served as Vice Consul in Miami and as legal advisor to the Panamanian Social Security Fund.” The question that arises now is: What is happening at Senniaf? What explains the constant changes in its leadership? In an interview, Representative Brenes stated that the problem is not solely related to the individual’s qualifications. In her view, there is a deficiency in “institutional character, management capacity, and will.” This could be compounded by the lack of a budget commensurate with its function. According to official figures, $8 million was allocated for operating expenses in 2025, of which 95.5% was spent, and no budget was allocated for investment. The congresswoman believes that this situation with financial resources is directly linked to the entity’s evident mismanagement. However, Brenes believes that the management of such a “sensitive” institution should be under greater scrutiny and its head should be chosen through a competition, rather than through direct appointment. In 2020, amidst the crisis, the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES) announced changes to the regulations governing the opening and operation of shelters. In October of that year, it issued Executive Decree No. 404, which superseded Decree 26 of April 2009, with the aim of strengthening the administrative authority’s oversight functions. Decree 404 created a local committee in each province to supervise and monitor shelters, which was responsible for inspecting these facilities within its geographic area at least every six months. It also stipulated that those in charge of the shelters must hold a university degree. Linked to the Complaint and Still in Office The legislator also addressed the brief appointment of Otilia Rodríguez. She expressed concern that, despite being mentioned in the complaint, Rodríguez has not been removed from her position and continues to have access to the system and the files, which Brenes considers “completely reckless.” Additionally, she announced that on Friday, staff from the Ministry of Social Development contacted her team shortly after 4:00 pm to inform them that Minister Beatriz Carles would not be attending—for the second time—this Tuesday, March 10, to present her report. They also requested that the congresswoman cancel her scheduled visits to other shelters next week. The reason given for requesting the cancellation was that there were no staff members from the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and Families (SENNIAF) or the Ministry of Social Development (MIDES) available to accompany the team.