PROTESTERS gathered in front of Panama’s immigration office (SNM)on Thursday,  October 25  to denounce a presidential decree giving Venezuelans in  Panama family reunification privileges.

Alexis Jimenez, spokesperson for Panama for Panamanians, said that thes decree is disguised as a humanitarian issue. “It allows   Venezuelans, he is allowed to bring up to the fourth line of consanguinity to Panama. This means that if the figures tell us that there are about 500,000 thousand Venezuelans here, each Venezuelan bringing a family member, we are talking about in a matter of weeks we will have one million and said Jiménez.

Luciano Yanes, a lawyer specializing in immigration issues, said that " this new decree, is causing anxiety iamong Panamanians because the economy is bad enough"

The decree also establishes the creation of the Office of Humanitarian Affairs for Venezuelan Residents.

The Migration Law and Legislative Affairs Committee of the National Bar Association, analyzes Executive Decree 612 of October 22to present an appeal for nullity or unconstitutional before the Supreme Court of Justice, said  Yanes.