Panama

摘要

The president is the commander of the Fuerzas Publicas Panamenas, which replaced the Panamanian Defense Force. The FPP consists of the National Police (Policia Nacional), the National Air Service (Servicio Aereo Nacional), and the National Maritime Service (Servicio Maritimo Nacional), each with a separate command. The president also has the authority to create special units to protect the country's borders, as well as safeguard the Panama Canal. The Consejo de Defensa y Seguridad Nacional in the president's office coordinates the activities of the security forces. Under the organic law, the commander of the National Police was a civilian with no previous police or military ties. The latter requirement was institutionalized by law in 1997, although not without an extended debate on the possibility of a former member of the military serving in the post. The National Assembly changed the law in 2008, making former members of the military eligible for appointment.