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This article focuses on the dynamics of social unrest in Panama during the first year of President José Raúl Mulino's administration, covering the period from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025. Through a systematic analysis of social conflicts reported in the digital editions of the country's main newspapers, this study seeks to reflect on the connection between pre-existing structural conditions of unrest and the implementation of regressive neoliberal reforms. It examines how four specific events—Law 462 (which reformed the pension system), a bilateral agreement with the United States, the reopening of the Cobre Panamá mine, and the construction of reservoirs for the interoceanic canal—served as catalysts for latent social discontent. The convergence of these factors gave rise to the emergence of a multisectoral protest movement that transcended immediate demands to articulate historical demands around national sovereignty, social justice, and the equitable redistribution of wealth. The analysis concludes that the state's response to this phenomenon not only intensified social divisions but also revealed a crisis of legitimacy.
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