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This essay aims to analyze the structural causes, characteristics and consequences of homicidal violence that predominantly affects young men in the province of Panama West, as well as evaluate the institutional responses. The study is based on a literature review that articulates the Panamanian legal framework - Political Constitution, Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code - with sociological perspectives, particularly Robert Merton’s theory of anomia, to understand the phenomenon beyond merely criminalistic explanations. The findings reveal that homicides are concentrated territorially in exclusionary neighborhoods such as Pedregal, Tocumen and areas of Colón and San Miguelito, with victims mostly male between 18 and 29 years old. Massive access to firearms - present in 87.4% of cases - and sophisticated illegal trafficking constitute the main factor of lethality, while exclusion from work and education, reflected in the alarming increase in young "ninis", operates as a breeding ground for gang recruitment linked to microtrafficking. It is concluded that the homicide in Panama constitutes a symptom of deep structural fractures: socioeconomic inequality, institutional weakness and impunity. Merely punitive responses are insufficient, requiring comprehensive public policies that combine effective gun control with educational and job opportunities. institutional strengthening and reconstruction of the social fabric in the territories most affected by exclusion and violence.
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