Panama City has become a hub for regional politics — hosting high-ranking dignitaries and delegations from across the continent for the 56th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) — through June 24.

Key topics on the agenda include Cuba and Venezuela — with calls for democratic evolution in both nations — as well as Nicaragua. The situation in Nicaragua was highlighted during the opening speech by Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, who urged regional nations not to ignore reports of repression, political persecution, and human rights violations.

Beyond these policy discussions, another issue has drawn scrutiny to the Assembly. Pro-life and pro-family organizations have denounced rule changes for the event known as the “Civil Society Dialogue,” arguing that these changes significantly curtail their ability to advocate for their causes.

Their concerns stem from three main issues: first, repeated last-minute changes to dates, schedules, and registration procedures, which complicated travel planning and participant accreditation; second, a reduction in speaking time, limiting interventions to approximately two and a half minutes; and third, the replacement of open presentations with pre-formulated questions — a format that prevents coalitions from voicing their own concerns and forces them to answer questions defined in advance by the organizers.

Pro-life and pro-family groups generally perceive the OAS as attempting to limit their influence in debates regarding issues such as the right to life, religious freedom, and the family.

Aarón Lara, president of the Ibero-American Congress for Life and Family (CIVF), stated in a message obtained by The Washington Stand that organizers “have sought to erase the presence of pro-life and pro-family groups in an act of abuse of power and discrimination.”

In the message, he confirmed plans to submit a document to the OAS general secretariat outlining the position of pro-life and pro-family organizations, as well as to stage a protest and publicly voice their grievances to the media.

During one of the planned demonstrations in Panama City, Lara reported that he and the activists accompanying him were being threatened with the deployment of riot police. According to Lara, on June 22, they faced harassment from both police and OAS security personnel, eventually forcing them to relocate their protest to a spot “three streets away.”

Braving the rain, “We set up in a space facing the entrance to the OAS General Assembly, accompanied by a music band and a small sound system — since they wouldn't let us bring in the equipment we had originally planned to use,” recounted the CIVF leader.

The following day, some of the activists moved to the headquarters of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO) — a permanent regional body bringing together national congresses and parliaments from across Latin America and the Caribbean — where another CIVF member delivered a speech.

“It was a time of edification, conviction, and the affirmation of principles in defense of life, the family, and the values that sustain our nations,” Lara said regarding the events of the 23rd. “We continue to believe that God is raising up a courageous generation — one that is steadfast in the truth and committed to raising its voice in these times.”

The OAS has not only become a recent stage for financial scandals and conflicts of interest, but it also remains a key battleground for countering policies that undermine life and the family.