Mi Panama Transparente is a project, mainly a website, started by some of the corporate mainstream media, journalist groups and citizen anti-crime groups as a response to the manipulated crime statistics and culture of denial about what goes on in the streets of Panama. They serve as a clearinghouse for people to report crimes and disturbances of the peace, so that these can be quantified and documented. They also share skills about the reporting on these matters, both among professional journalists and also with citizen observers.

Calle Uruguay is Panama City's main club district, notorious for its loud and unruly scene until the wee hours of many a morning. The country's "Ley Zanahoria" --- a play on words that literally means "carrot law" but also sounds like a contraction for "ley zana horaria" (healthy hours law) and is a mandatory closing hour for establishments that sell alcoholic beverages --- was largely instituted so that people who live along Calle Uruguay can get some sleep.

At about two in the morning of Saturday, March 17, Mi Panama Transparente was conducting a workshop on Calle Uruguay, wherein people were learning how to measure the sound decibels on the street and properly document their findings. They happened upon a wild and frightening shooting scene, which sent people running for cover and brought in the police. Apparently nobody was hit by any bullets. Some of the folks apparently involved had a discussion with the cops, after which they got into their BMW and were escorted out of the area.

Later, the police denied that the incident had ever happened. Just another weekend on Calle Uruguay, where people who drive BMWs enjoy certain special privileges and immunities and the neighbors have to put up with it.