On 7 November 2023, Abdiel Díaz and Iván Rodríguez participating in a protest in the district of Chame in the south of Panama were shot and killed by an unknown individual who has been arrested by the police. The protest was against the decision by the Panamanian government renewing the copper exploration concession at the largest open-pit copper mine in Central America held by Minera Panama, a subsidiary of Canada's First Quantum Minerals.

Since the beginning of the protests in October 2023, at least 30 people have been arrested, including Diógenes Sánchez, a member of the Panama Teacher's Association (Asociación de Profesores de Panamá (Asoprof)), and several people have been injured, including journalist and activist Aubrey Baxter who lost an eye due to excessive use of force by the police.