United States invasion of Panama
The Panamanian gangs appeared in the late 1950s after a group of local college students forcefully attempted to gain access to an American Army Post, Ft. Amador, and were shot and killed. The gangs have increased in numbers since the Panamanian Army was disbanded in 1990 due to the United States invasion of Panama. A 2009 census reported that there are about 108 street gangs.