PANAMA CITY, June 26, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Nonprofit group SOS Children's Villages said a baby died due to tear gas fired by Panamanian police to contain protests against pension reforms in the Central American nation.

The girl, aged one year and eight months, died as a result of tear gas fired inside her home during demonstrations in Pueblo Nuevo in the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro, the international NGO's Panama branch said in a statement posted on social media late Tuesday.

It accused the police of "excessive and irresponsible use of force" and vowed to file a complaint so that "this homicide does not go unpunished," without saying when the baby died.

Police Director Jaime Fernandez said, however, that there has been "no formal complaint" about the girl's death and accused the NGO of reporting the case "prematurely and without evidence."

"For more than five days, we haven't had any confrontations in these areas, especially in Pueblo Nuevo, so what SOS Children's Villages is saying is debatable. We would like to have the evidence to proceed with the investigation," Fernandez told reporters.

Anti-government protests began almost two months ago in Bocas del Toro, a major banana-producing region.

They escalated last Thursday when groups of hooded individuals burned vehicles and vandalized an airport terminal, a baseball stadium and other buildings in the city of Changuinola.

Protesters have erected dozens of roadblocks since late April.

The unrest prompted President Jose Raul Mulino to declare a state of emergency and ban freedom of assembly and movement in Bocas del Toro, although the government says the violence has since abated.

If confirmed, the baby's death would be the second linked to the protests, which authorities say have left dozens injured, including 14 police officers, and led to more than 300 arrests.