Politician arrested for shooting his 22yr old girlfriend during argument

Panamanian politician Ronaldo Gabriel Machado Soto has been arrested for fatally shooting his 22-year-old girlfriend, Claudia Anabel Timpson Gutiérrez.  

Claudia’s body was discovered on Sunday, December 15, lying lifeless by the side of a motorway with visible gunshot wounds.

Following the incident, Ronaldo initially disappeared but was later found hiding at a cattle farm in María Vicenta, located in the San Carlos district of Panama.  

During police questioning, Ronaldo claimed the shooting was accidental, stating that the gun he was carrying discharged during an argument with Claudia inside his car.  

Claudia was in her fourth year studying law at the University of Panama, where her father also serves as a professor.  

Ronaldo, who appears on the National Assembly’s payroll as an adviser, previously ran for office during the May 5, 2024 elections, representing the Ancón district under the National Liberal Republican Movement (MOLIRENA) party.  

Claudia’s funeral is scheduled to take place on December 18, 2024.