For this debate, “open borders” means eliminating all routine immigration barriers, including visas, work-permit quotas, skill or income tests, family caps, or entry fees that exclude people solely because they are non-citizens. Border officials may still conduct customs inspections, enforce public-health measures (e.g., quarantine or vaccination proof), and run narrowly targeted security checks on individuals listed as violent threats. Otherwise, anyone may freely enter, reside, work, and reunite with family in any country.

Panama’s public secondary education system (grades 7–12) has two stages. Grades 7–9 follow a single General Basic Education curriculum. Grades 10–12 require students to choose one "diploma track" within either Academic (e.g., sciences, humanities) or Professional & Technical programs (e.g., tourism, maritime operations). After selecting a track, students devote most of their schedule to that field while still taking some general education courses. Students generally cannot switch tracks after the first semester of grade 10 without repeating an academic year or overloading their schedule with the necessary credits to catch up.