Friday, May 16, 2025.
Flying Monkeys Are More Dangerous Than the Narcissist
The Hidden Threat Within Community Dynamics
In every toxic social conflict, whether in personal relationships, professional circles, or small communities, there is almost always a central aggressor: someone manipulative, calculating, and fueled by narcissistic traits like grandiosity, envy, or an obsessive need for control. But often, the true damage is not done by this person alone. It’s done by those who enable them.
These enablers are what psychologists and popular culture refer to as “Flying Monkeys.”
And in many cases, they’re more dangerous than the narcissist.
The Real Mechanics of Social Abuse
The narcissist may light the match, but it’s the flying monkeys who fuel the fire.
In expat communities, where social ecosystems are smaller and more emotionally charged, narcissistic envy can quickly escalate into campaigns of targeted social aggression. These aggressors often:
- Fixate on an individual they perceive as more successful, popular, or self-sufficient
- Feel threatened by what that person represents: stability, happiness, or visibility
- Begin quietly poisoning others against the target through gossip, exaggeration, or outright lies
The aggression is rooted not in moral grievance but in envy; a primal, toxic force. And once that narrative is accepted by others, the narcissist rarely needs to act alone.
Why the Flying Monkeys Are Worse
Flying Monkeys often believe they’re defending a friend or acting out of loyalty. In reality, they’ve surrendered their critical thinking and morality to someone else’s dysfunction. Their behavior is more damaging because:
- There are more of them: A narcissist can only do so much alone. A group amplifies the harm exponentially.
- They provide social proof: When multiple people are attacking a target, it creates a false sense of legitimacy around the original lie or grievance.
- They insulate the narcissist: By becoming the aggressors, they shield the narcissist from accountability.
- They silence opposition: Anyone who dares to defend the target is quickly labeled, ridiculed, or attacked in turn, leading to a chilling effect within the group.
In short, the flying monkeys become proxy abusers, often more venomous than the person they believe they’re protecting.
How It Spreads
This is not a matter of one bad personality. It’s a social contagion.
It spreads through:
- Guilt manipulation: “You’re either with me or against me.”
- Appeals to shared victimhood: Narcissists often paint themselves as targets to win empathy and build alliances.
- Echo chambers: Once groupthink sets in, dissenters are seen as traitors, and facts become irrelevant.
This phenomenon is not unique to expats, but expat communities are particularly vulnerable. When people are far from their home cultures, dealing with emotional isolation or personal reinvention, they’re more susceptible to manipulative power structures disguised as friendship or activism.
The Courage to Break the Cycle
Stopping this dynamic doesn’t require confrontation, it requires clarity and boundaries.
Ask yourself:
- Am I acting based on what I’ve seen, or only what I’ve been told?
- Do I truly know the person being targeted?
- Why am I being asked to attack someone I barely know?
Choosing not to participate is not weakness, it’s resistance.
It takes more strength to walk away from the mob than to chant with it.
And for those who find themselves under attack: know that these orchestrated campaigns often say more about the insecurity of the aggressor and the weakness of their followers than about anything you’ve done.
You don’t need to defend your entire character to people who’ve chosen not to see it.
Just keep walking. The loudest voices are often the most hollow.
Stay sharp,
Brett Mikkelson
Director, B.M. Investigations, Inc.
Veteran | Investigator | Observer of Human Behavior
TOP NEWS and TIDBITS:
New Fuel Prices Set Until May 30
The Panama Secretariat of Energy announced on Wednesday that fuel prices will remain unchanged for the next 15 days, starting Friday, May 16.
According to the official report, 95-octane gasoline will maintain its current price of $0.91 per liter, while 91-octane gasoline will also remain at $0.85 per liter.
Meanwhile, low-sulfur diesel will decrease by two cents, setting the new price at $0.75 per liter.
These prices will remain in effect until 5:59 a.m. on Friday, May 30, at which time a possible update will be evaluated based on fluctuations in the international market.
This decision is part of the government’s efforts to provide stability in transportation and household fuel costs amid global energy market volatility.
Panama Closes Migration Station in Darién Following Sharp Drop in Northbound Flow
The Government of Panama announced on Wednesday the closure of its main migration station at the exit of the Darién region, following a drastic drop in the northbound flow of irregular travelers—marking the end of a years-long humanitarian crisis.
“I hereby report the closure of the temporary migration reception station of Lajas Blancas, the main station established by the Panamanian State to manage the South-North migration phenomenon,” said a Panamanian official during a ceremony led by Minister of Public Security Frank Ábrego.
A large banner reading “ETRM Lajas Blancas CLOSED” was displayed at the site, which now shows a desolate landscape in stark contrast to past images filled with crowds of migrants and locals who took advantage of the flow to sell all kinds of goods.
Minister Ábrego stated that more than one million people passed through Lajas Blancas since its opening in 2009.
By late April, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino had already declared that “for all practical purposes,” the Darién was closed as an irregular migration route. He cited the fact that only 73 migrants crossed the jungle that month, compared to 194 in March or the 29,259 who made the journey in April of the previous year—a 99.7% decrease from 2024 levels.
The Panamanian government attributes the drop in northbound migration to measures such as the closure of jungle paths to channel travelers into a single “humanitarian corridor,” fines for irregular entry into the country, and a U.S.-funded deportation flight program.
However, it was the return to power of Donald Trump in the United States and his new immigration restrictions that led to a drastic decline in northbound migration and an increase in the “reverse flow”—though on a smaller scale than initial forecasts had suggested.
Panama’s restrictions have been in place since last year, which ended with 300,549 irregular migrants arriving after crossing the Darién—a 41% drop from the record 511,103 recorded in 2023, according to official statistics cited by Mulino in a January address to Parliament.
The ‘Controlled Flow’ Plan
While the Darién jungle has been used for decades as a route for irregular migration, the first major crisis emerged in 2015–2016 when thousands of Cubans used it to reach the U.S. amid impending changes to U.S. immigration policy toward islanders.
The Panamanian State responded with what it called a “controlled flow” strategy, which was also applied during the Venezuelan migration crisis that escalated in 2019. That crisis prompted the establishment of the Lajas Blancas station in its current form, officially opened in September 2020.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlighted at the time that the Lajas Blancas station was the result of efforts by the Panamanian government and international cooperation partners to offer irregular migrants access to medical and mental health services.
At Panamanian migration stations, biometric data of migrants was also collected. However, the facilities were subject to criticism and complaints from human rights organizations over overcrowding and lack of attention in cases such as sexual assaults that occurred in the jungle.
Panama to Reinstate Medical Insurance for Tourists
The government aims to reactivate this benefit as a mechanism to continue attracting more visitors.
Panama will once again offer medical insurance for tourists and Panamanian nationals residing abroad, following the launch of a public tender process by the Panama Tourism Authority (ATP).
“We will once again provide insurance so that every foreign citizen or Panamanian living abroad can receive hospitalization and medical care. This will add value and encourage them to visit Panama during their travels,” confirmed President José Raúl Mulino during his weekly press conference on Thursday.
Mulino emphasized that reinstating this insurance will boost international tourists’ interest in Panama, generating benefits across the entire value chain of the tourism industry.
“If more tourists come, more economic activity is generated—at bars, restaurants, taxis, Ubers, and everything that drives the tourism chain,” he stressed.
According to the Panama Compra portal, on May 9 the ATP published a public tender with a reference price of $3 million to provide an insurance policy covering personal accidents, hospitalization, or illness for foreigners or Panamanians living abroad who enter the country through Panama’s international airports.
Bocas del Toro Has Not Reopened in Order to Maintain Dialogue and Prevent Chiquita Panama’s Departure
The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, emphasized this Thursday that he has not ordered the reopening of Bocas del Toro because the priority is to maintain dialogue with the banana union leaders in order to protect jobs.
According to the head of the Executive, the government delegation’s goal is to prevent Chiquita Panama from closing its operations in the country.
“Bocas del Toro is a bigger problem than just a closure. I can order Bocas to open, but right now the effort of our ministers, who have been on the ground, is to prevent Chiquita from leaving,” he said during his Thursday press conference.
The president specified that from union leader Francisco Smith downwards, people would lose their jobs if the unionists refuse to continue the dialogue.
In this regard, Mulino recalled the situation in Puertos Armuelles, where the banana industry disappeared due to leadership led by José Morris.
Furthermore, the president stressed that if the company wants, it can issue dismissal letters immediately and leave the country.
“If the banana company issues 7,000 dismissal letters, the banana plantation will be finished—just like what Morris did in Puertos Armuelles. Look at what happened to Puerto. That could happen very soon,” he warned.
Mulino advocates waiting longer to try to get the leaders to come to their senses and prevent job losses.
“I have not given the order to reopen and will continue sending high-level government missions. There is no one in that province who can create 7,000 jobs. If they don’t accept the proposal, there is no choice but to open the province,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Labor Minister Jackeline Muñoz emphasized that they will travel again to Bocas del Toro. She also said that the construction union has infiltrated the strike.
Assembly Postpones Ratifications Due to Absences and Questions Voting Maneuvers
Deputies from the independent candidacy group denounced political maneuvers following the suspension of the session to ratify Executive appointees. They claim the move is an attempt to avoid a vote without sufficient support.
The National Assembly suspended the Credentials Committee session this Thursday because some of the Executive’s appointees up for ratification are currently traveling and therefore could not attend the committee today.
“What is really the priority of calling us to extraordinary sessions when people appointed by the president are traveling? I want to know if missing a job interview is considered the same way. That happens to anyone, but unfortunately with the president’s appointments, we will have them here on Monday,” questioned Alexandra Brenes from the Vamos party.
The deputy expressed disagreement with receiving the appointees on Monday, as she did not find it appropriate.
Meanwhile, deputy Roberto Zúñiga, also from the independent candidacy group, referred to the suspension of the vote in the Plenary until Monday to ratify 23 of the Executive’s nominees.
“We have already understood that this is the practice when they don’t want to take something to a vote — it’s because they don’t have the votes,” he said.
Some of the appointments include members of the Board of Directors of the Panama Canal, the general director of Ifarhu, the Board of Directors of the Decentralization Fund, among others. Extraordinary sessions will continue until June 12.
SINAPROC Issues Watch Advisory for Swells and Currents in the Panamanian Pacific
The National Civil Protection System (SINAPROC) announces that a watch advisory remains in effect until Saturday, May 17, 2025, due to swells and rip currents in the Panamanian Pacific, including:
- Central Pacific
- Eastern Pacific
- Western Pacific
The Panamanian Meteorology and Hydrology Institute (IMHPA) reports the arrival of a moderate to light swell throughout the Pacific coastline of Panama, creating rip currents in coastal areas.
SINAPROC issues the following recommendations:
- Avoid recreational and sports activities
- Exercise extreme caution during fishing activities
- Ensure navigation equipment is in good condition and wear life jackets
- Follow the safety rules and measures established by authorities at ports and beaches
