In Panama, since the beginning of this week, protests and mobilizations have been carried out led by environmentalists, who have sought to summon those who oppose a mining contract concluded between the State and the Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals. The agreement would represent profits of millions of dollars for the country, but also environmental damage.
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Thousands of Panamanian citizens have taken to the streets in recent days against a mining contract, which would affect the biodiversity of Panama, according to the environmentalists who have called for the marches, and which grants the transfer of territories to a company in the mining sector. Canadian.
With Panamanian flags, nearly 50,000 people – according to the organizers of the mobilizations – took to the avenues and public spaces of Panama shouting slogans such as: “We are patriots, we do not sell homelands.” They say that they did it with the purpose of repealing the contract signed between the State and the company Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of the mining company First Quantum Minerals. The president of the country, Laurentino Cortizo, ratified the agreement.
The protests began last Monday but continued every day of the week. Although they have taken place peacefully on most days, they have sometimes ended in clashes with the local police, they have also led to road blockades and classes throughout the country being suspended at the beginning of this week.
One of the protesters, Camila Aybar Monteagudo, encouraged the participants with her speech: We young people (…) are taking over the street and we are not going to leave until a mining contract, which was not consulted with the citizenship, which is totally abusive, and with which in just three days the Panamanian Government approved the destruction of 40 years of our country.
Aybar pointed out that the contract “approves that a mining company can have the largest copper mine in all of Central America in a non-mining country and in a protected area, which is known as the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, which contains the richest biodiversity. from 8 countries.” In addition, the ‘Panama is worth more without Mining’ movement – made up of nearly 100 environmental organizations – will not stop until the final repeal of the agreement.
This Friday, Panama’s highest court agreed to consider a second lawsuit challenging the agreement. For its part, on Saturday, October 28, the Canadian mining company, protagonist of the controversial contract, assured that it is deeply concerned about the entry of unauthorized vessels into a port where it has operations in Panama.
Nobody gives in
The government of Laurentino Cortizo and First Quantum Minerals agreed in March of this year to an expanded 20-year concession contract for the Cobre Panamá mine, which establishes minimum income of $375 million for the physicist and state supervision of the operation. The vast mine represents almost 5% of Panama’s economy.
After a public consultation, between March and April of this year, the government approved the agreement in June 2023. It was then presented to the country’s Parliament for approval and was returned for some modifications. With the changes made, on October 20, Parliament ratified it as Law 406.
Despite the outbreak of massive demonstrations, the government of Panama continues to defend the contract, so much so that last Friday the Panamanian Minister of Economy, Héctor Alexander, ratified his support for the mining agreement.
“Panama is a mining country,” Alexander said in dialogue with the Reuters news agency. The official argued that without the mine, the country’s economy would have minimal growth compared to government estimates that predict 6%.
However, the Government also announced, that same day, that the country will reject all new mining projects. According to Cortizo, this action will apply to those who are currently seeking approval and also to those who may be presented in the future.
I inform the country that today I summoned the #CabinetCouncilwhich approved the Cabinet Resolution that authorizes the Minister of Commerce to, by Executive Decree, declare the prohibition of the granting of new metallic mineral concessions throughout the country.
— Nito Cortizo (@NitoCortizo) October 27, 2023
With EFE and Reuters
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