No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsLatin AmericaPanama Bans New Mining Concessions Amid Protests

Panama Bans New Mining Concessions Amid Protests

Panama’s President Laurentino Cortizo on Friday announced a ban on new metal mining concessions, but maintained a contract with a Canadian company that has sparked massive protests in the country. 

In a televised address, the president said the government had issued a decree “declaring a ban on granting new metallic mineral concessions throughout the country.” 

Cortizo made no mention of the controversial contract with First Quantum Minerals, the Vancouver-based company whose Caribbean copper mine sparked demonstrations over potential environmental impacts and in which protesters have clashed with police.

“All new metal mining applications and also those that are currently in process will be rejected outright,” the president said, adding that “this ban will be effective as of today.” 

Cortizo, who signed the decree before television  cameras, said he made this decision “taking into account the different positions of society in relation to the issue of mining.” 

But his announcement did little to quell tempers at a protest by thousands of people that was taking place in the financial center of the capital even as he spoke.

They’re robbing you

Thousands of Panamanians marched again Friday to demand that the contract with the Canadian company, which operates the largest copper mine in Central America, be repealed.

“You who are watching, yes, they are robbing you too,” protesters chanted as they banged pots and pans and waved Panamanian flags. 

The demonstrations began a week ago and have drawn thousands of people, an unusual occurrence in this country of 4.2 million inhabitants.

“The government has not been listening to us, it has used all means to repress us and to suppress information,” said activist and protest organizer Felipe Chon. 

“The mine has been a bad deal for the nation, because of the ecological damage they have done,” said protester Alfredo Fonseca. 

In the past week, the protests have grown, with street blockades set up in the capital and other cities, including some blocking the Pan-American highway that connects the country with the rest of Central America. 

Schools were suspended all week and in some areas clashes broke out between stone-throwing protesters and police who fired tear gas at the demonstrators.

Protests intensified last Friday after Cortizo signed a bill establishing the mining contract. The demonstrators have been calling for that law to be repealed.

The Supreme Court had declared the original contract unconstitutional in 2017, but the government has argued that the new version sets out a minimum annual contributions from the mining company to the state of $375 million, 10 times the amount of the initial agreement. 

In addition, the company and the government point out that the mine generates 8,000 immediate jobs and 40,000 indirect jobs, and will contribute four percent of the Panamanian GDP. 

The contract allows the mining company to operate on Panama’s Caribbean coast for 20 years, with the chance to extend for another 20. Since February 2019, the open-pit mine has been producing about 300,000 tons of copper concentrate per year.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Approves Extradition of Ex-Minister Gamboa and Associates

A Costa Rican court has approved the extradition of former Security Minister Celso Gamboa Sánchez to the United States on charges of international cocaine...

Costa Rica Updates National ID Card with Enhanced Security Features

Costa Rica's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) rolled out a redesigned physical identity card today. The update focuses on better protection against fraud while keeping...

Costa Rica’s FIFCO Sells Operations to Heineken After Vote

Shareholders of Costa Rica's Florida Ice and Farm Company, known as FIFCO, gave the green light on to sell most of their food, beverage,...

Costa Rica Proposes Date for Chaves Immunity Review

Costa Rica's lawmakers took a step forward today in addressing the latest push to strip President Rodrigo Chaves of his legal protections. The Legislative...

Guatemala Joins Costa Rica and Ecuador in Building Anti-Gang Prisons

The Guatemalan government has put forward a new bill aimed at hitting gangs harder, with steeper sentences and a dedicated high-security prison, as the...

Costa Rica Nominates Rebeca Grynspan for UN Secretary-General Role

Costa Rica has put forward Rebeca Grynspan as its candidate for United Nations secretary-general, a move that highlights the nation's push for stronger Latin...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica