By Maxwell Radwin
Panama is still trying to understand the extent of the violence that took place during the massive, nationwide protests last year. Groups from all corners of the country, from teacher unions to hospital workers to Indigenous communities, were targeted by law enforcement while speaking out against pollution, deforestation and water shortages allegedly caused by the Cobre Panamá copper mine.
The Supreme Court eventually ruled Minera Panamá’s contract as unconstitutional, forcing the operation to close. But not before countless protesters were injured, lost their eyesight or were arrested on questionable grounds, according to a new report on the violence.
“The Panamanian people have repeatedly and firmly said that they do not approve of metallic mining because of the negative impacts on biodiversity and for the quality of water for hundreds of communities,” said Damaris Sanchez Samudio of FUNDICCEP, one of the organizations that commissioned the report. “We denounce and reject all forms of aggression against environmental defenders who are protecting life, forests, rivers, coasts and mangroves.”
Panama’s Ombudsman office estimated that more than 100 people were injured during the protests. But the report — which was also supported by Earthworks, MiningWatch Canada and Panama is Worth More Without Mining — said that that number is likely much higher. Injuries included burns and respiratory distress from tear gas as well as partial or total vision loss from pellets and “pepper balls” fired by law enforcement. Two of the victims with vision loss were minors, according to the Ombudsman office.
Two protesters were run over by vehicles near the mine in the province of Colón and two others were shot at point-blank range in the province of Panama Oeste, according to the Ombudsman office. Another woman died from physical exhaustion while protesting, bringing the total fatality count to five.
Groups from all corners of the country, from teacher unions to Indigenous communities, took to the streets last year. Photo by Daniel Harkins
The protests took place between October 20 and November 28 in response to government negotiations with Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals (FQM). The protests became controversial when some people set up roadblocks and intercepted shipping routes, impacting global trade passing through the Panama Canal.
The Cobre Panamá copper mine was a sticking point for protesters because of the deforestation and pollution it had allegedly caused. There were also concerns that mining was affecting soil quality, undermining biodiversity and crops.
But the protests were also a culmination of decades of frustration at the country’s growing mining sector, which had been mired in scandals that left residents feeling that the government was corrupt, lacking transparency and prioritizing the economy over their wellbeing.
When the contract renewal with Minera Panamá was rushed into law after only a few days of debate, scattered protests about mining, the environment and a long list of social issues suddenly became a unified, organized movement. Over 1,200 people were arrested during the protest, according to the Ombudsman office. Some were denied access to attorneys and it took hours for others to learn what they’d been detained for, according to the report. In other cases, students and bystanders not involved in the protests were arrested in the provinces of Panama, Veraguas, Colón, Chiriquí and the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca.
Environmental defenders are concerned that another crackdown could take place should there be protests against renewed mining negotiations with the government of President-elect José Raúl Mulino, who takes office July 1. Mulino said he respects the Supreme Court’s decision and won’t revive the contract but that he’s also open to meeting with FQM once he takes office.
“First Quantum Minerals and the Panamanian government must refrain from further criminalizing protesters, present a plan to safely close the mine, and uphold the mining moratorium,” said Paulina Personius of Earthworks.
Banner image: The Cobre Panamá copper mine. Photo courtesy of Cobre Panamá.
FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.
See related from this reporter:
This article was originally published on Mongabay
