Panama’s Protests Are About More Than a Mine
By
Rich Brown
A mining dispute has tapped into greater frustration over corruption and environmental policy.
Massive protests roiling Panama over a copper mine worth around 4% of the country’s GDP are the latest sign of discontent in the country, casting doubt on the future of mining and posing a major challenge for President Laurentino Cortizo’s government ahead of elections next May. In the demonstrations, which began in early August and intensified over the past week, teaching and construction unions have joined Indigenous and environmental groups to block roads and demand that the mine’s new contract be canceled. The mine, Central America’s largest active copper operation, is...
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