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UPDATE NOVEMBER 28, 2023
Your voice is powerful.
Thank you to those who signed the petition and helped fight for the rights of nature in Panama. The county’s Supreme Court has unanimously declared the Minera Panamá open-pit mine unconstitutional.
Protests in Panama
On November 24, Panama’s Supreme Court will decide the future of an open-pit mine the size of Manhattan that continues to endanger the rights, health and livelihoods of local communities and threatens an irreplaceable place critical to biodiversity and climate. The “mega-mine” has been the focus of historic country-wide protests since mid-October.
People from all walks of life across Panama are coming together to defend nature. Let's join them!
Impact on community
People depend on the forests around the mine for clean drinking water, clean air, their livelihoods and the preservation of culture. Open-pit mining has devastating effects on nearby communities, including severe respiratory illnesses, water contamination that causes neurological damage, cancer and other deadly and chronic health challenges.
Local people are concerned that powerful mining interests may derail arguments declaring the mining contract unconstitutional.
Impact on the wild
The mine is located in the Donoso Protected Area, home to more than 1,000 species of wildlife, many of which are threatened with extinction — including the Great Green Macaw, Baird’s Tapir, Central American Spider Monkey, Jaguar, Harpy Eagle, and Horned Marsupial Frog. The Donoso Protected Area is located within the globally important Golfo de los Mosquitos Forests Key Biodiversity Area. Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are sites critical to the global persistence of biodiversity and the health of the planet.
The good news is Panama already has a law to uphold the rights of nature. A massive global spotlight can help Panamanians, and the world, win a critical victory for biodiversity.
