Centro de Incidencia Ambiental (CIAM) demands deep and serious discussions about the impact of the Petaquilla Mine in Panama
On the 14th of December, the Petaquilla Mining Company organized a public forum to evaluate the Environmental Impact Study that will bring an open-pit gold mining operation to the little village of Coclesito.
Many of the environmental groups in Panama decided to attend, but we found more than one event. The first was located in the town plaza where people demonstrated against the proposed mine and spoke publicly about the long-term consequences to the land and health of local people. This concentration culminated in a peaceful march through the streets of Coclesito; at the end, signatures were gathered opposing the open-pit mine.
Meanwhile, the mining company had organized a festival with singers, musicians, and a well-known cartoon character. This was the “public forum”? Of course, the atmosphere did not offer conditions for serious and formal participation by the community to evaluate the environmental impact study, as the company had implied. In fact, many of the participants considered this event as a mockery to their collective intelligence, and their avid interest in hearing serious and deep debate about the project.
The festival (or “public forum”) lacked scientific content, nor did it offer the opportunity for a discussion with the affected community so that people could draw conclusions, and weigh the negative effects against the benefits that the company is offering to them.
Strangely, while we saw business people with t-shirts that read “I love Petaquilla”, “Petaquilla es progreso” (Petaquilla is progress) or “Yo soy Petaquilla” (I am Petaquilla), the reality in another area was very different. This was already beginning to reflect a totally different panorama – a reality that no one could see as real progress.
We encountered shocking images just a few kilometers from Coclesito – red rivers with an odor of sulfur that burned to touch and drained into the river next to our feet. This is progress? This is development?
The environmental impact study does not contemplate the implications that will surely result from draining acid from the mine’s exploitation into our rivers. It doesn’t talk about what will happen with the waste from the mine, which we know will contaminate the soil for thousands of years.
Here’s an example. If this mine had started today with formal exploitation, we would already see the impact that these photographs show – we cannot even imagine what will happen on 13,600 hectares with a concession of 60 years!
Colleagues, progress is not hot food and painted schools. Progress is responsible and sustainable use of our valuable resources, which our future generations depend on.
We demand an analysis and deep discussion about the impact of this activity on our country and if this practices will truly benefit Panamanians. Irreversible effects to our water, forest, and animal resources vs. hot food, painted schools, and tax breaks.
Submitted by Raisa Banfield, Centro de Incidencia Ambiental
December 2007
To learn more about CIAM’s efforts in Panama, please contact Anne McEnany, ICF’s Senior Advisor for Conservation and Environment Programs at anne@icfdn.org.
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