In October, Panama’s president, Laurentino Cortizo, signed a contract with Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals Ltd., which the legislature and the executive subsequently approved by law (1, 2). The agreement gives Minera Panamá the right to use open-pit mining to extract copper and other minerals for at least 20 years from nearly 13,000 ha of land in the Donoso District, Province of Colón (2), a protected area in the heart of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor on Panama’s Atlantic coast. The contract reversed previous laws (3) and disregarded citizen opinion and the recommendations of scientific institutions (4). Civil unrest and strikes have taken place to protest the decision. To protect its important ecosystems, Panama’s government must initiate a dialogue with protesters and commit to addressing their concerns.
