Martinelli asked to keep campaign promise and not open Darien Gap

Alida Spadafora, Director of the National Association for the Conservation of Nature (ANCON)  has called on President Ricardo Martinelli to live up to his campaign promise and not open the Darién Gap.

We expect him to keep that promise,” she said in reacting to a statement by Colombia’s foreign minister, Jaime Bermúdez, who said that the opening of the Darién Gap with the Pan-American Highway would bring great benefits for Latin America.
Spadafora, speaking on RPC radio argued that the opening of the Darién Gap would, in fact, result in more environmental problems for Panama.
She urged Panama’s government to seek "more mature" alternatives for linking South America and Central America, telling RPC Radio that alternatives such as building a ferry or r rail line could be considered.
On several occasions, the Colombian government has expressed its interest in opening the gap with a road connection to allow for further development..