Negotiators abandon talks – road closures escalate

Within minutes of an incident at the National Assembly, when one or more protesters were injured, the indigenous negotiating team walked away from the table and road blockages escalated to  new levels across the country.

At Vigui, Veraguas, on the border between Chiriqui and Veraguas, Ngabe Bugle blocked the road with trees, barricaded and rocks.

Local coordinator Toribio Garcia, warned that this time  he will not move from the track, and that patience is exhausted with the  progress of the dialogue on mining and hydroelectric construction in the native homeland.

At almost the same time, protestors who had briefly closed the Pan American Highway in Pacora, Panama east in the morning, moved back to continue the closure round 4 pm. Protestors on standby  at San Felix, Chiriqui enraged at  so called "cheating" by the government in the subcommittee created to discuss a law  over mining and protection of water resources  of the Bugle Ngäbe. closed the  highway They shouted slogans against the government and blocked the passage of vehicles to and from Chiriqui. The chief of Nole Duima, Francisco Miranda, in charge of the area, said that the closure is indefinite. 

The road was also closed in Horconcitos, Chiriqui, closed the road. Meanwhile, protesters closed in told Telemetro Report that they feel cheated because the agreement between the indigenous community and the Government was not respected .