Pollution case archived

WHILE EXECUTIVES of a company accused of  polluting a river with pesticide are facing criminal charges, The Panama Maritime Authority has archived an administrative process against it.

The case against  Campos de Pesé was opened in 2014 due to the contamination of La Villa River with atrazine.

Authority official Gerardo Varela said that it could not establish a direct link between the pollution and the company. A statement issued by the AMP indicates that the decision was made due to a “lack of evidence.”

The decision was rejected by residents of Hererra and Los Santos who were impacted by the pollution.

Reynaldo García, a member of the Save La Villa River, Committee hopes that thie decision does not affect the criminal proceedings involving the company.

“If so, it would be an attack on the rights of the population, which were violated through the contamination of the river,” he said.

Currently, a number of company executives face prosecution over the case.

Susana Serracín, a member of the Center for Environmental Advocacy, was critical of the decision because there was “serious” damage to the population.

“The investigation had to be deeper. The impact of the pollution reached water purification plants in the area,” she said.