President sidesteps Isla Bona environmental  appeal  

The fight by environmental groups for the bill that declaring declares Boná Island as a protected area continues as their appeal to have it included to be included in the upcoming extraordinary sessions was ignored by President  Varela.

 The Cabinet Council did not include the bill 167 – approved by the Environment Commission of the National Assembly on April 24 and which declares Boná Island located about 10 nautical miles from Taboga, a protected area.

 The initiative was not discussed in the first debate. Environmental groups, such as the Center for Environmental Advocacy (CIAM), asked the President to include the bill in extraordinary sessions.

Luisa Arauz, of CIAM’s legal team, regretted that the president has not included the Boná island project and at the same time expressed concern about the inclusion of the draft law contract between the State and Minera Panamá.

“Evidently there is a lack of political will to protect the environment,” said  Arauz.

The lawyer  said that they will not be left “with their arms crossed” and asked President Varela that, since he did not include the bill in extraordinary sessions, to approve an executive decree that declares Boná Island as a protected area.

The concerns of environmental groups arise from the intention to build a petroleum project on the island that is considered a migratory bird sanctuary.