OPINION:  Panama’s  endangered  heritage

 The design of the governance of the Coiba National Park represented a model of public and private collaboration that aspired to ward off the dangers of the politicking of the management of this protected area. Instead of the institutional strengthening of this scheme, the Ministry of Environment of the outgoing government undertook tactics to silence civil society and to distribute funds of the National Park among the mayors of the neighboring municipalities. The diligent action on the part of environmental groups that went to the Supreme Court obtained a favorable decision that orders MiAmbiente (Environment Ministry to leave these funds intact. However, in another ruling, the Court authorizes it to continue with the nefarious project of the airport for tourist purposes, and supposedly security. This judicial decision requires a convincing reaction from the public: Coiba does not have the capacity to receive mass tourism. The risk that this entails for the exceptional flora and the unique fauna in the world that are present on the island should shame us. Unesco already announced that next year Coiba could enter the list of assets in danger, which would amount to a jarring note in the image and in the country brand that Panama is trying to promote. The only possible development is that in harmony with nature: we defend the island of Coiba, the island Boná and all our natural heritage. –LA PRENSA, June 15.