The ACP and the Communities of Río Indio: Church Advocates for Dialogue Between the Two Groups
According to the ACP, the project includes the resettlement of 423 families located within the footprint of the future reservoir. The project seeks to guarantee water for both human consumption and the operation of the Panama Canal in the face of the effects of droughts.
The Catholic Church in Panama has stepped in to mediate a growing standoff between the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and rural families facing displacement. Affected communities, particularly in the Río Indio region, face relocation as the ACP develops a new reservoir to secure water levels for the Panama Canal. The situation centers on a crucial standoff between infrastructure development and community preservation:
- The ACP’s Project: The reservoir is vital for the continued operation and reliability of the Panama Canal, which has faced severe drought constraints. The ACP has promised compensation and improved living standards, but residents remain deeply concerned about losing their ancestral lands and traditional livelihoods.
- The Displaced Families: Local residents and indigenous communities in the Río Indio watershed face the prospect of having their homes and farmlands flooded, creating significant anxiety over how they will be relocated and supported.
- The Church’s Stance: The Panamanian bishops have voiced “pastoral support” for the Río Indio residents. The Church is actively pushing both parties to ensure that any decisions guarantee “a decent life and secure land, without exclusions or impositions,” while simultaneously calling for dialogue free from violence or rigid preconditions.
The Catholic Church advocated on Friday, July 3, for dialogue between the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) and the communities impacted by the Río Indio reservoir project. In the statement, read by the Bishop of the Diocese of David, Luis Enrique Saldaña, the church expressed its concern about the drinking water access crisis faced by many communities in the country.
