The Orderly Resumption of Moving Towards Operations at the Cobre Panamá Mine is Recommended by CAMIPA.
Pictured below is a truck at the Cobre Panamá project, located in Donoso, Colón.
The Panama Mining Chamber (CAMIPA) believes that the time has come to make an informed decision about the future of Cobre Panamá, stating that the country now has more information about the status of the project and the economic and social consequences of its closure. In a statement issued on September 28, 2026, the union warned that indefinitely prolonging the uncertainty also has costs for communities, workers, suppliers, investment, and the environmental management of existing facilities.
The Panamanian Mining Chamber (CAMIPA) formally recommended the orderly resumption of operations at the Cobre Panamá copper mine. In an official statement released on September 28, 2026, the industry union argued that indefinitely prolonging the site’s legal and operational uncertainty is causing severe economic and social strain for local communities, workers, and suppliers.
Key Elements of CAMIPA’s Recommendation.
- Constitutional Compliance: The chamber emphasized that any framework to reopen the mine must be fully compatible with Panama’s current legal and constitutional framework. This follows the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that declared the previous contract unconstitutional.
- Actioning the Environmental Audit: CAMIPA insists the reopening must be guided by the final comprehensive audit delivered by Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) in June 2026, which showed an 87.7% compliance rate but flagged localized environmental deficiencies.
- Strict Independent Oversight: The group called for enforceable obligations on the mine’s operator, First Quantum Minerals, and demanded that the State establish independent, heavily resourced bodies to continuously monitor tailings stability, water quality, and biodiversity.
- Economic Recovery: The proposal mandates a verifiable roadmap to restore thousands of lost jobs and re-engage Panamanian domestic suppliers.
Context of the Mine’s Current Status
The Cobre Panamá Mine has been largely halted since late 2023, erasing roughly 4.5% of Panama’s GDP and removing 1% of the global copper supply. While a full reopening depends entirely on a final decision by the Panamanian government’s executive branch, a partial mitigation step was approved in April 2026, allowing First Quantum Minerals to process 38 million tonnes of stockpiled ore to prevent environmental risks like acid rock drainage. The government has indicated it intends to announce its definitive stance on the long-term future of the mine by late 2026.
