Brazil helps Casco Viejo avoid UNESCO black list

IN SPITE OF the construction of a viaduct carrying a multi-lane highway around Casco Viejo, the old city has avoided being listed as an endangered heritage by UNESCO.

At dawn on Friday, June 21,  during the annual session of the World Heritage Committee of Unesco, (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ) in Cambodia, the delegation of Brazil proposed to exclude Panama from the list,

Panama’s ambassador to Unesco, Flavio Mendez publicly thanked the Brazilians for their gesture
The Old City was nominated for posting to the endangered site list given the "irreversible damage" caused by the marine viaduct enclosing San Felipe. The project is part of phase three of the Cinta Costera, a $782 million project being constructed by the Brazilian construction company Norberto Odebrecht.
It was the third consecutive year, that Casco Viejo escaped being black listed.
Patrizia Pinzon, of Avaz (the Association of Residents of the old city, said that although it remains a universal heritage status on paper, nothing changes the damage to the historic site.
The viaduct is over 45 percent complete.