Panama a vassal in mining contract negotiations

After the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice on the mining contract – in which it found 25 violations of the Constitution – we all expected not only the resignation of one of those responsible for that mess but of all those involved. But it didn’t happen like that. It is evident that the president still does not understand the problem at hand or is not capable of doing so. He will need a team of experts, specialists, and competent professionals to negotiate the orderly closure of the mine. The minister who resigned did not understand it either. It is not a desire for victory, but rather a desire to put people with expertise in this type of crisis in these positions. His resignation speech – which arrived late and under pressure – was to praise his management and warn us of the consequences – according to his criteria – to which the country is exposed with the Court’s ruling. His warnings reveal his inexperience, since, if it had been a good agreement, his fears would be unjustified, but he let us know that the door was negotiated wide for the mining company and narrow for the country. And that was the tenor of his negotiation. He renounced all the power conferred on him by the State, owner of the resources that the mine claimed, and became his vassal instead of acting as his alpha counterpart.—LA PRENSA, Dec, 1.