Panama President Mulino Seeks Support for Vital Río Indio Water Project

July 2025: Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino urged member nations at the Mercosur Summit in Buenos Aires, to back the Río Indio project, a critical infrastructure effort to secure water supplies for the Panama Canal amid mounting climate change pressures.  “I need the support not only of the users, but also of the international community, so this project, led by the Canal Authority, can succeed and move forward as quickly as possible,” Mulino said Tuesday.  Mercosur, short for Mercado Común del Sur, is a South American trade bloc formed in 1991 by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, whose main goal is to promote free trade and economic integration among member countries. 

The request followed similar appeals made days earlier during Mulino’s official visit to Seville, where he discussed the project with Spain’s King Felipe VI, emphasizing the urgency of building a reservoir to safeguard the canal’s long-term sustainability.  On the same trip, he also raised the issue with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, noting that the project would benefit not only Panama, but also other canal users, including Chile and Ecuador.  “The Canal is neutral, but its sustainability is a shared responsibility,” Mulino said.