Minera contract would create new colonial enclave – Torrijos

The powers that Minera Panamá would have over Panamanian lands, the lack of true citizen consultation and provisions regarding the payment of the $375 million, are some of the situations the reasons the former president and presidential candidate Martín Torrijos

On Monday, August 21, Torrijos posted a short video on X (formerly Twitter,) in which he explains why he opposes the approval of the contract.

“The legal contract with Minera Panama implies ceding sovereignty over the country’s natural resources, and a new type of colonial enclave,” said Torrijos.

He stressed that the observations of lawyers, environmentalists, and citizens were not taken into account, in addition, he indicated that it is inconceivable that the government agrees with the mining company on the use of public money and commits them for the next 40 years, and the minimum income of $375 million is only guaranteed for the first three years.

 Torrijos is not the only one who has expressed his position against the new contract that will be discussed in the National Assembly, where it can only be approved or rejected.

Rómulo Roux the Democratic Change, (CD) presidential candidate, has spoken in favor of the contract, because in his opinion, the modifications in the new document improve the benefits of the contract, for the mining activity for the State and the Panamanian people. He believes that it is an activity that generates thousands of direct and indirect jobs, payments to the Social Security Fund, and mine suppliers in Panama.

” I believe that one of the main challenges of the next government, of my government, is going to be to create jobs and to generate jobs you have to attract investment, you don’t have to scare it away and we have to guarantee legal certainty,” he said .

Ricardo Lombana, from Movimiento Otro Camino, has reiterated on different occasions that he is against the mining contract, indicating that the country must turn to the protection of natural resources, to put the environment at the center of any public policy. He assured us that they have a team that studied the contract and concluded the disadvantages and reasons why the contract is not convenient.

“It is the only political group that up to now has formally opposed the contract and new mining concessions,” he said