The first two deaths were recorded on Tuesday (November 8th) in Panama, which has been rocked for three weeks by protests against a controversial mining project, "during an argument over a roadblock", police said. "Two people lost their lives ... shot at guns," 80 km west of the capital, police said on the X network. The suspected shooter, a 77-year-old man, has been arrested. Videos on social media show a man shooting at a protester at a roadblock on the Inter-American Highway, which connects Panama to the rest of Central America.
On X, President Laurentino Cortizo expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased. "This is an act that has no place in a society as supportive as ours," he said. Calls for protests on Wednesday in memory of the two protesters have already been made. The demonstrators are protesting against the 20-year renewal of the contract signed on <> October to operate the largest copper mine in Central America by the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals (FQM). Cortizo tried to appease the anger of protesters, who were worried about the potential impact on the environment and the legal contours of the contract, by proposing a referendum. But its organization was refused by the Electoral Tribunal.
Open-pit copper mine
In the end, it is the Supreme Court that will have to decide on this renewal of the operating contract, which, according to the government, will bring the state $375 million per year, ten times the amount of the initial agreement. The government also warns that if they are not renewed, 8000,40 direct and 000,<> indirect jobs will be lost, and the likelihood of costly legal proceedings before international courts.
The gigantic open-pit copper mine, located 240 km from Panama City, generates 4% of the country's GDP and 75% of its export earnings. As of February 2019, the mine was producing approximately 300,000 tonnes of copper concentrate per year. Parliament last week passed a moratorium on allowing new concessions, but it has not quelled the protests. Several avenues in the capital were blocked on Tuesday by small groups of protesters, while the Inter-American Highway has been cut off in several sections for several days, affecting the country's supply of food or fuel.