Central America
Panamanian president consults attorney general to repeal mining contract
November 17 |
The President of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, announced Thursday that a consultation was made to the Attorney General of the Administration, Rigoberto Gonzalez, on the legal feasibility of repealing Law 406 that contains the contract between the Panamanian State and Minera Panama.
“In relation to the request for the repeal of Law 406 presented to the Executive on November 9 by organized groups, we have consulted the Attorney General of the Administration on the legal viability of such request,” the President said in a televised message to the nation.
Regarding Law 407 of November 3, 2023, which prohibits metallic mining in Panama, he specified that in immediate compliance with its provision, “the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the National Directorate of Mineral Resources, proceeded to process the cancellation of seven concessions and will continue the process within the term established by law with the other pending concessions”.
He also informed that the company Minera Panamá made the payment corresponding to its obligations established in the contract law, and while waiting for the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice, instructed the Ministry of Economy and Finance so that the money received is not used and is kept in a restricted account in the National Bank of Panama.
In this respect, the Panamanian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) issued a statement in which it highlighted that Minera Panamá delivered to the General Revenue Directorate (DGI) a total of US$ 562,840,543, in accordance with the obligations established in the contract law.
In his speech, the Panamanian Head of State urged “to put aside personal, ideological, political or economic interests”, since “the solution of national problems requires the participation of all Panamanians with respect, listening to all opinions, considering the realities and always abiding by the laws”.
Likewise, he asked the Panamanian people to wait for the times determined by the rulings of the Supreme Court of Justice and reiterated that he will abide by the ruling issued by this entity on Law 406 of the mining contract.
For 27 days, thousands of Panamanians have been demonstrating massively and have closed the main roads, preventing the passage of vehicles, as a protest against Law 406 which approves broad concessions between the State and Minera Panama, with negative environmental impacts, which calls into question national sovereignty.
The President had ratified Law 406 between the State and Minera Panamá, of the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals (FQM), to exploit the largest open pit copper mine in Central America.
Central America
Arévalo calls corruption the “fuel of inequality” and reaffirms commitment to public transparency
Guatemala’s President, Bernardo Arévalo, stated on Friday that corruption is “the food of misery” in his country and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to continuing to strengthen public spending transparency.
During the first anniversary of the National Commission Against Corruption (CNC) established by his administration, the president expressed his satisfaction with the progress made.
“The road has been difficult,” he said, “but I am greatly satisfied with the fight against corruption, which is the fuel of inequality and the food of misery,” the president declared before members of the international community and government officials.
Arévalo also mentioned that the people who elected him in 2023 for a four-year term that began on January 14, 2024, “demand that we combat corruption.”
Central America
Zúñiga hopes CIDH experts can help investigate intellectual authors of Berta Cáceres’ murder
Bertha Zúñiga, daughter of the murdered Honduran environmentalist Berta Cáceres, expressed her hope on Friday to EFE that the expert group appointed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) will help investigate the authorship of the crime to “heal the wounds” and rebuild the social fabric in indigenous communities affected by the hydroelectric project her mother opposed.
The Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts (GIEI) represents an “effort to exhaust the investigations” into the responsibilities of all individuals involved in Cáceres’ murder, as well as in the “violence suffered” from the implementation of the Agua Zarca hydroelectric project, led by the company Desarrollos Energéticos S.A. (DESA), emphasized Zúñiga.
“We hope that, with the collaboration of the prosecutorial entities, (the experts) will effectively collaborate to move forward on what we have proposed and demanded for many years: formally requiring the intellectual authors of this crime and analyzing the related crimes,” including corruption and other violations, as well as proposing a comprehensive reparation plan for the victims of the hydroelectric project,” Zúñiga explained.
The CIDH appointed a group of four experts from Argentina, Chile, the United States, and Guatemala on Friday to provide technical assistance to Honduras in investigating the intellectual authorship of Cáceres’ murder, which occurred on March 2, 2016, while she was sleeping in her home in La Esperanza, despite the multiple death threats she had reported due to her opposition to the Agua Zarca project.
Central America
Nicaragua’s family confinement program: 7.18% of released prisoners reoffend
Nicaraguan authorities have released a total of 48,964 common prisoners under the family confinement regime over the past ten years, with 7.18% of them reoffending by committing at least one crime, according to the country’s vice president, Rosario Murillo.
Murillo, who is also the wife of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and appointed “co-president” in a reform to the Constitution, stated through official media that “7.18% are individuals who have reoffended in criminal activity from 2015 to today, February 14, 2025.”
This means that 3,515 out of the 48,964 common prisoners with final sentences who have been granted family confinement privileges have returned to criminal activity, according to the report.
The early release of common prisoners has faced criticism, particularly from feminist organizations, who argue that these benefits have contributed to an increase in femicides and general crime in Nicaragua.
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