Two Protesters Killed in Panama Amid Contention Over Canadian Company's Mining Contract

Protests arise under a contentious Canadian company's mining deal in Panama, leading to two deaths as an unknown shooter fires at demonstrators blocking the Pan-American Highway, amidst wider social and environmental concerns stemming from the extension of mining rights for First Quantum Minerals.

Protests in Panama have resulted in two fatalities as an unknown shooter fired at demonstrators who were blocking the Pan-American Highway. This violence escalated from a contentious mining contract signed between the Panamanian government and Canada-based firm First Quantum Minerals, which grants the latter the right to operate the largest open pit copper mine in Central America for at least another 20 years.
The protests initially sprung from environmental concerns over the mine. Roads were obstructed in multiple locations, disrupting the transport of essential goods like food, fuel, and medicine. While a law imposing a moratorium on new metal mining contracts was passed to ease tensions, various unions continue the agitation, demanding annulment of the existing contract through legislative means.
The contentious mining contract has also sparked broader debate over Panama's development path. While the agreement is touted as a potential major economic booster, critics argue it bypasses Panama's constitution which decrees all mineral deposits to be state property and only extracted by concession. The contract, negotiated in the absence of public knowledge, grants First Quantum extensive mining rights across a 32,000-acre swathe of land for two decades.
Critics of the mining contract argue that it heavily favors the mining company, granting First Quantum the opportunity to make offers on land they deem necessary for operations. There are concerns that if these offers are declined, the government may intervene to seize land on behalf of the company (per the contract's provisions), leading to land insecurity for Panamanians.
Panama's president, Laurentino Cortizo, has defended the contract, insisting that renegotiating it has ensured better terms and conditions for Panama. He claimed that the agreement would create over 9,000 direct jobs, an annual payroll of $357 million, and contribute $161 million to social security. However, public dissent underscores the sustained fear that surrendering natural resources to foreign investors could threaten Panama's sovereignty.