US Lawyer Kenneth Darlington Arrested for Killing Two Environmental Protesters Amidst Panama Mining Contract Disputes

Kenneth Darlington, a dual US-Panama citizen, charged with aggravated homicide and illegal possession of firearms following fatal shootings at a major protest against a controversial mining concession with Canadian company First Quantum.

Kenneth Darlington, a US-Panamanian lawyer, was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing two protesters, Iván Rodríguez and Abdiel Díaz, during a demonstration against a mining contract involving a Canadian company, First Quantum, and its subsidiary, Minera Panama.
The protest, which was taking place along the American Highway approximately 50 miles outside of Panama City, is part of a series of civil disobedience actions sparked by the controversial mining contract that permits First Quantum to continue operating the nation's largest copper mine for the next 40 years.
Darlington was previously arrested in 2005 for illegal possession of firearms, claiming at the time that the weapons were collector's items; he was eventually released on bail.
The protests, seen as the largest of their kind since the opposition demonstrations against military dictator Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega in the 1980s, unite environmentalists, indigenous groups, and teachers' and construction unions in their criticism of government corruption and the selling off of Panama's natural resources.
Despite the heavy financial losses to businesses and the suspension of nationwide schooling due to the ongoing protests, Panama's President Laurentino Cortizo has defended the mining deal, highlighting its potential to create jobs and increase revenue.