PANAMA CITY (AP) — Panama’s National Assembly approved in a new vote Thursday an indefinite moratorium banning new mining concessions, but at the same time ruled out repealing the controversial contract with a Canadian mining company to extract copper in a forest area. which sparked massive protests across the country.

The legislative plenary session, convened to give its final approval to the bill with which the government was trying to calm popular unrest, decided to refer the proposal to a second debate with modifications. Among them, the removal of the clause that directly requested the abrogation of the contract with Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of the first Canadian company Quantum Minerals, and which had been introduced by the commission that received the legislative initiative in first instance.

During a short session, deputies approved the bill on an indefinite moratorium on metal mining, once the mention of repeal was removed. The discussion is now on hold during the third debate, which will take place on Friday, and in which no changes can be made and then the sanction of the Panamanian president, Laurentino Cortizo.

Parliament’s decision to overturn the repeal of the contract comes amid warnings from lawyers who have pointed out that it could generate multi-million dollar demands on the state. And they said the best way to terminate the contract is to let the Supreme Court rule on its unconstitutionality.

Cortizo summoned Parliament, which is on vacation, to a new day of extraordinary session on Friday to give the final debate on the law on the mining moratorium, but did not mention the project of a popular consultation during which the Citizens could express their views on whether the mining project is underway. The contract, which has already been approved by the Assembly and ratified by the president, is repealed.

Both projects, the mining moratorium and the popular consultation, were proposed by President Cortizo with the aim of putting an end to the protests, which began on October 20 when the president sanctioned and quickly promulgated the contract, despite popular rejection .

This agreement, which became law, gave the subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals the right to continue the extraction, processing and marketing of copper and other minerals over an area of ​​more than 12,955 hectares for a period of 20 years, extendable to an additional 20 years.

The court admitted eight complaints of unconstitutionality presented by unions and lawyers. Experts say a decision along these lines would free the state from potential multimillion-dollar lawsuits from the company.

The moratorium prohibits the State from granting new concessions for the exploration, extraction and transport of metallic minerals throughout the national territory. The veto would prevail, if the law is approved in the third final debate, until a comprehensive reform is made to the Mineral Resources Code, which is the product of a broad national consensus.

Among the approved modifications, there will also be extensions requesting around fifteen current metal mining concessions.

The protests continued on Thursday, led mainly by environmentalists, young people through social networks, teachers, construction sector unions, health workers and indigenous people, among others, who demand the repeal of the contract law.

Several groups who demonstrated in front of the Assembly were dispersed with tear gas, even late into the night. Marches and rallies continued in the capital on different avenues and within the country.

In the western province of Chiriquí, producers and residents upset by roadblocks clashed with protesters, leaving at least seven injured on both sides.

Police said they evacuated several children and women who remained amid the clashes on the main road in the Chiricano community of Volcán and were taken to receive medical treatment to rule out health problems.