Panama (EFE).- The President of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, said that he will ask the Electoral Tribunal (TE) to carry out a “popular consultation”, so that Panamanians can decide through their vote whether the renewal in question is repealed or not. …from a mining concession to a Canadian company.

Cortizo indicated that the popular consultation will take place on December 17 to decide the fate of the new contract between the State and the company Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals (FQM), ratified for 20 years, extendable on December 20, last October, by President’s Law 406.

“Thanks to citizen participation, through voting, we will be able to legitimize the will of the people, the result of which will be obligatory,” he stressed.

Thousands of Panamanians have demonstrated throughout this week nationally to reject the new agreement with Minera Panamá, which operates the largest open-pit copper deposit in all of Central America.

Protests in Panama

The protests, which began two days after the signing of the contract, took place peacefully, but as they ended there were clashes between groups of people and the police, as well as acts of vandalism and looting. of shops.

“I have listened to those who oppose the legal contract with Minera Panamá, I believe in democracy and as president I understand the clamor of the voices that speak out on this issue,” Cortizo expressed in a brief message to the Nation on a national level. television.

The president also announced that a national ban on metals mining would be “turned into law”, a moratorium called for by those opposed to the new mining pact, as well as a referendum allowing the population to decide whether or not he wants Panama to be a mining country.

One of the first reactions to Cortizo’s comments was from Saúl Méndez, secretary general of the powerful National Union of Workers in Construction and Similar Industries (Suntracs), who said the protests would continue until the repeal of the law.

“Enough of the mockery, the actions remain in the streets, Law 406 must be repealed, this is the mandate of the people,” Méndez said.

The union leader also stressed that “there is no maneuver which, in this struggle, will deceive the people: the abrogation of the contract, so that the history of mining plundering in this country ends once and for all” .

The announcement of a popular consultation

Hundreds of protesters who followed the president’s message from their cell phones jumped and celebrated, shouting “we beat you, Nito, we beat you,” despite the heavy rains that began to fall on the Panamanian capital.

Hundreds of other people gathered on the tourist promenade of Cinta Costera, which borders the Bay of Panama, awaiting Cortizo’s message, initially announced by the government for 5:30 p.m. local time, but which was not given until ‘at 8:45 p.m.

The speed with which the new mining pact was approved by the National Assembly (AN, Parliament), signed a few hours later and immediately published in the Official State Gazette, generated great social discontent which led to demonstrations massive attacks which received strong police support. response within the last seven days.

Activists and lawyers have pointed out that the new contract retains the same flaws that led to the previous one being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Justice in 2017.