Panama City. The President of Panama, Laurentino Cortizodeclared on Sunday that he would ask the Electoral Tribunal (TE) to organize a “popular consultation”, so that Panamanians can decide by their vote whether or not to repeal the contested renewal of the 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 renewable on October 20 by law 406 by the president.

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

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Thousands of Panamanians demonstrated throughout this week at the national level to reject the new agreement with Minera Panamá, which exploits the largest open-air copper deposit in all of Central America.

The protests, which began two days after the signing of the contract, developed peacefully but in parallel with its end. There were clashes between groups of people and the police, as well as acts of vandalism and looting of businesses..

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

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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.

Today is Cortizo’s third intervention before the country in this crisis.

In his first intervention, he defended the benefits of the new agreement, which further fueled protests and demonstrations, and in the second, in this first message, he announced that the mining moratorium would be governed by a decree, which been criticized and rejected by various sectors because they considered it to be an issue that should be regulated by law.

Also this week, he called for “tolerance, respect for private and public property and free transport”, in reference to the acts of vandalism recorded these days.

Both messages disappointed those opposed to mining activity and the new mining contract, causing protests and demonstrations to intensify.

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On this occasion, hundreds of demonstrators followed the president’s message from their cell phones and, in the end, they jumped and celebrated shouting “we beat you, Nito, we beat you”, despite the strong rains which began to fall on the Panamanian capital. .

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

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.

RTD