Law enforcement officers in the city of Panama They attempted to disperse a demonstration with tear gas and alleged gunshots.

The march, which was largely peaceful, ended near the house of the country’s president, where police attacked the demonstrators. large quantities of tear gasas he was able to verify EFE.

Despite the demonstrators’ insistent attempts to avoid riots, the large contingent of police which surrounded the demonstration threw tear gas bombs which They flooded the street with a cloud of gascausing a massive stampede.

The march brought together thousands of anti-mining Panamanians, after the promulgation of the so-called mining contract benefiting a Canadian mining company.

“They sold our future“Thousands of young Panamanians wept this Wednesday as they flooded the main streets of Panama City to demand the repeal of the recently approved contract with a Canadian mining company, a protest that culminated in violent clashes with police.

This Wednesday marked the third day of protest, which began with force last Monday after the approval on October 20 of the law on contracts which renews for 20 years renewable. the concession to the company Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of the Canadian company First Quantum Mineralswhich has been exporting copper from the Cobre Panamá mine since 2019, the largest open-cast mine in Central America.

The march advanced from Maritime Avenue, passing the iconic Calle 50 and the headquarters of First quantum mineralsthe Canadian mining company with which this controversial contract was approved.

Videos of protests in several Panamanian cities were posted on social media, and police repression disperse the social movement.

Through the same channel, suspected security agents were observed firing guns in a nearby location where protests were taking place.

Local media said authorities they used tear gas against the demonstrators who were traveling on the Cinta Costera.

Hundreds of demonstrators began a pitched battle under a rain of stones and homemade bombs.

The Executive defends this The new contract multiplies state profits by 10 and guarantees environmental monitoring, while activists and lawyers emphasize that it maintains the defects that led to the precedent being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2017, 8 years after filing a lawsuit on this subject.

The massive demonstrations were marred by acts of vandalism which affected public property, such as the breaking of the facade of one of the headquarters of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, or graffiti on the walls of the Cciap building. .

(With information from EFE)