Situation with Ngäbe-Buglés

Reply To: Gunnar Lindahl <gunnarlindahl2@gmail.com>

Dear Friends,

 

As you may have seen in today's Chiriqui supplement of La Prensa, the Ngäbe-Buglés (henceforth N-Bs) staged a "warning march" in Boquete yesterday.  Since the media have concentrated on the immediate news - much less on the background and facts of the issues - you may wonder what it's all about.  Let me try and fill you in on this, because I don't think the trouble is over yet.

 

In February of last year, the N-Bs put up road blocks on the Panamerican highway, in roughly the same area as this year's.  They were protesting a recently approved controversial mining law.  An agreement was reached with the government, whereby the road blocks were lifted, and the government undertook to create a law that "explicitly prohibits the prospecting and operation of mining in the Reservation and the protection [my emphasis] of the water and environmental resources of the N-B Reservation"

After lengthy discussions, including representatives of the N-Bs, the corresponding committee of, the Asamblea (the Panamanian Congress) submitted to the full body the proposed Law 415.  Article 2 of this law prohibits the granting of mining concessions in the N-B Reservation.  Article 3 prohibits the alteration, interruption or diverting of the flow of the rivers in the Reservation, or their private use.  Article 4 establishes a coastal zone where the N-Bs can develop commercial tourist activities.  Article 5 reads:  "All concessions, granted and in force, to national or foreign enterprises, for the prospecting and exploitation of the mineral and non-mineral resources and the construction of hydroelectric projects within the N-B Reservation, annexed areas [they are defined by law] and territories and N-B communities, outside [my emphasis] of the Reservation and all work that is being carried out by these enterprises are suspended immediately."

Law 415 was approved in January by the Asamblea in the first of 3 debates, but with the exclusion of Article 5.  This was the main reason why the N-B protested and put up the road blocks, three weeks ago.  They claim they were cheated by the Executive, which effectively controls the Asamblea at this point.

On Feb. 7, after 6 full days of blocking the highway, the N-B and the government reached an agreement, whereby the road blocks were lifted.  The essential part of this agreement, is the request that the Asamblea urgently reconsider the proposed Law 415 and the discussion and inclusion of its Article 5.

A group representing the N-B, the government, the Asamblea and the political parties, is meeting in Panama City, to discuss the law and reach an agreement as to its contents and, more specifically, the text of Article 5

 

At this stage, the government has accepted that no mining prospecting nor operation will take place in the Reservation and its annexes, as already approved in the proposed Law 415.  However, the government does not accept that no hydroelectric plants can be built outside the Reservation.  This would be too far-reaching, considering there are numerous "outside communities" all over the country, several of them close to rivers with hydroelectric potential.  This could stop expansion of hydroelectric power to cover future increases of demand (presently 5% per year) and force the use of thermal generation. 

 

 

Not all N-Bs are in agreement with the leaders that carried out the protests  There are roughly 176,000 N-Bs.  4,000, including women, took active part in the blocking.  If as many as 20 other N-Bs for each protester are in agreement, that would still only be 49% of the total N-B population. 

 

 

Abrazos to all,

 

Gunnar

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