PANAMA
Published by MAC on 2006-02-19PANAMA
The campesino membership of the Santeño Front Against Mining (FRESACOM) has declared itself in a state of alert and rejected the reactivation of the mining project Cerro Quema, considering that the project threatens the environment in the region of the Tonosí Valley. This reaction from the ecological movement came after the government again initiated plans to reactivate mining projects for extraction of copper and gold, stating that the local economy would benefit from the record prices of both metals on international markets.
The projects that are closest to recommencing operations, according to information issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI), are: Petaquilla Minerals Ltd., located in the northern part of the Province of Coclé; and the Cerro Quema S.A.mine in the región of Azuero.