Central America
Panamanian president consults attorney general to repeal mining contract
November 17 |
The President of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, announced Thursday that a consultation was made to the Attorney General of the Administration, Rigoberto Gonzalez, on the legal feasibility of repealing Law 406 that contains the contract between the Panamanian State and Minera Panama.
“In relation to the request for the repeal of Law 406 presented to the Executive on November 9 by organized groups, we have consulted the Attorney General of the Administration on the legal viability of such request,” the President said in a televised message to the nation.
Regarding Law 407 of November 3, 2023, which prohibits metallic mining in Panama, he specified that in immediate compliance with its provision, “the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the National Directorate of Mineral Resources, proceeded to process the cancellation of seven concessions and will continue the process within the term established by law with the other pending concessions”.
He also informed that the company Minera Panamá made the payment corresponding to its obligations established in the contract law, and while waiting for the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice, instructed the Ministry of Economy and Finance so that the money received is not used and is kept in a restricted account in the National Bank of Panama.
In this respect, the Panamanian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) issued a statement in which it highlighted that Minera Panamá delivered to the General Revenue Directorate (DGI) a total of US$ 562,840,543, in accordance with the obligations established in the contract law.
In his speech, the Panamanian Head of State urged “to put aside personal, ideological, political or economic interests”, since “the solution of national problems requires the participation of all Panamanians with respect, listening to all opinions, considering the realities and always abiding by the laws”.
Likewise, he asked the Panamanian people to wait for the times determined by the rulings of the Supreme Court of Justice and reiterated that he will abide by the ruling issued by this entity on Law 406 of the mining contract.
For 27 days, thousands of Panamanians have been demonstrating massively and have closed the main roads, preventing the passage of vehicles, as a protest against Law 406 which approves broad concessions between the State and Minera Panama, with negative environmental impacts, which calls into question national sovereignty.
The President had ratified Law 406 between the State and Minera Panamá, of the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals (FQM), to exploit the largest open pit copper mine in Central America.
Central America
El Salvador to host World Cup qualifiers vs. Guatemala and Panama at Estadio Cuscatlán
El Salvador’s national football team will host its final round World Cup qualifying matches against Guatemala and Panama at Estadio Cuscatlán, the honorary president of the National Sports Institute (INDES), Yamil Bukele, announced Thursday via a statement on his X account.
The official explained that this decision comes after the American rock band Guns N’ Roses, originally scheduled to perform at Estadio Cuscatlán on Saturday, October 4, will now hold their concert at Estadio Jorge “El Mágico” González. This change allows both of La Selecta’s qualifying matches to be played at the “Coloso de Monserrat.”
“After a series of efforts and in response to popular demand, we are pleased to announce that our senior national team’s CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches next October (Oct. 10 vs. Panama and Oct. 14 vs. Guatemala) will take place at Estadio Cuscatlán,” the statement reads.
Bukele also thanked the event promoters and the band for agreeing to the stadium change. “We sincerely thank Guns N’ Roses and StarTicket for agreeing to move the concert originally scheduled for October 4 at Estadio Cuscatlán,” the statement adds.
Additionally, Bukele expressed gratitude to the FESFUT Regularization Commission for their efforts with CONCACAF to make this possible, and he urged fans to stay tuned to official channels to purchase tickets and support La Selecta in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Central America
Honduran president Xiomara Castro suspends activities due to influenza
Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced on Thursday that she has “temporarily” suspended her public activities due to a severe influenza virus.
“A strong influenza virus requires me to rest, trusting that I will be fully recovered for the grand celebration of our National Independence Day” next Monday, Castro stated on the social media platform X.
The president had planned to participate in several inaugurations across the northern, central, and eastern regions of the country throughout the week. She added that “these events will be rescheduled for new dates.”
Central America
Nicaragua’s government expels bishops, priests, and nuns in religious persecution
At least 261 religious figures, including the president of the Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference, Carlos Enrique Herrera, have been expelled as part of the persecution by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo’s regime against the Catholic Church, reported the NGO Colectivo Nicaragua Nunca Más in its report Faith Under Fire.
The report details that among those expelled are bishops Silvio Báez, Rolando Álvarez, Isidoro Mora, as well as the Apostolic Nuncio in Managua, Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, along with approximately 140 priests, over 90 nuns, ten seminarians, and three deacons from different dioceses in the country.
“Since the expulsion of Nuncio Sommertag in March 2022, relations between Nicaragua and the Vatican have significantly deteriorated,” the NGO noted.
The report also documents the closure of 5,609 non-profit organizations, of which 1,294 were religious, including churches, universities, schools, clinics, and humanitarian organizations. Most of these had their assets confiscated by the Sandinista government. Additionally, the telecommunications regulator TELCOR shut down 54 media outlets, including 22 religious radio stations and TV channels.
Repression has extended to other religious denominations, with forced disappearances and criminalization of evangelical pastors, control over temples, media censorship, fiscal pressure, property confiscation, and the cancellation of legal status for the Moravian Church. Pastor Rudy Palacios remains in detention as part of this pattern of persecution.
The NGO emphasized that churches, especially the Catholic Church, played a key role in the 2018 national dialogue, denouncing abuses and providing refuge to injured protesters, which fueled the government’s hostility.
In 2023, Pope Francis described Ortega’s regime as a “blatant dictatorship”, to which the Nicaraguan president responded by dissolving the Society of Jesus and labeling the Church as a “mafia” and “anti-democratic.”
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