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Business Daily: Growing opposition to mining in Panama

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Growing opposition to mining in Latin America

24/11/2022 GMT

Growing opposition to mining in Panama

BBC World Service - Business Daily, Growing opposition to mining in Panama

Will Panama ban open pit metal mining like a number of other Latin American countries?

Environmental concerns have led Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador to ban open pit metal mining. Is Panama next?

We look at growing opposition to mining in Latin America. The region is a leading producer of copper, silver, iron and lithium. But the environmental and social impact of mining have sparked protests in many countries and several governments have taken action.  

Costa Rica outlawed open pit mining in 2002 and in 2017 El Salvador became the first country in the world to ban all metal mining.  Earlier this year, Honduras banned open pit mining and there are also calls for a mining moratorium in Panama and I start my report by visiting that country’s largest ever mine, which began  operations three years ago. 

In this episode Grace Livingstone visits Cobre Panama, an enormous copper mine built in tropical forest on the Caribbean coast of Panama. We also hear from the people who farm the land close to Panama's mines and get the views of local politicians and experts on whether this kind of mining should continue.

Presenter / producer: Grace Livingstone
Image: Cobre Panama mine; Credit: BBC

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