After a week of street demonstrations, United People’s Alliance for Life groups insist that the executive branch repeal the pact signed with the subsidiary of the Canadian transnational First Quantum, the previous text of which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (CSJ) in 2017.
The wave of road closures, strikes in sectors such as health, education and freight transport, among others, have led to market shortages, suspension of classes and medical appointments and, especially in the capital, a climate of uncertainty regarding the response of the executive to contain the crisis, a similar scenario like in July 2022, when the protests were directed against the high cost of living.
On this occasion, the popular movements express their indignation at the government’s response after the President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo, appealed to the nation for respect for after the signing of Law 406, approved in a marathon session in the Legislature the government to demand laws and announce sanctions for those who try to violate them.
On the streets, anti-riot units have been stepped up and are often clearing out protesters with tear gas fired at the public outside protests and the use of pellets, resulting in dozens of injuries and arrests.
Schools remain closed, doctors’ unions have begun a sit-in strike and private companies and the Catholic Church have called on the head of state to commit to an end to the violence, the protection of peacefully protesting citizens, the protection of civil rights and an immediate moratorium.
For its part, the CSJ admitted one of the five unconstitutionality lawsuits filed against Law 406 of 2023, which takes over the contract between the State and the Minera Panamá company.
For analysts like José Eugenio Stoute, this would be the only real solution to the crisis, since legal action would force the cessation of operations at the copper mine in Donoso (Colón) and a procedure to annul the pact.
The lawsuit was filed the day before by lawyer Juan Sevillano and admitted by the president of the CSJ, María Eugenia López, and contested by the Protestants for failure to fulfill their functional duties.
They also question whether the government now has to rely on the Supreme Court, a body that took 20 years to rule on the unconstitutionality of the Minera Panamá contract and another four years to resolve the ruling.
Now López must verify that the lawsuit complies with all the legal formalities required by the Judicial Code and appoint the prosecutor Rigoberto González to give his opinion.
According to the regulations, González has up to ten working days to submit his opinion to the CSJ.
For experts, at the gates of the national holidays in November, if the highest court considers that the pact constitutes a violation of the Constitution, the only option would be to dissolve the contract, as demanded by the demonstrators who are demonstrating again towards the highest .
However, as one of the leaders, general secretary of the construction union Saúl Méndez, told Prensa Latina, social groups are determined to defeat the Lion Treaty in the streets.
They are also calling for a moratorium and the holding of a citizen survey and referendum in which people will decide with their vote at the polls whether they want a mining country or not.
Critics of the treaty assert that the so-called death pact would have a strong impact on the environment, beyond the economic benefits declared by the state, endangering water resources, and they also believe that it will enable the plunder of their valuable natural resources.
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