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Massive Indigenous Protest in Panama Spurs Accord With Government

Indigenous protestors and the Panamanian Government reached an accord on February 7 to halt massive nationwide protests against mining and development laws that had shut down a major international highway as well as large roadways throughout the country in the previous 8 days; the conflict had caused at least one death, 40 wounded and 100 people arrested at the various sites.

On the 7th, officials representing Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli and Chief Silvia Carrrera, leader of the Ngobe Bugle people, signed the San Lorenzo Accord which spelled out conditions for the cessation of the protests.

According to the agreement the government had to: end all judicial prosecutions of Ngobe-Bugle leaders and other protestors:

• free all those who had been arrested in the demonstrations
• compensate and attend to the needs of the family of Geronimo Rodriguez Tugri, an indigenous protestor who was killed by gunfire at the largest protest on February 5
• re-establish cell-phone signals in the affected areas
• withdraw riot police from the indigenous territories and the protest sites
• get the Legislature to re-address the mining Law 415 and it’s Article 5 regarding mining and development on Ngobe-Bugle lands
• continued mediation by Catholic Church officials
• full publication of the subsequent agreement
• demobilization of all protestors from the sites
• and more medical attention and follow-up, under the supervision of a committee of indigenous physicians, for those indigenous protestors who were wounded.

Monsignor Jose Luis Lacunza served as principal mediator between the parties and read the agreement at a press conference after the signing.

“We have not yet achieved anything, the indigenous Ngäbe people are struggling more than 500 years, and this has prompted us to disbelieve in the authorities, but today we all want to go home quietly, with the hope of seeing the promises of the State,” Chief Carrera stated.

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