Panama's Giant Copper Mine Is Illegal

Panama's Supreme Court ruled on October 20th that the giant copper mine owned by First Quantum Minerals illegal because the concession was not tendered by the state properly. Minera Panama, a subsidiary, will have to close the mine in face of the unanimous court decision. Last year, the mine produced 86,000 tons of copper around 1% of the world's total production. The mine has sparked popular protests; observers say the protests are part of a growing movement among Mesoamericans to protect natural resources against extractive industries. The mine is located near the Carribean coast were several rivers converge, supplying the region with fresh water. During a drought which has led to restriction of traffic in the Panama Canal, water consumed by the mine could have been used to keep the Canal operating a full volume.