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Mining and hydroelectric projects in Panama are heavily discussed topics in Panama due to several laws for the protection of the native inhabitants and the neo-liberal plans of the government. Since the beginning of 2011 large protests against such mining and hydroelectric projects have been held by the indigenous inhabitants of Panama. This Wikipedia article will deal with the context of these protests. == History == The hydroelectric potential of the Bocas del Torro region was discovered in the 1970s. However, the first 70 hydroelectric power plants were built in 1998 after the privatization of Panama’s Institute of Hydroelectric Resources and Electrification (IRHE).〔Finley-Brook and Thomas 2011, 866〕 For the approval of following hydroelectric projects the Panamanian government and private investors negotiated, in accordance with Law 127, with the indigenous representatives.〔Finley-Brook and Thomas 2011, 866〕 Corruption, involuntary resettlement of the villages, and penetration of the local politics by the Panamanian government, however, led to the first protests against hydroelectric power plants and mining in the 90's.〔Finley-Brook and Thomas 2011, 867〕 Recently these protests received more attention. On the 11th of February 2011 the government of Ricardo Martinelli approved the neo-liberal Law 8, also known as the '' Ley Minera'', which made it possible for foreign companies to invest directly in Panamanian concessions.〔La Estrella 11/02/2011〕 This resulted, during the months of February, March, and May 2011, in large protests by the native Ngäbe Buglé people who felt the threat of '' Hydrologic Colonialism''〔Finley-Brooke and Thomas 2011, 864〕 which would affect their political authority in the comarca and destruct the environment.〔La Estrella 11/02/2011〕 The start of hydroelectric projects in the '' comarca'' and the annexed regions in early January 2012 led to large scale indigenous protests and the blocking of the Inter-American Highway. On the 5th of February 2012 the indigenous people from the north-western part of Panama clashed with the riot police while blocking the Pan-American Highway near San Felix.〔La Prensa 05/02/2012〕 On this day 150 Ngäbe Buglé were arrested and 40 got injured, of which three persons died within a week. The repression of the protests by the police seems to be a form of '' green authoritarianism'',〔Finley-Brook and Thomas 2011, 866〕 which stands for the involvement of the state to secure and protect renewable energy sources and “market valorized ecological processes”.〔Finley-Brook and Thomas 2011, 866〕 However, this does not only happen with the use of explicit violence as is the case here. The increasing influence of the national government in the native political elections, which occurs in Panama since 2010 by changing the '' Carta Organica'', is also a hidden form of '' green authoritarianism''.〔Simms and Moolji 2011, 29〕 0n the 7th of February, 2 days after the conflict between the police and the indigenous people, the San Lorenzo treaty was signed, of which the most important points hold that:〔San Lorenzo Treaty〕 (a.) the government would participate in a discussion with the Ngäbe Buglé on the new '' Ley Minera '' and the hydroelectric projects with the Catholic church as mediator between the two parties, (b.) the Ngäbe Buglé would cease their blockade and the riot police would withdrawal, (c.) cellular communication would be restored, (d.) the 150 captured protesters would be released, and (e.) the families of killed Ngäbe Buglé would be compensated. During February the Panamerican Highway was closed several times again in the North-Western part of the country due to continuing protests of the Ngäbe Buglé. At the same time the dialogue between representatives of the state and the Ngäbe Buglé continued in Panama City. The Ngäbe Buglé people were represented by their officially elected general cacique Silvia Carrera. Division in the Ngäbe-Buglé politics, however, caused that not all agreed with the leadership on Carrera which led to smaller protests in parts of the Ngäbe Buglé region. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mining conflicts in Panama」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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