en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Panamanian government plans to release the final third-party audit report on the Cobre Panama copper mine on May 29. Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro stated that the report will be made public with "complete transparency" once completed. Six preliminary reports have been completed for the audit, and final technical analysis and verification are currently underway. Commerce and Industry Minister Julio Moltó said that President José Raúl Mulino will decide on the mine's future after reviewing the audit results.

The Cobre Panama copper mine is one of the world's major copper projects. In 2022, the mine produced approximately 350,000 tonnes of copper, accounting for about 5% of Panama's gross domestic product. At the end of 2023, Panama's Supreme Court ruled the mine's concession contract unconstitutional, leading to the mine's indefinite suspension. First Quantum Minerals stated that the two-year shutdown has cost Panama approximately $3.5 billion in economic contributions, highlighting the fiscal and employment pressures caused by the prolonged suspension.

As the final audit report is about to be released, anti-mining sentiment is heating up again in Panama. Last week, several civil society organizations held demonstrations in Panama City, opposing the government's push to restart the mine and demanding that the government address public environmental concerns. The protests are reminiscent of the political and social pressure triggered by the nationwide mass demonstrations in 2023.

Unverified information has recently circulated on social media, claiming that preliminary audit findings point to issues such as "irreversible environmental damage" and "imbalanced benefit distribution" at the mine. The Panamanian government has explicitly denied such speculation, emphasizing that only the final official report can serve as the basis for judging the mine's environmental compliance and future fate.

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