More than 1,000 people arrested during protests in Panama | News

Panamanian security forces have arrested more than 1,000 people as part of protests against the controversial mining contract in Panama.

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The protests have been going on for about three weeks since they began, the different acts that the protesters have committed, the National Police of Panama has arrested 1,061 people, including 134 minors.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, the defendants were arrested for “vandalism, property damage, other crimes and administrative offenses.”

They also detailed that 40 members of the security forces were injured during the demonstrations.

"Five for physical attacks, 28 for blunt objects and seven with firearms, of which there are two hospitalized and 19 incapacitated," they detailed in the statement.

Damage due to vandalism was also recorded in at least 63 commercial premises, 19 government facilities and five police stations.

Some 66 vehicles, 34 of them police vehicles, were damaged by the actions of the protesters.

These street movements have delayed the supply chain in the country, since protesters have decided to cut off traffic on different road arteries in the Central American country.

In some cases, it was reported that protesters were charging for vaccines for vehicular traffic.

These actions have even delayed the health system; according to the Ministry of Health of Panama, 21,595 medical appointments, of all specialties, in the country have not been attended to.

The protests, uninterrupted since last October 23, included massive demonstrations by young people who criticized, above all, the environmental impact of mining exploitation and the broad concessions on national sovereignty to the company, for which they demanded the repeal of the law that allows said contract.

Let us remember that President Laurentino Cortizo ratified the Law 406 contract between the State and Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals (FQM), which allows the exploitation of the largest open pit copper mine in Central America.