Hundreds of Panamanians protest canal reservoir plans

PANAMA CITY — Around 300 people staged a protest in Panama City on Monday to oppose the construction of a new reservoir for the Panama Canal, which will require the resettlement of several communities.

The Panama Canal Authority plans to build a reservoir on the Indio River, west of the canal route, to maintain a guaranteed water supply and prevent any drought risks from affecting its operation. The canal currently operates using water stored in artificial lakes.

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The project will affect some 2,000 people living in the area, with resettlements expected to begin next year.

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“They won’t get us out, whether we’re alive or dead,” protest leader Maricel Sanchez said during the demonstration in front of the Supreme Court, where she read a statement from the affected communities.

The first resettlement is slated for the town of El Limon de Chagres, where preliminary work for the reservoir is expected to begin. Community cemeteries will also have to close for the work to take place.

Tristan Santander, an attorney, told AFP that a motion had been filed in court to nullify the government order authorizing the exhuming and transferring of bodies. /dl