The survey, commissioned by ARCA Media en Direct and conducted by research firm DOXA, involved 1,600 face-to-face interviews nationwide and included 400 participants from communities near the mine.
The results of the survey come at a time when Panama is grappling with the economic and social ramifications of the mine’s closure ordered by then-President Laurentino Cortizo after the Supreme Court ruled the mine contract unconstitutional.
The shutdown of Cobre Panama marked a turning point for a mine that once contributed nearly 5% of Panama’s GDP and accounted for 75% of its exports.
Nationally, 44% of respondents believe the mine should remain closed indefinitely. A 27% of participants support reopening it under strict government supervision, while 23% advocate for reopening the mine just to enable its orderly closure.
In mining-adjacent communities, resistance…
