Banning the exploitation of resources would affect development

Moving towards an economic matrix that includes the exploitation of the country’s natural resources would be very difficult in the scenario of rejecting citizens, the president said. National Council of Private Enterprise (Conep), Rubén Castillo.

For a businessman, an environment where rationality prevails, far from emotions and passions, is crucial.

Castillo’s statements were framed by the movement’s approach that “Panama is worth more without mining” and that this type of position would permanently disable the exploitation of mineral resources.

“Panama is a country that has important resources, for example deposits copper, fundamental for energy transformation. If there is oil, which has been said, we would have a structure that would allow us to develop socially in matters of health, education and so on. However, there is a reality that could be defined as social freedom,” Castillo told the state channel.

Social license refers to the consent of citizens on this issuewhich should not be ignored.

The executive authority believes that in a peaceful environment it would be possible to explain to the population that there are technologies for mitigating the environmental impact, show the experiences of other countries and present a development plan that allows these resources to influence the life of society.

“We should focus on the development of the country, think about its destiny, without prejudice,” he added.

The Panamanian Chamber of Mines, for its part, warned that the activity has been demonized.

“No one has presented evidence that mining pollutes” Zorel Morales, CEO of Camipo, pointed out this week.

Morales also asked not to get carried away by passions, by the fact that someone said something or a feeling, without resorting to facts.

The president of Camip warned that in the scenario of unconstitutionality, it would be best for the parties to sit down, negotiate or change the contract and for the process to continue.