The Ministry of Environment of Panama (Miambiente) ordered the immediate paralysis of a construction project in the Marbella sector, Bella Vista district, after detecting an illegal discharge of contaminated waters that directly affected the Matasnillo River. This action came after a citizen complaint was addressed by Miambiente through its technical team. It is a construction project located on Los Jades Street, in Marbella, where the existence of a clandestine connection to the storm drain system was confirmed, which was discharging sediments and solid waste into the tributary. A video was spread on social media showing how a large amount of water with sediments, similar to a concrete mixture, was flowing directly from a pipe into the Matasnillo River. During the inspection, Miambiente officials also identified bad practices in waste management and the use of inadequate containment structures, which aggravated the environmental impact in the area. In light of these findings, Miambiente applied a series of mandatory corrective measures: total paralysis of construction activities, cleaning of the affected riverbed, plugging of the illegal connection, and removal and proper disposal of the contaminating materials. The entity informed that the responsible parties were summoned for April 15, 2026, at the headquarters of the Metropolitan Regional, where they will be notified of the beginning of an administrative sanctioning process.
