The country needs clarity, and communities need opportunities; and in the face of current challenges, **doing nothing is not an option**, concludes Juan Arias. Today, the uncertainty facing these areas must be a wake-up call: Panama needs a strategy that promotes sustainable regional growth, diversifies opportunities, and ensures that progress reaches all communities. The country needs decisions based on science and long-term vision, not on current circumstances or pressures. Today, Panama has an opportunity for maturity: to define a development model that combines the generation of decent jobs, competitiveness, and environmental responsibility. The Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture of Panama reiterates the need to achieve optimal levels of sustainable employment while also highlighting the importance of the Minera Panama project in terms of job creation, its impact on the environment, and communities. In his Sunday message, the president of the guild, Juan Arias, points out that next Wednesday, November 12th, the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) will hold the Forum 'Sustainable Employment: Synergy between Mining, the Environment, and Social Development,' a space for technical and constructive dialogue around one of the most transcendent national issues: the future of the Cobre Panama Mine Project and its impact on employment, the environment, and communities. He states that the discussion on this topic has been, and continues to be, complex. Juan Arias said that this Wednesday's forum will bring together experts from **Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Peru, and Panama**, who will share their experiences on how their countries have managed to balance mining activity with environmental protection, governance, and the generation of decent jobs. Among the Panamanian speakers, the testimonies from Penonomé and Colón will offer a local perspective on the 'before, during, and after' of the mine, reflecting the realities and challenges of the most directly affected communities. The objective is clear: **to learn, dialogue, and build a national roadmap** that allows for the compatibility of economic growth with social and environmental sustainability. It is not a matter of choosing between development or protection; it is a matter of demonstrating that both can and must coexist. From the CCIAP, we reaffirm that sustainable progress requires **strong institutions, long-term planning, and dialogue among all sectors**. The country faces the challenge of making a responsible decision based on technical evidence that prioritizes environmental sustainability, but also recognizes **employment, social security, and the well-being of communities** as inseparable pillars of development. The **abrupt closure of the project in Donoso** left valuable lessons for the country. Thousands of jobs were lost immediately, affecting families, suppliers, businesses, and communities in Colón, Coclé, and other provinces. However, its complexity cannot justify inaction. It highlighted the urgent need to strengthen the comprehensive development of the regions.
