Panama's President José Raúl Mulino stated that unemployment in the country is heavily impacted by the closure of the mine, which accounted for 5% of the Gross Domestic Product. He recalled that no administration can 'create jobs by decree' and that populist programs only generate temporary illusions. Mulino explained that the true recovery of employment will come hand in hand with private investments driven by the execution of the general budget and public works such as roads, water projects, infrastructure, logistics, health, and education. 'Talking about employment is easy, governing with responsibility is the difficult part,' he expressed. He pointed out that the government is conducting a responsible analysis of the mine's future and a decision is expected during the first quarter of next year. He assured that there will be no improvised announcements and that the priority is the country's economic stability.
