Cobre Panamá Aims to Rebuild Trust After Operations Halt

Cobre Panamá stated that before ceasing operations, it failed to explain to the people of Panama what the Cobre Panamá project was, how the operations were conducted, and who the miners behind it were. Therefore, the company wants to listen to them, answer their questions, and provide up-to-date information on what is currently happening at the mine. The cessation of the mining project has caused a decline in the quality of life for those who worked in the industry and saw it as an opportunity to aspire to a better economic and professional future. Aram Acosta, operations coordinator at Cobre Panamá, laments that his colleagues, at this time, do not have the purchasing power necessary to survive and are in a state of uncertainty awaiting answers from the authorities. Gálvez assured that they are willing to answer all the public's questions regarding the mining operation before and after its suspension; therefore, they have implemented the 'Cobre Conecta' program, whose objective is to participate in various festivals, fairs, and activities at the national level to have face-to-face dialogues with Panamanians. The mining operations coordinator hopes that the processing of the already extracted rock material will soon be authorized to contribute to the reintegration of more people into the workforce; it is estimated that these operations will involve the hiring of approximately 700 new employees. Since the 'Cobre Conecta' program began, more than 150,000 Panamanians have visited its booths seeking information on responsible mining, employment opportunities, university internships, and environmental care. He mentioned that the lives of the more than 40,000 people who became unemployed after the suspension of operations have changed 'a lot' because, like the rest of the Panamanians, they aspired to have job stability and a good salary, benefits that the mining company provided and which they have not been able to regain due to the labor crisis the country is facing, causing harm to their family economy, loss of assets, and obstacles in their search for their first home. 'All the advantages that the mining industry employee had were affected, causing the loss of assets and income; it has been a direct impact on the personal economy,' he emphasized. 'This project gave us a permanent job, good pay, and opened doors for us in the country's economic landscape,' he stated. In this regard, Maru Gálvez, public relations manager for Cobre Panamá, detailed that the residents of the communities adjacent to the project (Donoso, La Pintada, and Omar Torrijos Herrera) will be the main beneficiaries of these hires. She indicated that in 2025 alone, with the approval of the Mine Preservation and Safe Management Plan and the startup of the thermoelectric plant, 524 people were hired, a figure that will increase to 1,224 when the processing of the rock material begins. According to Acosta, the suspension of the copper mine, located in Donoso, Colón province, reduces Panamanians' chances of accessing formal employment and increasing their purchasing power, aggravating the current unemployment crisis. He clarified that this material has been in the storage areas since before the cessation of operations; therefore, its processing does not imply the reactivation of the mine; on the contrary, it aims to eliminate environmental risks and contribute to job creation.