Panamanian Peasants Protest Against Rio Indio Dam Project

The Peasant Coordinator for Life against Dams has issued a statement outlining their position on the multipurpose reservoir project. The statement explains that peasant communities in the Rio Indio basin wish to communicate to the country their struggle to defend their lands, the Rio Indio water corridor, and the true benefits of their resistance. The organization asserts that the decision of the peasants is to resist and fight peacefully to the end, with God at the center of their commitment. The text emphasizes that Panama's water crisis is not due to a lack of water but poor water resource management, with no real plan to ensure water for all and for the future. According to the peasants, there is a conflict of interest, which prevents the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from participating in the proposed forum as a neutral and independent entity. They propose to continue searching for a truly independent and neutral organization to study viable water alternatives. The statement also claims that in addition to the alleged water crisis, there is a growing salinity crisis in Gatun Lake, caused by the failure of the 2006-designed reuse systems. They believe the Rio Indio reservoir would be an insufficient short-term solution, leading to the future damming of the Caño Sucio and Coclé del Norte rivers. The statement concludes by saying the peasant voice has been silenced by traditional media and that the poor in this country have no voice.