The Ministry of Environment (MiAMBIENTE) in Panama collected the full amount of a fine imposed in 2014 on Campos de Pesé, S.A., located in the province of Herrera, for contamination of the La Villa river with vinasse.
Background and legal process The original sanction was established through Resolution AG-0688-2014 of October 3, 2014, which set an amount of B/. 608,930.44 after confirming the environmental impact. The updated amount, which rose to B/. 669,823.48, became effective on February 11 of this year. The process allowed the entire debt to be collected in just two months after it was filed in court, strengthening the institution's capacity to ensure compliance with current regulations.
Finally, the Ministry of Environment urged all companies with pending obligations to the institution to regularize their situation voluntarily.
MiAMBIENTE executes coercive collection against company for environmental damage in Herrera The Ministry of Environment (MiAMBIENTE) completed the collection of a fine exceeding 669 thousand balboas imposed on the company Campos de Pesé, S.A. for the contamination of the La Villa river.
Upon receiving the case, a payment order was issued, and relevant legal measures were activated to guarantee the fulfillment of the obligation.
Execution of coercive measures As part of the execution actions, the institution sent letters to banking entities and government bodies, including the Transit and Land Transport Authority (ATTT). These legal pressure measures resulted in the seizure of 69 vehicles owned by the company and the freezing of a bank account. These legal pressure measures allowed the company to settle the entire debt.
Strengthening environmental authority With this result, MiAMBIENTE, through its Executive Court, managed to collect a sanction that had been pending for over ten years. Although the company filed various appeals with judicial instances to reverse the measure, the sanction remained unchanged; however, the payment had not been made until now.
In December 2025, the Regional Directorate of MiAMBIENTE referred the file to the Executive Court to initiate the coercive collection process. The objective is to avoid the application of coercive execution measures that may lead to additional restrictive actions in accordance with the law.
