Despite protests, Panama liberalizes mining law

[Joanne98]

Source: AFP

PANAMA CITY — Lawmakers in Panama approved legislation to attract foreign investment to its mining industry, despite opposition from students and indigenous groups.

President Ricardo Martinelli and his supporters in the national assembly argue that mining could be Panama's second largest source of income after fees from the trans-oceanic canal. It becomes law with Martinelli's signature.

The government recently opened for tenders a copper deposit in Cerro Colorado, in Ngobe-Bugle Indian territory.

Experts believe there are 17 million tons of copper at the site, equivalent to three years of copper production in Chile, the world's largest copper producer.



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gRVIS3-6yxzMhkoX7n15j_CZnHUg?docId=CNG.039de65830a1d2b34945a51a1be539c3.341

[M155Y_A1CH]

1. Since when did abetting big corporations...

in the taking of natural resources become equivalent to liberalization?

If students and Native Americans are opposed to it, it can not be liberal in any sense.
:hi: