Panama is holding elections this week for president, vice president and all 71 seats in its national assembly. With questions looming about climate change, water shortages, waste disposal and mining closures, there’s a lot at stake for the future of the country’s environment. When it comes to the presidential race, several candidates are still competitive. Whoever wins will take over after the tumultuous five-year term of current President Laurentino Cortizo, who has been extremely unpopular, with less than a 30% approval rating. He isn’t eligible for reelection this time around because presidents must wait two terms before running again. Candidates on the ballot range from life-long politicians and businessmen to outsiders and last-minute replacements. They all have to address voters’ impatience with corruption, socioeconomic disparities and environmental crises. The combination of problems led to nationwide protests in 2022 and 2023 that overwhelmed the capital and blocked major transit routes for weeks. The country’s largest copper mine, Cobre Panama, operated by a subsidiary of the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals (FQM), was at the center of the most recent protests. It was forced to shut down after the Supreme Court ruled that its contract was unconstitutional. But the mine is still undergoing the slow process of closing, and candidates have different ideas about how to make up for the economic loss. They’ll feel mounting pressure entering office, as credit agencies downgrade Panama because of the closure, making the country less attractive for investment. Protests against the copper mine in Panama. (Photo…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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