Panama: Stop Human Rights and Environmental Abuses

Latest VICTORY! March 8, 2011. More Action Needed.

VICTORY! November 1, 2010. More Action Needed.

Indigenous Peoples, environmental groups, and labor organizations in Panama are outraged over new laws that undermine human rights and erode environmental protections. When thousands of protesters took to the streets in early July, the police responded with unprecedented violence, killing at least two protesters, blinding dozens with lead birdshot, and injuring and arresting hundreds more. Indigenous leaders say more people were killed, but the government has not released complete information to human rights investigators.

To quiet the protests, government officials hurriedly set up a 90-day negotiation period, but they excluded many sectors of the population from the negotiating process (notably the Indigenous Peoples and environmental organizations). Ignored by their own government, these organizations are now asking global citizens and agencies to persuade Panama to comply with internationally recognized human rights and environmental standards. Please answer this call by writing a letter today.  Learn More.

CAMPAIGN UPDATES

"The Ngobe community thanks Global Reponse/Cultural Survival very much for your support and solidarity in the successful campaign to revoke Law # 30 which caused so much pain and suffering to our families in Bocas del Toro. This is a cause for celebration!  But at the same time the government is imposing executive decree # 537 which modifies the charter of our Ngobe-Bugle territory. Based on this decree, they organized elections this past October 24 that the Ngobe and Bugle peoples soundly rejected. So we are asking you to keep writing letters to President Ricardo Martinelli, urging him to revoke executive decree #537 and to recognize our people's right to free, prior, and informed consent for any project that would affect our lives and lands. We deeply appreciate your solidarity."

--Feliciano Santos Santos,Movement for the Defense of the Territories and Ecosystems of Bocas del Toro, Panama (MODETEB)

HOW YOU CAN HELP

--Background Information
--Model Letter
--Write Your Own Letter 
--Send an Email
--Youth Action Alert
--Alerta en Espanol
--Make a Donation

 CAMPAIGN UPDATES

 
This Global Response Action Alert was issued at the request of and with information provided by affected Ngobe Indigenous communities in Panama.