The Ngöbe people living along the Changuinola River in Panama have been facing the destruction of their villages, farms, food supply, access to clean water, and way of life as a result of the government of Panama’s decision to build a hydroelectric dam on their river.  The government contracted with AES-Changuinola, a subsidiary of the Virginia-based energy giant AES Corp., to not only build the dam but also to manage the relocation of the Ngobe people whose homelands will be flooded.

Cultural Survival Executive Director Ellen Lutz was in Washington November 2 for a hearing at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights regarding Panama's violation of the rights of Ngobe people by constructing a dam on their territory. The hearing was held at the request of Panama, which apparently hoped to justify its support of the dam project.