Buoyed by forcing the closure of a vast copper mine, a new generation of eco-conscious candidates are taking on the ‘shameful and corrupt’ status quo in May’s general elections
In October, seven months before Panama’s general election, thousands of young environmentalists marched through the streets of Panama City demanding the closure of an open-pit copper mine, one of the largest in the Americas. They chanted “Panama’s gold is green” and “PRD trash” – a reference to the governing Partido Revolucionario Democrático (Democratic Revolutionary party), which has long dominated politics in the country.
Soon, they were joined by others from across Panamanian society: Indigenous people, workers, students and Instagram influencers.
