By Arellys Marquínez

The National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (Antai) recommended to the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) to make adjustments regarding “open government” and “social oversight” to provide the population with transparent, timely, and understandable information about the process of the closure plan of the copper mine in Donoso, operated by Minera Panama company.

The series of recommendations took place during a meeting held on the afternoon of Monday, April 1st, attended by Minister Jorge Rivera Staff, Antai’s Director General, Elsa Fernández Aguilar, along with her team, to present progress on the Action Plan for the orderly and definitive closure of the copper mine, which includes mechanisms to improve public access to information.

According to Rivera Staff’s previous interview with TVN Noticias, this week a new visit to the mine will be made with more than 10 institutions to validate a series of corrections requested from Minera Panama in the safe management plan.

Although the executives of First Quantum Minerals have openly expressed their interest in negotiating with the new government to reopen the mine, Rivera Staff assured that the steps to continue with the closure of the mine ordered on November 28, 2023, through the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice, are being maintained.

The head of MICI stated that currently, there are no commercialization, storage, extraction, or sale activities of mineral materials from the Donoso mine, but maintenance activities are being carried out to prevent any environmental accidents, such as chemical leaks or other situations, in different areas of the mine.

Reference