Panama miners on strike!
The company stated in a statement to Reuters on Friday that a vessel providing supplies to the Canadian mining company First Quantum's subsidiary in Panama cannot dock because local vessels have blocked access to the critical port.
In recent weeks, protests have escalated over the large copper mine contract signed between the company and its local subsidiary Minera Panama.
The company stated that due to the protests, the problematic ship had been in Panama waters for several days but could not reach Punta Rincon port. However, on Thursday, the captain was forced to call the authorities because the ship needed to make an emergency stop.
The company stated that "illegal activities carried out by small vessels at Punta Rincon port have affected the transportation of materials required by Minera Panama, including those required for power generation
The company stated that "the ship fully complies with all international safety regulations and its crew is safe
Panamanian National Air Navy Service (Anson) has confirmed that this ship is the CSL Taranto coal carrier
Anson said that on Thursday, the ship attempted to make an emergency stop, but the captain gave up the attempt to avoid the accident but did not provide details of the emergency situation.
Earlier this week, First Quantum reported that the protests blocking the port had reduced the ore processing volume at its Cobre Panama mine, which was the first sign that the mine's production was at risk.
On Thursday, the Panama Miners' Union stated that some workers were unable to work due to protests, and the union has reached an agreement with the company to ensure workers' wages.
The protest began on October 20th when the Panamanian government and First Quantum signed a new contract for Cobre Panama, which contributes 1% to global copper production and 5% to Panama's gross domestic product.
The protesters stated that the new terms were too generous to quantify for the first time and accused them of corrupt behavior during the approval process. The company has denied these allegations.
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