Panama Port Blockade Blockages First Quantum Mine Supply

Panama Port Blockade Blockages First Quantum Mine Supply

On November 17th, foreign media reported that Canadian mining company First Quantum, in a statement sent to Reuters on Friday, stated that a ship carrying supplies for its Panamanian subsidiary could not dock due to local ships blocking access to key ports in Panama.

In recent weeks, protests against a large copper mine contract operated by Rio Tinto's local subsidiary Minera Panama in Panama have escalated.

The company stated that due to the protests, the ship stayed in Panamanian waters for several days and was unable to reach Punta Rincon port. However, on Thursday, the captain was forced to call the authorities because the ship urgently needed to stop.

The illegal behavior of small vessels at the port of Pontalinkon has affected the transportation of materials required by the Panamanian mining company, including power generation, "the company said

The company stated, "This ship fully complies with all international safety regulations and the crew is safe

The Panama National Navigation Authority (Senan) has confirmed that this ship is the "CSL taranttau" carrying coal.

Senan 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 protests blocking the port had reduced ore processing at its Cobre Panama mine, which was the first sign that the mine's production was at risk.

On Thursday, the Panamanian mining company union announced that it had reached an agreement with the company to ensure workers' wages, as protests prevented some workers from reaching their jobs.

On October 20th, the Panamanian government and First Quantum signed a new contract for Cobre Panama. Cobre accounts for 1% of global copper production and 5% of Panama's gross domestic product (GDP).

The protesters stated that the new terms were too generous towards First Quantum Company and accused it of corrupt behavior during its approval process. The company has denied these allegations