Request to meet about the Barro Blanco project during July 2013 visit to Panama

A coalition of NGOs requests that UN Special Rapporteur James Anaya intervene in the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project in Panama to protect the Ngäbe people from imminent threats to their territories and physical security. The document argues that the project, expected to be completed by May 2014, will flood indigenous lands and cultural sites, and was approved despite failures in environmental impact assessments and stakeholder consultation. It further highlights reports of police violence against protestors and the Panamanian government's failure to fulfill a March 2012 agreement regarding an expert assessment of the project's controversies.

• The Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam on the Tabasará River is projected to cause the forced relocation of indigenous families and flood homes, schools, and religious, archaeological, historical, and cultural sites within the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca.
• The project's environmental impact assessment (EIA), approved by the Autoridad Nacional del Ambiente (ANAM) in May 2008, is alleged to have violated national and international standards and failed to adequately include the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca or consult affected communities.
• Despite claims that the project failed to meet requirements for public participation, impact assessment, and sustainable development, the Barro Blanco project was registered under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in June 2011.
• There are reports of serious security threats and violence against the Ngäbe, including a March 19, 2013 incident where police used rubber bullets and tear gas against protestors in Vigui, followed by the murder of a Ngäbe man three days later.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2013). Request to meet about the Barro Blanco project during July 2013 visit to Panama. https://ciel.org/Publications/BarroBlanco_Anaya_14Jun2013.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Request to meet about the Barro Blanco project during July 2013 visit to Panama. 2013. https://ciel.org/Publications/BarroBlanco_Anaya_14Jun2013.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Request to meet about the Barro Blanco project during July 2013 visit to Panama |date=14 June 2013 |url=https://ciel.org/Publications/BarroBlanco_Anaya_14Jun2013.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2013request, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Request to meet about the Barro Blanco project during July 2013 visit to Panama}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2013}, month = jun, url = {https://ciel.org/Publications/BarroBlanco_Anaya_14Jun2013.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }