Indigenous, social, environmentalist organizations from Panama have been mobilizing against different mining and dam megaprojects.

The government of Panama is promoting the “Jail Bill” which aims to criminalize the protests and the social movements of the country. Thousands of workers protested to demand the repeal of the law and were violently repressed.

As a result of this situation the International Solidarity Caravan left Mexico on Wednesday and will arrive to Panama on August 12th, said Eduardo Cuesta, member of the Catalan Association for Peace, the coordinator of the delegation.

People will be able to follow the developments of the caravan in this blog. The caravan will travel through Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and will arrive to Panama where several activities will be carried out.

Meanwhile in Panama, President Martinelli´s administration is being denounced by social organizations for the behavior of public forces in Bocas del Toro province, where there have been several confrontations between workers and the National Police, precisely due to the enforcement of anti-unionist regulations.

The authorities have been demanded to investigate Public Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino, and Labour Minister Alma Cortes.

One of the complaints was filed by the Indigenous Affairs Secretariat from the PRD party due to alleged Human Rights violations.

The protests in the city of Changuinola resulted in two dead people and over a hundred injured people, who were hurt, many of them in the eyes, by the use of pellets by the National Police.

However, information provided by independent agencies claims that between six and eight people have been murdered during the confrontations.

Photo: www.kaosenlared.net