Panama Canal reservoir plan draws about 300 protesters

Around 300 people protested in Panama City on Monday against plans for a new Panama Canal reservoir on the Indio River that would require the resettlement of several communities.

The Panama Canal Authority plans the reservoir west of the canal route to help guarantee water supplies and reduce drought risks to canal operations. The canal currently uses water stored in artificial lakes.

The project is expected to affect about 2,000 people, with resettlements expected to begin next year. The first relocation is slated for El Limon de Chagres, where preliminary reservoir work is expected to begin. Community cemeteries would also have to close for the work.

Protest leader Maricel Sanchez read a statement from affected communities outside the Supreme Court and said: “They won't get us out, whether we're alive or dead.” Attorney Tristan Santander said a court motion had been filed to nullify the government order authorising the exhumation and transfer of bodies.