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Planned water reserve intended to ease shortages in the Panama Canal fuels river protest
- On May 16, 2025, around 200 people, mostly farmers, protested on dozens of boats along the Indio River in Panama against a planned canal reservoir.
- The protest followed plans by the Panama Canal Authority to build a $1.6 billion reservoir using the Indio River to address severe 2023 water shortages affecting canal operations and Panama City water supply.
- The reservoir would take four years to complete, provide water for over two million people, increase daily ship crossings by 12 to 13, and support new water treatment facilities, but would displace about 2,000 residents through flooding.
- Protesters demanded consultation and permission from affected communities, while officials dismissed alternative ideas due to cost, legal, and logistical challenges, noting another project would displace 200,000 people; former Canal administrator Jorge Luis Quijano stressed water storage necessity.
- The protest highlights community opposition to the reservoir and suggests that balancing canal efficiency and local impacts requires ongoing dialogue and resettlement planning with stakeholders.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Associated Press News
Planned water reserve intended to ease shortages in the Panama Canal fuels river protest
Dozens of boats carrying around 200 people traveled along the country’s central Indio River on Friday in protest against a planned reservoir in the Panama Canal intended to solve water shortages in the waterway that have threatened international trade flow.
A Protest over the River: Peasants in Canoes to Save Their Homes From the New Reservoir of the Panama Canal
In about thirty motor canoes, around 400 peasants sailed along the Indian River in rejection of the construction of a reservoir for the Panama Canal that would force thousands of families to relocate. “We don’t want to get rid of the water from the river, we need that water,” says 48-year-old farmer Ariel Troya. “If the project goes ahead, it takes away the whole future,” he adds.Keep reading...
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