environment

Official discusses mining

LA PRENSA /Carlos Lemos

banned:Carlos Manuel Rodríguez explains his mining moratorium.975821

Mining opponents called for a moratorium on the activity last week at a forum last week organized by the Centro de Incidencia Ambiental and the Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza.

And they received some expert advice from former Costa Rican Ministro de Ambiente, Energía, Minería y Agua Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, who pushed through a moratorium in that country when he was in office.

"Our country did not have the expertise to evaluate the environmental impacts of mining," Rodríguez said, explaining why the ban was approved.

The former official said Costa Rica has benefited much more from tourism than it would have from mining projects, which would have left substantial environmental damage.

Opponents of mining projects are hoping that the Panamanian government follows the example set by Costa Rica. The country has numerous pending mining projects which are awaiting approval.