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Panama has prohibited visits to Cobre Panama Copper Mine

Panama has prohibited visits to Cobre Panama Copper Mine

The Panama Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced in a Tuesday statement that the mine has been closed by First Quantum.

The ministry stated that "any entry by third parties into those facilities was managed unilaterally and without participation or endorsement from the National Government"

Minister Julio Molto shared the statement on X and said that Panama is "in process of contracting a thorough audit which aims to objectively and technically evaluate the current status of operations and the impact they have on the environment."

First Quantum, the company that owns the Cobre Panama mine, announced on Monday it would be visiting the site to see the tour. The site has been closed since 2023 due to an environmental dispute.

The Panamanian government is concerned that the visits of public officials may influence the impartiality of any analyses of the Cobre site, and the current supplies of copper concentrator there.

The mine, which accounted for 1% global copper production, was one of the top copper sources in the world before its closure.

(source: Reuters)