Panama City, October 13, 2025. The Environmental Advocacy Center (CIAM) rejects the smear campaign against our organization by actors who support the reopening of the mining project and reaffirms its commitment to defending truth, public participation, and sustainable development. 

For 18 years, CIAM has worked tirelessly and transparently to protect the human right to a healthy environment, employing legal actions, public advocacy, and promoting citizen participation. Since its founding, CIAM has provided free legal assistance to individuals and communities in the defense of the ecosystems on which their livelihoods depend, as well as promoting public policies and reforms to strengthen the country's environmental management. Our comprehensive and ongoing work has earned us the credibility and support of the public and various international partners. 

Among our most significant contributions are: the first declaration of nullity of an illegally approved Environmental Impact Study; the declaration of unconstitutionality of the 1997 mining concession contract; the defense of the legality of the Panama Bay Protected Area; the creation of the Boná Island Protected Area; the establishment of a precedent requiring public consultation for environmental decisions; support for the negotiation and adoption of the Escazú Agreement; the drafting of the law for the protection of coral reefs; and the approval of the mining moratorium law, among a long list of other achievements. 

These advances have been possible thanks to the support of donors like the Packard Foundation, whose Oceans and Shorebirds Program supports the hard work of our staff and the implementation of the awareness, conservation, and advocacy activities for wetlands and marine-coastal ecosystems agreed upon with our donor.

Funding from a prestigious international foundation to promote the protection of ecosystems vital to migratory birds is a recognition of our organization's performance and the global relevance of our ecosystems. Through great effort, various civil society organizations in Panama continue to secure the support of international donors, allowing them to maintain their objectivity and independence. Under no circumstances does our organization engage in political proselytizing or pay activists to demonstrate. 

This campaign to discredit the integrity and legitimacy of our work, using a text without responsible signatures, disinformation, and false claims, is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a broader scheme aimed at silencing those who report irregularities and demand accountability from companies and institutions. These attempts at intimidation have intensified particularly on social media and have penetrated the media, but also through baseless legal actions. 

We call on the authorities, on behalf of the State, to fulfill the obligations of the Escazú Agreement to guarantee a safe and enabling environment for human rights defenders in environmental matters. We once again reiterate to the national government its commitment to develop and implement a metal-mining-free development strategy nationwide, particularly in the districts of Donoso, Omar Torrijos, and La Pintada. We also reiterate our call for compliance with the 2023 Supreme Court ruling on the mining contract, the promise of a truly comprehensive audit of the project, and the protection of the human rights of the most affected communities. 

To the general public, we reiterate our gratitude and commitment to continue carrying out our work in defense of ecosystems, biodiversity, and the right to a healthy environment.