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| marcha. underway. En las protestas de ayer participaron delegaciones de Mironó, Muná, Besikó, Nole Duima, y personas del oriente de la provincia de Chiriquí. In yesterday’s protest attended by delegations from Mironó, Muna, Besik, Nole Duima, and people of eastern province of Chiriqui. ESPECIAL PARA LA PRENSA/Flor Bocharel 1507863 SPECIAL TO THE PRESS / Flor Bocharel 1507863 |
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(prensa.com) Some 2, 500 indigenous and environmental movements, some members marched yesterday to the American way, at the intersection of San Felix and the bridge over the river Viguier, to protest against mining projects and reforms to the Code of Mineral Resources.
The Indians had gone home early to participate in the protests. Some came down from the mountains on foot, ATVs and other horseback, to concentrate on the playground of San Felix and bridge Viguier.
At about 2:30 pm, the Indians who walked into the American way were attacked by members of the Crowd Control Unit of the National Police. They threw pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets.
The demonstration, which began with a march from a distance of more than a mile away, ended with the arrest of 19 people, 11 people attended at the hospital of San Felix.
The fighting lasted an hour. The National Police had orders to reopen to vehicles in the American way. However, the protesters, sounding shells and had their faces painted, were carrying banners that called him a “resounding no to the approval of the Mining Code, which is second in the National Assembly debate.
AFFECTED BY GAS
“Just to speak out against mining, I have shot these bullets in the leg, we are a peaceful (…) did not hurt anyone and pulled me forward,” reported Julio Santiago, visibly affected by Struck by three rubber bullets in the leg.
But Aquilino Arena, a resident of Tabasará, resulted in facial injuries when a tear gas canister hit him.
At the hospital in San Felix, doctors attended a n + ina 9 years and less than 17 years affected by tear gas, three people were treated for shock by rubber bullets, and six from the effects of pepper spray.
The police chief in the area of Chiriqui, David Ramos Villa, said the 19 detainees, including one woman, were taken to police headquarters in San Félix and San Lorenzo, then released as indigenous leaders agreed to withdraw from the track.
“They tried to close an international route, which could not afford it, [so] we use rubber bullets and gas to open it,” Ramos said Villa.
PROTESTS CONTINUE
Rogelio Montezuma, a spokesman for the Indians, said the demonstrations will continue throughout the region Ngäbe Bugle. He explained that in yesterday’s protest attended by delegations from Mironó, Muna, Besik, Nole Duima and people of eastern province of Chiriqui.
SHOCK IN THE ASSEMBLY
Tension gripped the National Assembly in the afternoon. From 4:10 pm, party leaders in Popular Alternative training, academics, environmentalists and indigenous people protested outside the Palacio Justo Arosemena.
When they tried to enter the full, to witness the discussion of the project, security closed the doors locked. It was not until two hours later they could enter. Once admitted, there was an incident due to the shouts of slogans: “those are the ones sell the nation.”
The Assembly President, José Muñoz, warned that if not calmed expelled. Following mediation between Muñoz and leaders, the tension down.
(With information from Flor Bocharel, Teófilo González and Isidro Rodriguez)