News from the whining class: Panama's Chamber of Commerce (CCIAP) is afraid that banks and other investors will no longer finance their shenanigans, reports La Prensa, because the government has suspended the Barro Blanco project.
Legal security! That's what they are worried about. They never worried about that when their guy, one Ricardo Martinelli, went around grabbing land, rigging bids, stealing left and right, and listening in on everybody's phone calls. You did not hear these wacko entrepreneurs about killing and maiming people who did not agree with their plans.
To anyone with half a brain, on the other hand, this suspension was of course good news. A clear signal that you can no longer come to Panama, violate each and every environmental law and do whatever you want while trampling the rights of the indigenous population.
But these so-called "entrepreneurs" see that differently, according to CCIAP president José Luis Ford:
"Debemos tener mucha cautela con las señales que se le den a las inversionistas actuales y a la banca que financia estas inversiones. Señales equivocadas hoy día pueden afectar el apetito de futuros inversionistas en el país y de la banca que financia el sector de energía”
Yeah, right. I guess the real story is that the depraved entrepreneurial class in Panama will have to be much more careful what kind of projects it promotes, what kind of hustlers it allows to operate here and maybe it's about time to get off the bandwagon of unbridled extractivism.
I’m always curious how these people raise money in the first place. It’s not easy even for people with decent reputations.
Here we have an over abundance of certain last names that launder money so what better to way than to “invest”.
The violation of each and every environmental law etc is happening all over Panama not just dams and mines but housing and resort projects etc such as in the Azuero, Bocas etc.
The local ANAM offices are full of inept and corrupt officials that see all this as an opportunity to make some extra money.
“Panama where the Numbers never add up”
Of course they complain and will continue to do so for they value more they money than the lives of the indians. We would like to have another sort of investors, the ones that respect our people and our laws !