Q- Panama’s Supreme Court on Oct. 15 rejected for the second time a lawsuit challenging a 2023 moratorium on metallic mining, constraining the administration of President José Raúl Mulino’s legal avenues to reopen the Cobre Panamá mine. Economy and Finance Minister Felipe Chapman has stipulated that any agreement to reopen the mine must state clearly that Panama is the legal owner of the land and resources and has reallocated funds toward social spending in the revised 2026 budget. What options does the Mulino administration have left to legally reopen the mine after the court’s latest ruling? What are the risks of reigniting protests or political backlash if the mine is ultimately reopened? Could potential efforts to link mining revenue to social spending help shift public opinion? ...
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