The conflict surrounding the Puerto Barú port project in the province of Chiriquí has ​​taken a new turn. The legal pressure against environmental organizations that oppose the project is no longer just a local issue; the situation has now begun to attract the attention of the international press.

A recent report by Mongabay, one of the world’s leading environmental journalism outlets, exposes how Panamanian organizations are facing lawsuits, bank account seizures and property confiscations while defending the mangroves of David and the ecosystem of the Gulf of Chiriquí.

More than an environmental conflict, the case begins to reveal a deeper question: What happens when defending nature becomes a legal risk?

Lawsuits that seek to render organizations inoperative

The environmental organizations Adopta Bosque and CIAM (Centro de Incidencia Ambiental) have been the target of legal action related to the conflict over the port project. These actions include lawsuits that have resulted in the seizure of bank accounts and assets.

For organizations that work primarily with conservation projects, environmental education, and nature reserve management, these measures can directly affect their ability to operate.

Guido Berguido, director of Adopta Bosque, explained to the international media outlet Mongabay:

“We are struggling to operate because we will soon be unable to pay our employees. They are using the law to render us inoperative.”

The concern is not only economic; it also raises a scenario in which judicial pressure can become a way to silence environmental advocacy.

Seizure of private nature reserves

Among the measures taken, four properties belonging to Adopta Bosque were seized as part of the legal process. These properties correspond to private nature reserves located in the provinces of Chiriquí and Darién, areas dedicated to biodiversity conservation.

Private reserves play an important role in Panama and throughout Latin America; many of them protect key ecosystems, biological corridors, and habitats for threatened species.

The confiscation of these types of spaces is generating concern among environmental organizations and conservation experts, becauseIt can directly affect areas that have been protected by civil society initiatives for years..

Account freezes and difficulties in continuing projects

The impact of the legal measures has also reached Centro de Incidencia Ambiental (CIAM), an organization that has worked for years on strategic environmental litigation and the defense of environmental rights in Panama, has had its own projects. According to the media outlet, CIAM has had its own projects.frozen bank accounts, which hinders the daily functioning of the organization.

This affects project implementation, the funding of conservation initiatives, and the technical and legal work they carry out. For Joana Abrego, CIAM’s legal manager, the situation is worrying because of the precedent it could set.

“It is a very worrying precedent that the judicial system is being used in this way against actions defending the environment.”

Silencing voices in the name of progress is an attack on democracy

The conflict over Puerto Barú began as a debate about the environmental impact of a port project whose construction could affect the David Mangroves, which represent 25% of Panama’s mangroves, one of the country’s most important coastal ecosystems.

Environmental organizations have raised technical and legal challenges to the project, including observations on the Environmental Impact Study and actions before the Supreme Court. These types of actions are part of the legal mechanisms available in a democracy. Participate in decisions that affect the territory and ecosystems.

However, when these actions result in measures that affect the operation of environmental organizations, the discussion takes on another dimension.

Environmental protection as a right

In many countries, environmental protection has become an increasingly complex task. Organizations, scientists, and communities involved in environmental debates often face political, economic, or legal pressures.

That’s why cases like Puerto Barú have begun to attract the attention of the international community. It’s not just a port project; it’s aboutto ensure that citizen participation and environmental defense can be exercised without fear of reprisals.

Today, the Puerto Barú case reminds us of something fundamental:
Protecting the environment shouldn’t be a risky act.
It is a right, and that right must be able to be exercised without intimidation.
WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFEND