77-year-old Kenneth Darlington, who worked as a lawyer and professor, shot dead two activists in Panama on Tuesday. They protested against a controversial mining project. This is reported by the police, who are talking about a “dispute at a roadblock”.
LOOK. Bystanders film how Kenneth Darlington shoots two activists dead.
“Two people have died, hit by firearms,” 80 kilometers west of the capital Panama City, the police said on X, formerly Twitter. The suspect, a 77-year-old man, was arrested. Manifestors have been protesting for weeks against the extension by forty years of the exploitation contract for the largest copper mine in Central America by the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals (FQM). They are concerned about the impact on the environment and the legality of the contract. On Tuesday they again blocked several streets.
Videos on social media show Darlington opening fire on a protester at a roadblock on the highway connecting Panama to the rest of Central America. As Darlington – who has dual American and Panamanian nationality – disembarked, he reportedly told other passengers that “this would stop today.” The man had previously been convicted for the illegal possession of a firearm.
One of the protesters, Abdiel Diaz, died on the spot. The other protester, Ivan Rodrigruez, died in hospital. They both worked as teachers.
According to local media, Darlington, who was born in the Panamanian province of Colon, was trying to drive back inland after several errands in the town of La Chorrera when he was blocked by the roadblock.
Referendum
President Laurentino Cortizo has tried to calm emotions by proposing a referendum. However, this was prohibited by the court. The government then decided that the Supreme Court will have to consider the renewal of the contract, which, according to the government, will yield the state 375 million dollars (approximately 351 million euros) per year. The government also warns that 8,000 direct and 40,000 indirect jobs would disappear if the contract is not renewed.
The giant copper mine, 150 miles from Panama City, generates 4 percent of Panama’s gross domestic product and 75 percent of its export earnings. In 2019, the mine produced around 300,000 tonnes of copper concentrate per year.
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