The Protests in Panama: What is Really Happening?
Last Updated on October 7, 2026 by Retire in Panama
Q & A Replay is at the Bottom of this Page
On Monday, November 20th, Oscar, Megan, & Rod hosted a Retire in Panama LIVE Q & A to discuss the current protest situation in Panama and our take on it.
Protests in Panama over a newly government-signed copper mining contract started in late October and have continued ever since. Sporadic protests block roads in Panama City areas east of Santiago (in the county’s center), making it very difficult for travelers.
West of Santiago to the City of David, the only highway has been closed by protestors for four weeks. Nothing is getting through. This has created a fuel and propane shortage in western Panama and a vegetable/produce shortage in eastern Panama.
Many mainstream media, especially Social Media, are often wrong, exaggerated, or misleading. They use Clickbait’s exaggerated headlines to get you to their website, news articles, or YouTube videos, as that is how they get paid. And, of course, conspiracy theories blossom in these times.
Listen to Oscar, Megan, & Rod, talk rationally about the situation, and give some solid advice.
A Quick Review of the Q & A
Click on the Bolded Phrases to go directly to that part of the video. The Complete Q & A Replay is at the bottom of this page.
After introductions, we look at a map of Panama and roadblocks throughout the country and discuss what type of traveler should come to Panama now and what type should come now.
We then discussed the Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the Mining Law, Law 406, which is the root of the protests. The protesters want it found Unconstitutional.
On Friday, November 24th, there are two constitutional challenges before the Supreme Court. In the past, the opinion was that the Supreme Court could take weeks to come up with a decision, but because of what is going on throughout the country, the Court decided just last week to home a “Permanent Session” of the Supreme Court.
What does it mean that the Court has declared in permanent session? This means the decision could come much faster than anticipated, as this is the only issue to discuss, and they will work through the weekend.
After discussing the Supreme Court, we move on to discuss the economy of Panama, its 10-year solid growth patterns, and low inflation. And we discuss what would happen to Panama if the Mine is shut down and panama loses the income it generates from it. There is a lot of “misinformation, or more of how the information is interpreted or presented.
You have probably heard that the Mine is up to 4% of Panama’s GDP. Well, this is true, but of the 3.2 billion in revenue the Mine generated in 2022, Panama only received 62 million in taxes and royalties. A much smaller amount than 4% of Panama’s yearly budget.
Can Panama handle a 4% reduction in GDP for 2024? Watch the video to see the charts on Panama’s ten-year GDP, which has been one of the strongest in the region.
Next, we interview expats living in Boquete, Nueva Gorgona, and Bocas del Toro to see their lives in Panama during these protests.
Next, we move into the Q&A portion of the event.
We suggest you get information on Panama and the situation here from reliable sources. And most important, do not get sucked down the rabbit hole of social media, reading “unconfirmed” reports, “bochinche” (rumors), and “my brother-in-law’s gardener says this is going to happen”. Stick to accurate news sources, even in Spanish; learn to use Google Translate.
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