The Indigenous World 2025: Panama
According to the 2023 census, eight Indigenous Peoples live in Panama: the Ngäbe, Bugle, Gunadule, Embera, Wounaan, Naso Tjër Di, Bribri, and Bokota. In total, there are 698,114 Indigenous inhabitants, representing 17.2% of the country's total population.[1], [2], [3] This demonstrates the multicultural and multilingual nature of Panama. According to the 2023 census,[4] there are 352,292 Indigenous women, representing 50.5% of the total Indigenous population, and 345,822 men, equivalent to 49.5% of the total Indigenous population.
These Indigenous Peoples are represented by the National Coordinating Body of Indigenous Peoples of Panama (COONAPIP), founded on 21 January 1991 with the aim of fighting for the rights of Indigenous Peoples, defending their territories and political advocacy.
In addition, there are national laws that promote the rights and governance of Indigenous Peoples. Among the main ones are the current National Constitution, which establishes several articles relating to the identity and governance of Indigenous Peoples; Law No. 41 of 1998, known as the General Environmental Law; the laws that gave rise to the Comarcas; Law No. 17 of 2016, establishing the protection of traditional medicinal knowledge; Law No. 37 of 2016, governing the right to consultation and Free, Prior and Informed Prior Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous Peoples; and Law No. 301 of 2022, establishing measures for the comprehensive development of Indigenous Peoples. However, these laws are not taken into account when addressing the problems of Indigenous Peoples.
Panama has not yet ratified ILO Convention 169 but did adopt the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2007.[5] It also signed the Declaration on the Decade of Indigenous Languages aimed at strengthening mother tongues, with little effect on Indigenous territories.
This article is part of the 39th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here
The political situation in Panama was quite complex throughout 2024, marked by deep political fragmentation and high national debt. Panama's Indigenous Peoples still continue to face challenges, especially in terms of recognition, land rights and forced evictions.[6]
The Panamanian nation state lacks a comprehensive policy for the development of Indigenous Peoples.[7] The 5 May elections determined the direction of the country, in the midst of a crisis in demand and high levels of informal working and unemployment.[8]
In terms of development, Indigenous Peoples have worked to produce a Comprehensive Development Plan that seeks to improve their living conditions and ensure a more equitable distribution of resources.[9], [10] This plan, being undertaken by the National Council for Indigenous Development, includes strategies for the economic, social and political development of Indigenous communities. The programmes and projects are, nonetheless, implemented by government institutions.
The path to implementing this plan has been a difficult one and has resulted in distrust and a lack of collaboration on the part of the communities. The National Indigenous Peoples Development Plan Project for Panama is supported by the World Bank and other international organizations.
Youth organizations and Indigenous women
Indigenous youth have always been active and eager to learn from the knowledge of their ancestors. Gaining more knowledge on how to deal with the current climate crisis is essential. As a Gunadule leader would say: “It's not our business because we didn't create it. And yet it affects us and we have to face up to it.” In this context, Indigenous youth have become protagonists in fighting the climate crisis and protecting the environment.
Indigenous youth are not shirking from the situation and are taking up their roles in tackling the problem, drawing on their cultural values and ancestral knowledge. In addition, university-educated young people have turned to technology to understand and mitigate the increasingly unpredictable effects of climate change.
Kuna Youth Movement
The Kuna Youth Movement (Movimiento de la Juventud Kuna - MJK) is a Guna youth organization that has been working voluntarily for the rights of youth, territory and life since the 1970s. In 2024, they undertook various activities focused on training youth in issues of national and global importance. MJK participates in the International Indian Treaty Council’s Working Group on Fisheries and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Small-Scale Fisheries Summit (SSF Summit), as well as the Committee on Fisheries (COFI).
Association of Kuna University Students
Endorsed by the University of Panama, the Association of Kuna Students (Associación de Estudiantes Kunas - AEKU) aims to strengthen and promote the culture of the Gunadule people, as well as to guide students in their professional careers. The AEKU currently comprises more than 60 young people from different faculties within the campus, and including young people from other universities, such as the Universidad Especializada de las Américas (UDELAS) and the Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá (UTP).
Guna Youth Congress
The purpose of the Guna Youth Congress is to strengthen culture, ancestral knowledge and leadership and to support community development. The Seventh Youth Congress was held in the community of Aswemullu from 18 to 20 August 2024.
In 2024, Guna youth participated in leadership training organized by the Mesoamerican Leadership School of the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests (AMPB).[11] This training has created a network of young leaders who are able to collaborate and support each other in community and cultural conservation projects.
The FSC Indigenous Foundation,[12] based in Panama, has supported technical work aimed at developing, analysing and adapting the internal regulations and other rules of the Guna Youth Congress through participatory workshops.
The Centre for Environmental and Human Development (CENDAH)[13] has participated in the training of future young biologists, awakening their interest in marine biology. With support from the MarAlliance organization,[14] the training of youth in the scientific knowledge of Guna Yala's marine life has improved. In addition, most of these projects are led by women, “guardians of the coral”.[15]
Despite all this youth experience, however, there is little contact with the leadership of the general congresses. On the one hand, the youth themselves do not approach the comarca leadership but, on the other, the leadership also do not approach the youth.
Indigenous women’s participation is vital in strengthening Indigenous identity. There are local, regional and national groups in the Indigenous territories. In the case of Guna Yala, comarca meetings have been established and the organization Red de Bundorgan Mujeres Guna Yala was created in 2018, driven by women from the comarca, as well as the organization Nis Bundor, created in 1991 to promote the rights of women and Indigenous Peoples.
There are other groups in the city, such as the National Coordinating Committee of Indigenous Women of Panama (CONAMUIP), which brings together most of the Indigenous women who are living outside of the villages.
Mining and the role of Indigenous youth
The situation of mining in Panama was highly significant in 2024. The cessation of operations of Cobre Panamá, operated by Minera Panamá the 14th largest copper mine in the world in terms of production, and the largest in Central America, was a severe blow to the country's economy, just on the eve of 2024, an election year.
In 1997, Panama signed a contract with Minera Petaquilla S.A., granting it the concession of 12,955 hectares located in the province of Colón for 20 years.[16] The contract, signed under the administration of former President Ernesto Pérez Balladares, was approved by Law 9, published on 28 February 1997.
In 2008, the Environmental Advocacy Centre (CIAM), supported by other environmental organizations, filed a lawsuit against the contract, arguing that the concession had been awarded without public bidding, without consulting the Panamanian population and without any real environmental impact assessment.[17] In 2023, CIAM filed a further constitutional appeal before the Supreme Court of Justice, arguing that there was no proper citizen consultation.[18]
Despite the lawsuit, in 2017, the Panamanian government granted an extension to Minera Panamá to continue operating Cobre Panamá for another 20 years.[19] The Supreme Court did declare the 1997 contract “unconstitutional”;[20] however, the mine did not cease operations due to a series of pleadings and interpretations by the authorities and the mining company.
Four years after the Court’s decision, in 2021, the ruling was finally published in the Official Gazette.[21] Under the presidency of Laurentino Cortizo, the government and the mining company therefore began negotiating a new contract.
Following the negotiation, in August 2023, the government and the mining company finally signed a new contract establishing the mining company’s minimum annual contributions to the State as USD 375 million, 10 times more than the amount of the initial agreement. On 20 October, the National Assembly passed the law approving the new contract[22] and President Cortizo enacted it, unleashing massive protests on the part of young people, environmentalists, teachers, workers and other unions from 22 October to 28 November, at which point the Supreme Court of Panama, in response to the lawsuits filed against the mining contract, declared Law 406 unconstitutional.[23]
Popular pressure came significantly from young people, including the Indigenous youth, the AEKU of the University of Panama, the MJK and the youth of the Guna General Congress, together with other Indigenous and environmental youth organizations, who have been active and prominent voices, using platforms to raise the profile of the struggle against the Cobre Panamá mine.
All these demonstrations by the Panamanian people were a key factor in the government and Congress approving an indefinite moratorium on metal mining, leaving it to the Supreme Court to resolve a series of unconstitutionality lawsuits that will establish the future of the mine.
Law 406 on the mining contract, which renewed the exploitation of the Cobre Panamá mine, operated by Minera Panamá, a subsidiary of the Canadian company First Quantum Minerals, for a further 20 years, was therefore declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Justice of Panama.[24] This decision led to the suspension of operations at the copper mine, which has had a significant impact on the country's economy.[25]
Bernal Damián Castillo Díaz is an anthropologist and historian of Gunadule origin. He is a professor at the University of Panama, researcher at the Guna People's Heritage Institute and the Centre for Environmental and Human Development (CENDAH), and director of the Office of Indigenous Peoples of the University of Panama (OPINUP). Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This article is part of the 39th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. The photo above is of an Indigenous activist Funa-ay Claver, a Bontok Igorot, standing alongside Indigenous youth activists and others. They are protesting against the repressive laws and human rights violations suffered through the actions and projects of the Government of the Philippines and other actors against Indigenous Peoples at President Marcos Jr’s national address on 22 July 2024 in Quezon City, Philippines. The photo was taken by Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas and is the cover of The Indigenous World 2025 where this article is featured. Find The Indigenous World 2025 in full here
Notes and references
[1] Albert Arias. (28 July 2022). Los Pueblos Indígenas de Panamá. Vida Indígena. https://porvidaindigena.com/los-pueblos-indigenas-de-panama/
[2] [2] National Institute of Census and Statistics. Census 2023. https://www.inec.gob.pa/archivos/P053342420240206090553Cuadro%2033.pdf
[3] The Gunadule nation is divided into four territories. Gunayala Comarca (County) has a population of 31,323 inhabitants, of which 14,966 are men and 16,357 are women. These people have their own self-governed territory, which is guided by their own Gunayar Igardummadwala (Basic Law) and statute.
The Guna de Madugandi Comarca, located in the east of Panama province, was created in 1996. It has a population of 5,993, being 2,942 men and 3,051 women.
The Guna Comarca of Wargandi, located in the province of Darien, was recognized in 2000. It has a population of 2,336 people, of which 1,145 are men and 1,191 are women.
The ancestral land of Dagargunyala, has only two communities living there: Bugguro (Púcuro) and Bai (Paya), located within the Darién National Park, in the province of Darién, bordering Colombia.
Currently, some 80,996 Gunadule from Gunayala live outside the comarca, mainly in the capital and other cities in the country.
The Embera-Wounaan nation share the same cultural characteristics, i.e., the Embera and Wounaan both share the same culture, clothing and ancestral customs; they only differ in their languages.
Currently, most of the Embera live in the eastern part of the country, mainly in the Embera-Wounaan Comarca, created in 1983, and in scattered communities known as Tierras Colectivas (Collective Lands) in the province of Darién. There are 12,038 people living in the comarca and on the Tierras Colectivas, of whom 6,336 are men and 5,702 are women. The rest of the Embera population, approximately 39,619 people, live in other parts of the country.
The Wounaan people reside mainly in the Emberá-Wounaan Comarca, located in the province of Darién and Panama. There are currently 2,069 people living in the Embera-Wounaan Comarca, being 990 women and 1,079 men. In addition, 8,565 Wounaan people live elsewhere in Panama.
The majority of the Ngäbe population resides within the Ngäbe-Bugle Comarca, established in 1997. There are currently 207,540 people living in the region, of which 100,057 are men and 107,483 are women. A total of 237,338 Ngäbe people live elsewhere in Panama.
The Bugle people also reside in the Ngäbe-Bugle Comarca, with a population of 12,027 people, 5,990 men and 6,037 women. In addition, 11,871 Bugle people live in other parts of Panama.
The Naso Tjër Di Comarca, officially created on 04 December 2020, is located in the west of the country, bordering the province of Bocas del Toro, on the Costa Rican border. There are 5,568 Naso people living in Panama.
The Bribri people are one of the minority groups found within the province of Bocas del Toro, on the border with Costa Rica. Their territory has not yet been recognized by the Panamanian government. There are currently 766 Bribri people living in Panama.
[4] National Institute of Census and Statistics. Census 2023. https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.inec.gob.pa%2Farchivos%2FP0289562520231009163041CUADRO%252020.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK
[5] Office of the Ombudsman. United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf
[6] Gemma Orobitg. (18 April 2024). ¿Dónde están nuestros derechos como pueblos originarios en Panamá?» Comunidades indígenas dentro del régimen de los Parques Nacionales: argumentos para un debate no resuelto. Medios Indígenas Lab. https://mediosindigenas.ub.edu/donde-estan-nuestros-derechos-como-pueblos-originarios-en-panama-comunidades-indigenas-dentro-del-regimen-de-los-parques-nacionales-argumentos-para-un-debate-no-resuelto/
[7] UNDP. Imaginando un Futuro Común: Plan de Desarrollo Integral de los Pueblos Indígenas de Panamá. https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/pa/undp_pa_imaginandofuturocomun_pdi.pdf
[8] La Estrella d Panamá. (January 2024). Lo que esté en juego en 2024. https://www.laestrella.com.pa/panama/nacional/lo-que-esta-en-juego-en-2024-YB5737537
[9] ECO. (01 January 2025) Pueblos Indígenas ya tienen nueva coordinadora para el plan de desarrollo integral https://www.ecotvpanama.com/nacionales/pueblos-indigenas-ya-tienen-nueva-coordinadora-el-plan-desarrollo-integral-n6024341
[10] National Development Board. Plan de Desarrollo Integral de Pueblos Indígenas de Panamá. https://adsdatabase.ohchr.org/IssueLibrary/PANAMA_Plan%20de%20desarollo%20integral%20de%20pueblos%20ind%C3%ADgenas%20de%20Panam%C3%A1.pdf
[11] The Gunayala general congresses are full members of the AMPB.
[12] Yaili Castillo, assistant to the Indigenous Women and Girls Economic Empowerment (IWEE) initiative and FSC IF youth focal point- Personal communication, 22 January 2025.
[13] Non-profit Gunadule Indigenous organization.
[14] See https://maralliance.org/es/home-espanol/
[15] MarAlliance. Guardianas del coral: las mujeres guna lideran el cambio en Panamá. https://maralliance.org/es/guardianas-del-coral-las-mujeres-guna-lideran-el-cambio-en-panama/
[16] Law No. 9. (28 February 1997). Legislative Assembly, Republic of Panama. https://docs.panama.justia.com/federales/leyes/9-de-1997-feb-28-1997.pdf
[17] Ombudsman's Office, Republic of Panama. (14 December 2023). Informe Defensorial Rechazo Contrato Minero. https://www.defensoria.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/Informe-Defensorial-Rechazo-Contrato-Minero.pdf
[18] Monica Palm. (14 September 2023). La Corte no accede a demanda del Ciam contra el contrato minero. La Prensa. https://www.prensa.com/judiciales/la-corte-no-accede-a-demanda-del-ciam-contra-el-contrato-minero/
[19] See law: https://jurisis.procuraduria-admon.gob.pa/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Minera-Panama-S.A-c-Ley-9-de-1997.pdf
[20] Law No. 9. (28 February 1997). Legislative Assembly, Republic of Panama https://docs.panama.justia.com/federales/leyes/9-de-1997-feb-28-1997.pdf
[21] Official Gazette, No. 29685-D. (19 December 2022). Republic of Panama. https://www.gacetaoficial.gob.pa/pdfTemp/29685_D/GacetaNo_29685d_20221219.pdf
[22] See law: https://vlex.com.pa/tags/ley-minera-panama-461779#:~:text=Ley%20N%C2%B0%20406.,la%20sociedad%20minera%20panam%C3%A1%2C%20s.a.&text=Resoluci%C3%B3n%20N%C2%B0%20128
[23] Nueva Sociedad. (November 2023). Panamá se levanta contra la minería. https://nuso.org/articulo/panama-se-rebela-contra-la-gran-mineria/
[24] ANPanamá. (28 November 2023). Corte Suprema de Justicia de Panamá declara inconstitucional Ley 406 de contrato minero. https://www.anpanama.com/Corte-Suprema-de-Justicia-de-Panama-declara-inconstitucional-Ley-406-de-contrato-minero-15631.note.aspx
[25] Eco Tv Panama. (29 December 2023). Minera Panamá: ¿Cuál es el futuro para la economía en 2024? https://www.ecotvpanama.com/economia/minera-panama-cual-es-el-futuro-la-economia-2024-n5953601
Tags: Youth, Business and Human Rights
