Written by Centro de Incidencia Ambiental de Panamá (CIAM), Movimiento 10 de Abril (M-10), Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), International Rivers, Marin Interfaith Task Force, Collective Voices for Peace, Asociación Ambientalista de Chiriquí (ASAMCHI), Carbon Market Watch, Asociación para la Conservación y el Desarrollo (ACD), Movimiento 10 de Abril (M10), Earthjustice, Both ENDS, and Salva la Selva to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Mr. James Anaya, for taking action to prevent and minimize imminent and serious threats to the Ngäbe people and their indigenous territories associated with the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam on the Tabasará River in the Province of Chiriquí, western Panama.  Such actions may include, conducting a formal investigation, making a site visit, and calling on the government of Panama to take immediate precautionary action by halting the dam’s construction until the Ngäbe’s concerns have been fully addressed.  As a preliminary matter, this letter requests Special Rapporteur Anaya meet with Ngäbe community members and CIAM during your upcoming visit to Panama in July.

Read full letter here.