24 April 2016
Dear Mr Buendia, Dear Mr Wolke,
We, the April 10 Movement for the Defense of the Tabasará River (M-10), Alianza para la Conservación y el Desarrollo (ACD) and Asociación Ambientalista de Chiriqui (ASAMCHI), are writing to provide stakeholder comments regarding the ongoing human rights concerns associated with the Barro Blanco Hydroelectric Power Plant Project on the Tabasará River in the Province of Chiriquí in western Panama. Pursuant to the Board’s recent decision regarding stakeholder comments pertaining to human rights issues, we request that the Board (1) forwards this letter to the relevant UN human rights bodies and Panamanian national authorities, and (2) withdraws registration if the Board finds that the project violates CDM modalities and procedures.
The construction of the Barro Blanco dam will be completed in the coming days and flood tests have already started. The tension surrounding the situation on the ground is escalating, as the affected Ngäbe indigenous communities opposing the dams have received threats of forced eviction. Given the previous conflicts and violence against people who oppose Barro Blanco, and considering the imminent completion of the dam and the reported threats, there is serious concern for the personal safety and security of the local communities.
Read letter here
