What Happened
A non-scientific citizen consultation held last week in the parking lots of the Gran Estacin de San Miguelito found that 69.5% of those surveyed believe the reopening of the Donoso mine would be positive for Panama, while 30.5% disagreed. The consultation was carried out by the Mega radio station team to gauge public sentiment on employment and the mine’s potential economic impact.
Survey Results
The consultation’s finding that 69.5% support the mine’s reopening aligns with a separate, recent survey by Data Consulting, which reported that 55% of Panamanians would agree to the mine’s reopening. In addition to opinions about the mine, the citizen consultation asked about formal employment needs: a striking 93% of respondents said Panama needs more sources of formal employment, while 7% disagreed.
Background
The measures capture public perceptions at a time when debates over job creation and economic development remain prominent in Panama. The citizen consultation was described as non-scientific, meaning its results reflect the views of those approached at the site rather than a statistically representative sample of the national population. The Data Consulting figure provides a second indicator of broader sentiment but is reported separately from the Mega radio station’s on-site consultation.
What This Means
The results suggest that many Panamanians see potential economic upside from reactivating the Donoso mine, particularly in relation to formal employment opportunities. High public demand for formal jobs may increase political and social pressure on policymakers to consider projects that promise direct employment gains.
At the same time, the non-scientific nature of the consultation and differing percentages between surveys underscore the need for more rigorous, representative polling and inclusive stakeholder consultations before drawing firm conclusions about national opinion. Further analysis would also be required to weigh economic benefits against environmental, social and regulatory considerations that typically accompany decisions about mine reactivation.
As discussions continue, the two surveys together highlight how employment concerns shape public attitudes toward large-scale projects in Panama.