The Panama Canal Authority assured that the new burial sites will be announced in due course.

On Thursday, those affected by the Rio Indio project held a vigil with white candles and Panamanian flags to protest the relocation of eight cemeteries ordered by authorities in the reservoir’s flood zone.

RELATED:

Panama: Heavy Rains Leave a Minor Dead and More Than 800 in Shelters

The gathering took place at the El Limon cemetery, one of the eight cemeteries slated for closure with the construction of the new reservoir, scheduled to be operational in 2032.

An executive decree in effect since July 21st prohibited new burials in El Limon starting July 30th, transferring interments to the Los Cedros cemetery in Colon.

The same decree stipulated that the cemeteries of Las Quebradas, Boca de Uracillo, Palma Real, Los Cajoncitos, San Cristobal, Tres Hermanas, and Los Uveros, all within the project area, may be used until January 2027.

The Panama Canal Authority assured that the new burial sites will be announced in due course and that any transfer of remains will be coordinated with family members, respecting their religious beliefs, cultural ties, and emotional attachments.

Farmers like Olegario Cedeño denounced the decree, saying it “uproots” the communities, since those buried there founded the rural villages and worked the lands that will now be flooded.

The project affects some 500 families, nearly 2,000 people from 38 communities dedicated to agriculture and livestock farming. Deputy Administrator Ilya Espino emphasized the “urgent” need for the reservoir given climate variability.

The relocation includes housing, roads, and livelihoods, with a budget of US$500 million, in addition to the US$1 billion cost of constructing the reservoir.

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE

IN THIS ARTICLE