Around one thousand residents participated in a meeting in the town of Limon de Chagres with representatives of the Episcopal Conference. They voiced their concerns regarding the project—which the executive branch defends as necessary to ensure the continued operation of the interoceanic waterway and to provide a vital water source for a portion of the population.

The farmers warned that the construction of the reservoir could lead to the loss of productive land, water sources, and livelihoods, as well as the displacement of families, environmental damage, and the severing of social and cultural ties built over generations.

They also denounced the lack of adequate forums for potentially affected populations to be heard, demanding greater attention from the authorities and respect for their fundamental rights.

Among those present was Fabian Castillo—a farmer recently targeted by legal action in a case that has gained national attention—who reaffirmed his commitment to defending the river, the region’s crops, and its families.

For their part, the bishops expressed their support for the defense of human dignity, noting that no development project should be imposed at the expense of fundamental rights or the traditional ways of life of local inhabitants.

Monsignor Manuel Ochogavía, Bishop of the Diocese of Colon-Kuna Yala, highlighted the residents’ right to preserve their history, culture, and identity. He reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s commitment to vulnerable groups, echoing the “preferential option for the poor” championed by Pope Leo XIV.

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