Costa Ricans Trapped Inside Panama As Protestors Close Off Border Road
Situation worsens as protests by Panama's indigenous continues

The situation in Panama keeps worsening as the Inter American highway of San Felix, Chiriqui, where Ngobe Bugle indigenous people oppose hydroelectric and mining projects, the highway remains blocked for four days now and 270 Costa Ricans are trapped on the Panamanian side of the border.

"We have been here for four days and supplies are running low. There are people with diabetes and asthma, the situation is out of control", Allan Roman, one of the Costa Ricans trapped by the blockages, told the press.

Roman is part of a group of Costa Ricans who traveled to Panama on an excursion, describing his situation and that of the others to Radio ADN 90.7.

Jorge Medrano, another Tico, told ADN that "they say we are not Panamanians and they cannot do anything about it".

The Tico trapped in Panama have to resort to ingenuity and the kindness of Panamanians for help. Some are paying local residents for drinking water and the use of toilets.

The Inter American highwy has been closed since Monday and protesters say they will continue blocking the roads until article five of a mining bill that deputies are discussing is restored, according to the Coordinating Committee for the Defense of the Rights of the Ngobe Bugle People.

The article excludes indigenous regions from mining and hydroelectric activities, but, apparently, there is a non-agreed extra excerpt that includes them.

Truck drivers and producers asked the government to solve the problem, since they are suffering terrible losses due to the deterioration of perishable products such as vegetables.

Hundreds of vehicles are stranded along the highway of San Felix and Remedios.