Report critical of treatment of indigenous residents

[Judi Lynn]

Panamá, miércoles 1 de junio de 2011
Report critical of treatment of indigenous residents

Panama's indigenous communities do not have a legal framework that recognizes their rights, according to a report by the Fundación del Consejo General de la Abogacía Española (CGAE).

The study, presented Tuesday in Madrid, examines the plight of the Ngäbe Buglé who were affected by the construction of a hydroelectric dam in the province of Bocas del Toro. The report said the same conditions exist for other indigenous people living along the Changuinola River.

The situation of these indigenous people, who have been uprooted from their lands, their way of life and their means of subsistence, has also been denounced before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

~snip~
"Not only was there material damage, but also physical and psychological damage to the members of these communities," the report stated.

http://mensual.prensa.com/mensual/contenido/2011/06/01/hoy/english/news_7309.asp