Wounaan community in a standoff with loggers in Panama

Indigenous lands in Eastern Panama remain heavily forested, despite decades of incursions by loggers and ranchers. This is particularly true for the Wounaan communities of Majé Chiman and Platanares/Rio Hondo, where RF-US is supporting the Wounaan to gain legal title to their lands. With the dry season every January and February, however, these communities face renewed invasions by outsiders in search of cocobolo, a valuable but endangered hardwood species. The Wounaan counted over 600 cut trees just this past January. Although the communities have repeatedly denounced the situation, the government has failed to deal effectively with the invasions.

In mid-January 2012, the community of Platanares decided to take matters into their own hands. A large group of them circled a few loggers who were cutting trees and making way for an access road in the forest – on lands claimed by the community. The Wounaan stopped the logger’s chainsaws and their tractor, and said they would hold onto them until government agents arrived to resolve the situation. In the resulting scuffle, one of the loggers was shot in the foot. A large group of loggers and ranchers then made their way into the forest, bringing guns and other weapons. The Wounaan retreated to their community, so the confrontation would not escalate. And there they remain, surrounded by the loggers who intimidate them, firing guns at night and preventing community members from hunting and gathering in the forest.

The Panamanian government has yet to take effective action to either stop the invasions and illegal logging on indigenous lands, nor to de-escalate the situation in Platanares. Our colleagues at the Wounaan Congress have filed complaints to various agencies, and are waiting for a response. Meanwhile, Wounaan leaders have received threats from the loggers, with one of them saying “we won’t leave this area until we see one of the Wounaan dead”.

RF-US is concerned about the situation in Eastern Panama, and is working closely with the Wounaan to push for an effective government response to the situation, and for protection of the Wounaan leaders who have been threatened. The situation in Platanares/Rio Hondo underscores the need for indigenous peoples to have real control over their lands and resources. Without it, communities are more vulnerable to outside pressure from loggers, ranchers, miners, and others. To this end, RF-US is supporting the Wounaan in Eastern Panama to secure their land rights – find out more about the project.
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