Violent protests have erupted again in Panama over construction of the 28-megawatt Barro Blanco dam, which demonstrators say will dramatically alter the environment and the lives of indigenous people along the Tabasará River in western Panama. In recent weeks, members of the Ngöbe indigenous group have clashed repeatedly with police near the US$120 million dam, being built by the Honduran company Genisa in Chiriquí province. Demonstrators, alleging the dam’s 258-hectare (638-acre) reservoir will flood their lands and ruin Tabasará ecosystems, have protested near the site. Police have responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. On March 22, the violence took a savage turn when four masked men murdered a protestor from the Ngöbe group. The killing comes a little over a... [Log in to read more]