In Panama, there is currently a growing debate about the concession and exploitation of the highly valuable Panama Copper Mine, located in the district of Donoso, province of Colon. In a formal

and perceptible way, the relevant problem concerns are the formalization of a new Contract-Law on the referred mine, between the Panamanian Government National and the business venture Minera Panamá, S.A., which is led by the Canadian multinational company First Quantum Minerals Limited.

However, upon an in-depth analysis of the Panamanian economy and society, it is evident that the existing critical mining problems have their roots in the abrupt change of the national mining developmental perspective and strategy, which was established in the ’70 years of last 20 century, in the government of General Omar Torrijos. This historical setback resulted in the abandonment of the mixed company model for managing Panamanian mining, and its unfortunate replacement by a pattern of mining concessions that were completely private and minimized the role of the State.

In Panamanian society, through a pragmatic identification, can be easily distinguished three notorious currents regarding mining and its roles for national development: A) Panama is worth more with mining; B) Panama is worth more without mining; and (C) Panama and forced mining. In each, their emblematic titles imply the contents they represent. The very certain thing is that the third current has become master of the national mining reality, and is establishing its concrete guidelines, above what the actors of currents A and B plant or think. Since 1997, the concession on the Panama Copper Mine is a symbol of an easy and overwhelming triumph over the Panamanian state and nation.

 This article, structured methodologically sequential and with a colloquial communication style, seeks to contribute to the national debate by providing analysis and proposals of the conceptual and real events of the domestic and global mining activity, which enable readers to organize their opinions with more information, analysis and arguments. . Hopefully by the time the debates get red hot, and they will undoubtedly get, important segments of the Panamanian population have strengthened their principles and conclusions to take convenient positions, regarding the conflicting issues of the prevailing crisis.