First Quantum and its Panamanian workers and suppliers are stepping up activities to gain support for the restart of the Panama copper mine.

According to Webstock Inc., citing foreign media on February 24, First Quantum Minerals and its workers and suppliers in Panama are striving to gain support for the reopening of a $10 billion copper mine, which has been closed for over a year.

Maru Galvez, the public relations manager of the Cobre Panama mine, stated on Monday that the company has shifted from a low-profile approach of engaging with Panamanians to more prominent large-scale mine-hosted events and public activities. These efforts are yielding results, as a recent community survey showed that 96% of respondents believe the government should renegotiate the mine contract.

It is worth noting that although First Quantum has met with local officials and invited ministers to visit the mine, the company's executives have yet to sit down for negotiations with President Jose Raul Mulino, whose primary focus remains on social security reform. Before its closure in 2023, the mine accounted for 5% of Panama's GDP and 1.5% of global copper production.

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