DONOSO, Panama (AP) — Between emerald sea and jungled hills, the Cobre Panama copper mine has fueled mass protests across the Central American country.
Buried in the rolling hills and dense jungles of Panama’s eastern Caribbean Donoso region, the mine is marked by heavy machinery and rubble slicing into the earth, clashing with the vivid blues and green of the vast nature enveloping it.
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Storage tanks at the thermoelectric plant at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
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Tailings at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Copper ore in stockpile at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Mineral conveyor belts at the processing plant in the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Upper bench of the open-pit mine at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Storage tanks at the thermoelectric plant at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
A pile of water material at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Machinery is parked at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Overburden borders the vegetation at the Cobre Panama copper min during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
The open pit at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
A sump at the Cobre Panama copper open-pit mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Conveyor belts on the ship loading dock at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Overburden sits next to a sump at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Flotation tanks at the mineral processing plant of the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
An aerial view of an open-pit sump at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Minerals in an open-pit at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
A sump at the Cobre Panama copper open-pit mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
More than a year ago, it became the heart of protests rippling across Panama.
The country-wide protests blocked off roads and fueled shortages in much of the country, prompting Panama’s Supreme Court to halt operations.
Now, the new administration is signaling that the mine may roar back to life.
Tailings at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Copper ore in stockpile at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Mineral conveyor belts at the processing plant in the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Upper bench of the open-pit mine at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Storage tanks at the thermoelectric plant at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
A pile of water material at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Machinery is parked at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Overburden borders the vegetation at the Cobre Panama copper min during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
The open pit at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
A sump at the Cobre Panama copper open-pit mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Conveyor belts on the ship loading dock at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Overburden sits next to a sump at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Flotation tanks at the mineral processing plant of the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
An aerial view of an open-pit sump at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Minerals in an open-pit at the Cobre Panama copper mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
A sump at the Cobre Panama copper open-pit mine during a press tour of the mine, owned by Canada's First Quantum Minerals, which was closed after the country's Supreme Court ruled that the mining concession was unconstitutional, in Donoso, Panama, Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
