Magdalena Martinez has lived next to the Indio River all her life, but a planned dam aimed at shielding the Panama Canal from drought now threatens to swallow her home.
The 49-year-old is one of hundreds of residents opposed to a new artificial lake that would feed the vital interoceanic waterway at the center of diplomatic tensions with the United States.
kAmQx 766= D:4< 23@FE E9:D E9C62E H6VC6 724:?8[Q D2:5 |2CE:?6K[ H9@ D92C6D 96C H@@56? 9@FD6 H:E9 2 >6E2= C@@7 H:E9 96C 9FD32?5 2?5 7:G6 @7 96C `b 49:=5C6? :? q@42 56 &C24:==@]k^Am
kAmQ(6 5@?VE <?@H H96C6 H6VC6 8@:?8 E@ 8@[Q D96 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm|2CE:?6KVD 6?E:C6 72>:=J H2D 3@C? :? E96 D>2== G:==286 DFCC@F?565 3J =FD9 >@F?E2:?D[ H9@D6 C6D:56?ED 62C? 2 =:G:?8 8C@H:?8 4C@AD :?4=F5:?8 42DD2G2 2?5 4@C? 2?5 C2:D:?8 2?:>2=D]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>>F?:EJ D2JD :E :D 56E6C>:?65 E@ AC6G6?E :ED 9@>6D 36:?8 D24C:7:465 E@ 96=A E96 H@C=5VD >F=E:\3:==:@? 5@==2C 8=@32= D9:AA:?8 :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 E@ 7:89E E@ E96 6?5[Q D2:5 cc\J62C\@=5 C6D:56?E *EFC3:56 $2?496K]k^Am
kAm{2DE H66<[ 9F?5C65D @7 7=28\H2G:?8 G:==286CD :? >@E@C:K65 42?@6D ?2G:82E65 E96 x?5:@ #:G6C E@ AC@E6DE E96 A=2??65 52>[ H9:49 H@F=5 7@C46 E9@FD2?5D @7 72>:=:6D E@ C6=@42E6]k^Am
kAmQ(6 5@?VE H2?E E96> E@ E2<6 2H2J E96 C:G6C H2E6C \\ H6 ?665 :E[Q cg\J62C\@=5 72C>6C pC:6= %C@J2 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmQx7 E96 AC@;64E 8@6D 29625[ :E H:== E2<6 2H2J @FC 6?E:C6 7FEFC6[Q %C@J2 25565]k^Am
k9am\ V%96 7FEFC6V \k^9am
kAm%96 !2?2>2 r2?2= pFE9@C:EJ Wpr!X[ E96 2FE@?@>@FD AF3=:4 6?E:EJ E92E @A6C2E6D E96 H2E6CH2J[ 564:565 E@ 3F:=5 E96 C6D6CG@:C E@ 4@A6 H:E9 D6G6C6 5C@F89ED =:<6 E96 @?6 D66? :? a_ab[ H9:49 7@C465 2 5C2DE:4 C65F4E:@? :? D9:A EC277:4]k^Am
kAm%96 46?EFCJ\@=5 D9@CE4FE 36EH66? E96 pE=2?E:4 2?5 !24:7:4 @462?D C6=:6D @? @?46\23F?52?E C2:?H2E6C DE@C65 :? EH@ 2CE:7:4:2= =2<6D E92E 2=D@ DFAA=J 5C:?<:?8 H2E6C]k^Am
kAm&D65 >2:?=J 3J 4FDE@>6CD 7C@> E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D[ r9:?2 2?5 y2A2?[ E96 42?2= 92D 2 DJDE6> @7 =@4<D E@ C2:D6 2?5 =@H6C D9:AD 2?5 C6=62D6D >:==:@?D @7 =:E6CD @7 7C6D9 H2E6C 7@C 6249 G6DD6= E92E A2DD6D]k^Am
kAm%96 A=2??65 ?6H C6D6CG@:C 4@G6C:?8 2C@F?5 c[e__ 964E2C6D W``[c__ 24C6DX H@F=5 DFAA=J H2E6C E9C@F89 2 ?:?6\<:=@>6E6C Wd]e\>:=6X EF??6= E@ @?6 @7 E96 6I:DE:?8 =2<6D]k^Am
kAm%96 AC@;64E Q>66ED 2 ?665 :56?E:7:65 2 =@?8 E:>6 28@i :EVD E96 H2E6C @7 E96 7FEFC6[Q z2C:?2 '6C82C2[ 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 2?5 D@4:2= >2?286C 2E E96 pr![ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAm(@C< :D 6IA64E65 E@ 368:? :? a_af 2?5 36 4@>A=6E65 3J a_ba[ H:E9 2? :?G6DE>6?E @7 2AAC@I:>2E6=J S`]e 3:==:@?]Â k^Am
kAm~7 E92E[ Sc__ >:==:@? :D 62C>2C<65 E@ 4@>A6?D2E6 2?5 C6=@42E6 2C@F?5 a[d__ A6@A=6 7C@> D6G6C2= G:==286D]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 2 7:C> 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 5:2=@8F6 2?5 C6249:?8 28C66>6?EDQ H:E9 E9@D6 27764E65[ '6C82C2 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx7 E96 C6D6CG@:C :D?VE 3F:=E[ QH6V== C68C6E :E :? `d J62CD[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ Vv:G6 @FC =:G6DV \k^9am
kAmr:G:= D@4:6EJ 8C@FAD H2C? E92E :? E@E2= 2C@F?5 `a[___ A6@A=6 4@F=5 36 27764E65 3J E96 AC@;64E \\ H9:49 92D E96 324<:?8 @7 !C6D:56?E y@D6 #2F= |F=:?@ \\ D:?46 :E H@F=5 27764E E96 6?E:C6 x?5:@ #:G6C 32D:?]k^Am
kAm%96 g_\<:=@>6E6C\=@?8 !2?2>2 r2?2= 92?5=6D D:I A6C46?E @7 8=@32= >2C:E:>6 EC256 2?5 :D E96 6?8:?6 @7 E96 !2?2>2?:2? 64@?@>J]k^Am
kAmxE :D 2=D@ 2E E96 46?E6C @7 2 5:A=@>2E:4 C@H 5F6 E@ &$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>AVD C6A62E65 E9C62ED E@ QE2<6 324<Q E96 H2E6CH2J \\ H9:49 H2D 92?565 @G6C E@ !2?2>2 :? `hhh \\ 7C@> 2==6865 r9:?6D6 4@?EC@=]k^Am
kAmx? E96 G:==286 @7 {:>@?[ 23@FE `d >:?FE6D 7C@> q@42 56 &C24:==@ 3J >@E@C:K65 42?@6[ C6D:56?ED 2=D@ C67FD6 E@ 232?5@? E96:C 9@>6D]k^Am
kAmQ(6VC6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ =62G6] %96JV== 92G6 E@ C6>@G6 FD 3J 7@C46[Q D2:5 |2C:46= $2?496K[ 2 ad\J62C\@=5 F?:G6CD:EJ DEF56?E]k^Am
kAm':==286CD 2C6 C6=J:?8 @? E96:C =2?5D E@ D66 E96> E9C@F89 C6E:C6>6?E[ 72C>6C ~=682C:@ r656?@ D2:5 :? E96 9@FD6 H96C6 96 =:G6D H:E9 9:D H:76 2?5 E9C66 49:=5C6?[ DFCC@F?565 3J 49:4<6?D[ 96?D 2?5 A2CC@ED]k^Am
kAmQ(6 H:== 8:G6 @FC =:G6D :? E9:D 7:89E]Qk^Am
kAm;;C^7;^5C^D=2k^Am