Richard Fifer

The San Lorenzo fort has always been surrounded by the mystique that wraps the Antique building and structures, especially if within the environment the visitors has the opportunity to learn about the epic events that marked the colonial era in Panama, when pirates and privateers sailed the seas and coast in search of loot that they could take seize by force.

San Lorenzo was overpowered in two occasions by the pirate Francis Drake, who was repulsed by the Spanish. It has always been said that the remaining of the notorious pirate lie in the bay of Portobelo.

Another famous pirate known for his assault and destruction of the old city of Panama was Henry Morgan, who left in the coast of panama a legacy of sunken ships that for years have been searched by investigators.

Indeed, invited by the foundation Castilla del Oro of Spain and Panama, tourism project developed by the businessman Richard Fifer-Carles, the director of the Empresas Publicas de la Region Autonoma de Extremadura of Spain, Jaime Ruiz Peña, was in Panama, who came attracted to the San Lorenzo Fort he predicted that this site would be one of the most attractive point in Panama and the Caribbean. .

Ruiz Peña did not only speak about the enabling the old structure of that fort for lodging, but also to offer spectacles that would recreate the battles that were staged by the Spanish and English for the possession of this fortress.

An old fashion gentleman’s pact, sealed Ruiz Peña´s compromise with Pedro Rios, governor of Colon, with an honor witness the Duke of Veragua, Cristobal Colon de Carvajal, to renovate the old structure and therefore offering a first class tourist product.

“I committed in front of the governor of Colon, having as witness the president of the foundation Castilla del Oro, the Duque of Veragua, Cristobal Colon de Carvajal, to do everything possible to create a first class tourist product in the San Lorenzo Fort”, said Ruiz Peña.

The words of Ruiz Peña had a visionary flavor, and adding to all the ingredients already pointed out, it was learned that a team of archeologist of the University of Texas, U.S.A, discovered the remaining of a ship that dated back to the XVII century and its presumed it belonged to pirate Morgan.

As informed in the newspaper Crticia the experts found a ship close to one of the reefs of the Panamanian costs, were Morgan had lost five ships in 1671, including his flagship “Satisfaction.”

Judging by age and the region in which the boat was found, the specialist believe that the ship could have taken on board the iconic British pirate Henry Morgan, “Capitan Morgan”, when he was on his way back to the city of Panama to loot it.

Since 2008, the archeologist have studied and documented the bottom of the Chagres River in search of this and other ships.

In February of this year, the researchers, assisted by the Panamanian Government, recovered canons at the mouth of the Chagres rives, pieces that could belong to five other ships of the famous pirate, that is believed to had shipwreck in this area.

“Satisfaction” the flagship of the great fleet of Morgan, composed of 33 ships, got stuck in the reef when the buccaneer attacked in 1671 Panama La Vieja, the jewel of the Spanish crown in those times, without knowing that England and Spain had signed a peace treaty three months earlier.

One of the greatest debates in regards to the subject of mining is the extraction of metals ores in areas occupied by indigenous people and the impact that would result both in the ecosystem and in their ancient cultures.

In Panama, this subject has been objective of debates and confrontation, after it was presented, discussed, approved, sanction and then repeal, the norm that look to modernize the Mining Code in order to adapt the environmental requirements y increase royalties that the mining companies pay to the Sate and municipalities.

Now a days we talk about responsible mining in indigenous territories, when the activity complies with the requirements related to the land, such as safety in the exercise and maintenance of the domain, protection for the social and cultural integrity, Access to an easy accesses and the proper management of the natural resources and an adequate food program; contribution to sustainable development with identity; and achieving a reasonable degree of autonomy in the management of their own affairs and of the participation in national affairs.

Thus, if the mining activity impacts any of the requirements, measurements compensations and mitigation are applied; and so guarantying the responsible activity.

Another factor to take into consideration is the joint work of the financial entities, governments and communities in the definition of political and legal agreements to regulate the exploitation of the natural resources in the indigenous territories and of other ethnical groups, especially those, as miners and the subsoil in general and the hydric ones, for which the State usually reserves exclusive dominion.

In these regulation the rights of the affected groups that participate should be recognize in the benefits and the compensation so that they become creditors for the possible negative results of such exploitation.

The resources should be channeled into funds and implement them into programs related to the development of these communities.

All these are points that should be considered, before the scenario that brought up now that the government reintroduced the project that looks to modernize the Mining Code, in order to force companies to observe strict environmental standards, respect the rights of the indigenous towns and  to pay higher royalties.

The experience that Panama had at the begging of the year should be an incentive for this occasion, with their criticism and adversities, this discussion converges on the best interest of each sector, because in the end that is what is sough, the common interest.

Following complaints of residents about alleged pollution in Molejon and San Juan de Turbe rives, due to the activity of the mining project of Petaquilla Gold, S.A., the independent company “Ambiente e Industrias” was hired to take samples of the water and make the respective tests.

After the test were analyzed in the laboratory, Antonio Sanchez, direct responsible for the study made by the independent company, it revealed that Petaquilla Gold is not responsible for the alleged contamination in these rivers and the death of the fishes, as alleged by the complaint of the surrounding communities of the project.

According to Sanchez, after the complaint was placed by the community, the specialist traveled to the area to take samples of the water in different points of Molejon and San Juan de Turbe rivers, and after the study was made, the results determined that “the physiochemical parameters taken in the site, reveal a solid and salinity product due to the erosion caused by the rains.”

The technitian of the company “Ambiente e Industrias” stated that the analysis revealed that the pH is between 7 and 8 units, which indicated that there are no alteration made by anthropogenic factors of sample of the water taken from the rivers and that the norm for a Panamanian project establishes that the range of the pH in water should be between 6.5 to 8.5.

The company also disclosed figures related to the values of nitrate and nitrite under analysis methods, which resulted to be really low within the range of superficial waters and also that the contents of cyanide are less than 0.001 mg/L, which indicated that the content of this material has not been tampered by human activity.

“The standard 2610-EAC-111 of the ACP indicates a value of 0.2mg/L for discharges into bodies of water. The project standard for the contents of CYANIDE, indicates value of <0.01 as low risk. The value found in the analysis is 10 times lower. The origin of the content of cyanide is due to the natural environment, since the plant has not begun production or operation”, said the environmental engineer.

An exhibition that outlines four centuries of history between Panama and Spain, provided a framework to the visit made by the Duke of Veragua, Cristobal Colon de Carvajal, who was the special guest for this event which will be open to the public in the Panamanian capital until the month of November.

“Four Centuries of History with Spain” is the name of the exhibition present in the Building of the National Archives of the Public Registry which is visited daily by hundreds of young people, adults and students from all parts of the country.

Luis Barria, Director of the Public Registry, served as host to such illustrious visitor, who arrived accompanied by the General Director of the Public Companies of the Autonomous Region of Extremadura in Spain, Jaime Ruiz Peña; the President of the Fundacion Castilla de Oro in Panama, Pascual Montañes.

The Duke of Veraguas, visited Panama in his role as Chairman of the Fundacion Castilla de Oro, entity that seeks to promote tourism development in rural areas, an idea conceived by the Panamanian businessman Richard Fifer-Carles.

After several visiting several exhibition halls, including the modern tools used for preserving and digitizing old documents, The Duke Colon de Carvajal described it as the only exhibition which aims to preserve valuable information of important historical moments for Panama and Spain.

He was pleasantly surprised of the condition of the documents dating from the colonial era, and stressed that as a person who knows about the subject, being part of the Board of Trustees of the Naval Museum of Spain, he knows that typical policies from Spain do not permit the sharing of such archives, but in this case have made an exception due to the fact that they have been well kept and for the value they represent for the Panamanian people.

During his tour, the Duke of Veragua was accompanied by the Director of the Public Registry, who explained how the laboratory of microbiology, preservation, restoration and framing work.

Among the documents presented to the Duke Colon de Carvajal, stand out the memorial of Pedrarias Davila, in 1515, memoirs of Elizabeth Bobadilla, letters of the Council of Panama to the King in 1573, letter to the King from the Council of Panama, informing of the sacking of Nombre de Dios by the pirate Sir Francis Drake in 1596; relationship between peoples with the province of Veragua, the Kingdom of the Mainland in 1604, among others also the important reply to the letter of Christopher Columbus, informing the Kings of Spain on his fourth voyage to America.

One of the premises that remained latent during the visit of the Duke of Veragua, Cristobal Colon de Carvajal to Panama is the great tourist potential of Panama, but above all the fact that its sites are characterized by offering a unique product, away from those who sell themselves as a mass product.

This was a recurring subject addressed by the General Director of the Public Companies of the Autonomous Region of Extremadura in Spain, Jaime Ruiz Peña, made during a trip to Panama, as part of the tour carried out by Colon de Carvajal, who chairs the Castilla de Oro Foundation of Spain.

These comments were issued by Mr. Ruiz Peña amazed by what he saw during his tour of the Fort of San Lorenzo, located at the mouth of the Chagres River, silent witness of glorious epochs of the colonial period, characterized by raids to the city by corsairs and pirates.

“There are two options: to opt for mass tourism or for tourism which pays off for unique things and this is a unique product. I say this from the experience of intensively knowing a network of accommodation spots in Extremadura, such as small hotels”, he added.

He emphasized on the good conditions available at the structures of San Lorenzo, where there is good space for enabling the right accommodations. Additionally, it also contains history, attractive for any tourist coming from anywhere in the world.

“This is not the same Fort of San Lorenzo taken twice by the British and which was occupied by the pirate Sir Francis Drake”, he also explained.

Mr. Ruiz Peña said he has visited the Military Tatto festival, a 90 minutes presentation that has as main setting the Edinburgh Castle, and where the mixture of music, entertainment and theater, in an exhibition which bring together thousands of people.

“Imagine a show, with Spanish and British people full of tourists going crazy on the same site where centuries ago these events took place”, he stated.

The Fort of San Lorenzo is one of the oldest Spanish forts of America which protected the river entrance to the ancient Panama City, located in the Pacific.

Its construction began in 1598 by order of King Philip II and was completed three years later.  The plans for the fortress were designed by the Italian engineer Juan Bautista Antonelli.