New bill could privatize beaches

PANAMA. The controversial bill that will give possession rights to those people who live on maritime islands, forest reserves and coastal areas continues to be discussed in the government’s Policy Economic Committee.

The bill could have the potential of making all beaches, islands, forest reserves, historical sites and tourists’ sites into private properties, which could be prejudicial to the country.

The proponent of the bill, the legislator Freidi Torres wants to give the land to people who have worked and lived on it for many years. However the danger exists that in the future the beneficiaries could decide to sell their properties to property developers, who could then transform the coast line and its islands into a series of private resorts.

Legislator Pedro Miguel Gonzalez said that the bill just wants to bring justice to the residents and investors of the coastal areas, that currently are not able to obtain possession rights from the Land Registry, because the present legislation prohibits the government from giving title to property in coastal areas.

Currently the National Program for the Administration of Land PRONAT (Programa Nacional de Administración de Tierras) is involved in a program that is giving possession rights to peasants who have occupied the land for generations and Torres’ bill wants to extend that to coastal properties.

Mireya Acevedo, who has a coastal property in the Azuero region said that she only wants to have possession rights and a piece of paper that proves that fact, to avoid squatters trying to take over her land. “I do not care who gives us the title, we only want to have the assurance that the land is mine. I just want to grow my crops.”

PRONAT coordinator, Rolando Armuelles said that the main problem is the value of the land and the people who are going to receive papers proving that they have possession rights.

Armuelles said that the bill is not an open invitation to property developers to come and build resorts on the Panamanian coast, “The aim of the bill is for the residents to have a title giving them possession rights, so if they decide to sell they can do so at a profit”.

Meanwhile environmental groups oppose the bill saying that could cause irreparable damage to marine reserves such as the one in Coiba and Chiriqui, where construction is prohibited.