A letter of thanks from King Reynaldo Santana, on behalf of the Naso People
”There are no words to express my gratitude for the support received from each and every one of you so that our dream could come true.
We are Naso Indigenous People, one of the seven Indigenous Peoples of Panama and last week the Supreme Court of Justice of Panama issued a ruling which secures our ancestral lands through the creation of semi-autonomous territory – the Naso Tjër Di Comarca.
As Naso people we have lived for centuries in our ancestral lands protecting its forests and rivers. But we were under threat from hydroelectric dam projects and cattle ranchers. In fact, a dam has destroyed a large part of the fish population in one of the rivers.
With this Supreme Court ruling, we will be able to continue doing what we know best and what our culture and way of life represents: take care of our mother earth, conserve a majestic forest and protect the country and the planet from the effects of climate change .
Receiving this recognition from the state of Panama involved many years of sacrifice, a permanent struggle against many interests and your international support through the Land Rights Now petition and all global messages of solidarity on social networks helped us in a key moment of our struggle .
Today we celebrate this great achievement together with you!”
