Panama has not authorized visits to First Quantum's inactive Cobre Panama mine, according to a statement from the country's Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 

The ministry clarified that any entry of third parties to the facilities has been managed solely by the company, without the participation or endorsement of the National Government. Minister Julio Molto shared this statement on X, noting that the Panamanian government is in the process of contracting a comprehensive audit aimed at technically and objectively evaluating the current state of operations and their environmental impact.

This announcement follows First Quantum's recent announcement of a program for visits to the Cobre Panama copper mining site, which has been closed since 2023 due to an environmental dispute with the country. The Panamanian government is concerned that public visits could compromise the impartiality of any analysis regarding the Cobre site and the existing stocks of copper concentrate. 

Prior to its closure, the mine was among the world's leading sources of copper, contributing 1% of global output.