After years of conflict with the right-wing government of Ricardo Martinelli, green advocates celebrated the July 1 swearing-in of newly elected President Juan Carlos Varela and the appointment of prominent environmentalists to leadership positions in the National Environmental Authority (ANAM). Varela, who won a three-way contest May 5 with 40% of the vote, has promised to elevate ANAM to the level of a ministry, push for a moratorium on new open-pit mining projects, and review existing mining projects to see if they are harming the environment. His government also has appointed environmental activists to top spots in ANAM, including Félix Wing, an environmental lawyer and critic of mining policy, as secretary general and Zuleika Pinzón, a former director of the nongovernmental... [Log in to read more]