Piles of copper concentrate from a Canadian-owned mine closed by the Panama courts in 2023 sit on the shores of the Caribbean Sea and is now approved for export, to the dismay of environmentalists. The permit granted by President Jose Raul Mulino has returned optimism to the mine's workers, most of whom lost their jobs in 2023. Supporters and opponents of the mine believe this is a first step toward its reopening, although the right-wing leader claims there are still matters to negotiate. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES