Hot on the heels of the destruction of 181 trees in Obarrio comes a threat to  Panama’s Metropolitan Park  from the bulldozers and concrete machines of a government ministry.

The  Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF)  wants to cover 10 hectares of protected natural jungle with cement to build a new police headquarters.says  La Prensa,

Metro Park, covers 265 hectares and  is the only tropical forest park within a metropolitan area in Latin America. It is home to myriads of birds and mammals and   is  where the  world famed Audubon, Society conducts regular dawn tours for visitors  to see and hear the birds who live and nest there

  Conservation groups and business organizations are already girding for the fight, but if history is any guide it will be a losing battle. 

The last time the park was stripped of land was in 1995 under the government of then-President Ernesto (El Toro) Perez Balladares. The 1985 law prohibiting the construction of civil works in the area was changed and the Bull built the North corridor across the park.
The current government, led by the party for Democratic Change, and the Panameñista Party would have to apply the same formula to construct the new HQ of the National police.
La Prensa says conservation groups have decided not not to give away one square centimeter of the park and the The Association of Business Executives, has also expressed concern about the potential devastation of the area and will "defend the integrity" of the reservation.
If the Voice of the People won’t be heard, perhaps the voice of Business will.
The park was originaly preserved in 1985 “to help maintain the balance between the natural and urban environment in particular, to prevent pollution and promote a healthy environment"

So far there is nothing has yet been firmed up about the project, and the government has to face not only groups dedicated to protecting the environmentbut must resolve the legal issue of the 1985 law creating the park, which prohibits construction of civil works.

Conservationists are aware that this obstacle couls easily be sidestepped, since the government has a majority in the National Assembly, and as happened during the Pérez Balladares administration the law could be modified.

Alejandro Balaguer, president of the Fundación Albatros Media, said the construction of a new police headquarters in the area is just the "tip of the iceberg" of what can happen. "Today it's the police, tomorrow a real estate project," he said.

“What I see is madness because it is "weaponizing" a protected area. There are other places where . the headquarters can be located, said Balaguer.

Ruben Castillo, president of The Association of Business Executive (APEDE), said the Association will defend the integrity of the park.

It argues that it should seek other alternatives before considering the destruction of the protected area. "The building will have a severe impact on the park," he said.

Groups opposing the initiative, and listed by La Prensa include The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Environmental Advocacy Center (CIAM). To Mayte Gonzalez, director of TNC, the initiative is a reflection that there is no environmental policy in the country. 

CIAM has launched a "Not a tree less" campaign to defend the park. area. {jathumbnail off}