Green power The young generation aiming to shake up Panama's politics

In October, seven months before Panama's general election, thousands of young environmentalists marched through the streets of Panama City demanding the closure of an open-pit copper mine, one of the largest in the Americas.

- Daniel Harkins

They chanted: "Panama's gold is green" and "PRD trash" - a reference to the governing Partido Revolucionario Democrático (Democratic Revolutionary party), which has long dominated politics in the country.

Soon, they were joined by others from across Panamanian society: Indigenous people, workers, students and Instagram influencers. What began as environmental protests against the deal with a local subsidiary of the Canadian conglomerate First Quantum Minerals became a mass rejection of institutional corruption.

With the country gridlocked and the economy crippled, the government panicked and expedited a supreme court decision that ruled the mine was unconstitutional, shutting it down for good. The closure took with it 5% of GDP, as well as thousands of jobs and 70-80% of exports.

But the young conservationists who forced the closure see it as a first step towards Panama embracing its national parks, jungles and beaches and its potential as a tourist destination and green energy hub. On 5 May, election day, they hope to begin building that future.

Serena Vamvas, 33, is one of those environmentalists. Last year, she was hit by a rubber bullet fired by police as she protested against the mine. Now, she is seeking election to represent the town of San Francisco. "After the social outbreak in October, many more  young people agree we have to exercise our vote," she says.

"Those who govern us are from older generations and many do not know the importance of caring for natural resources. There is a long history of a shameful and corrupt political class." Panama's modern democratic era began after the overthrow of Manuel Noriega's dictatorship in 1989 in a US invasion. However, the political system that emerged has been rife with corruption.