Wargandí authorities initiate Panama-Colombia power interconnection talks

Traditional authorities from the Wargandí Kuna Comarca have officially initiated the process of Prior, Free, and Informed Consent (CLPI) regarding the electrical interconnection project between Panama and Colombia. A delegation traveled to Panama City to deliver a resolution, approved by the General Assembly in the community of Morti on August 18, 2026, to the National Energy Secretariat (SNE) and the Vice Ministry of Indigenous Affairs.

This move makes Wargandí the first community to engage in the consultation process, preceding the Guna Yala Comarca and the Alto Bayano Collective Lands. The project, managed by the binational company ICP—a joint venture between Panama’s ETESA and Colombia’s ISA—aims to create a regional energy market capable of transporting up to 400 megawatts across a 500-kilometer route.

Rodrigo Rodríguez, National Energy Secretary, stated the project is part of a sustainable environmental corridor that includes rural electrification and road development. Arnulfo López, General Cacique of Wargandí, emphasized that the community seeks tangible benefits such as electricity and improved infrastructure through this exercise of territorial autonomy.