Check out this piece from Dowser on the controversy surrounding the construction of the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam in western Panama.

The Panamanian company Generadora del Istmo S.A., known as Genisa, operates Barro Blanco. Genisa Executive Vice President Aldo Lopez and Renewable Projects Director Julio Lasso are two of the faces behind the project. From their office in Panama City’s luxurious Costa del Este business district, they paint Barro Blanco as an opportunity to usher development into a rural sector of Panama.

Many local politicians, activists and peasants don’t share that vision. They have criticized nearly every aspect of the project – its socioeconomic benefits, environmental impact and local consultation process. The most vocal objection comes from Panama’s largest indigenous group, the Ngäbe-Buglé, who oppose the project even though the construction site lies outside their semi-autonomous region, known as the Comarca.

Read the full article here. What do you think: do the dam’s predicted pros outweigh its cons?