Since 2003, the tiny Naso indigenous community has fought to a standstill construction of the 33-megawatt Bonyic dam on the Teribe River, a tributary of the Changuinola. The project, undertaken by Hidro-Teribe, a subsidiary of Colombian public utilities company Empresas Publicas de Medellín, also was opposed by Panamanian and Costa Rican environmental organizations because of its proximity to La Amistad International Park. The 4,010-square-kilometer (1,550-square-mile) park spans the Costa Rica-Panama border, protects countless species of tropical plants and wildlife, and is the largest nature reserve in Central America.  This week the battle was lost.

The first of three turbines at Bonyic hydroelectric station, built and operated by Empresas Públicas de MeFrom a statement issued by Empresas Públicas de Medellín (EPM):

Hydroelectric Bonyic, part of the EPM Group, is now uploading power to the electrical system of Panama

• This is the first international hydropower generation project by the EPM Group
• Because it is hydraulic and not thermal and energy, it will help to decrease the value of tariffs in Panama and contribute to the quality of life of people
• The project is a model in environmental management and working with indigenous communities in its area of ??influence

Bonyic, the first hydropower generation center by EPM built abroad, has started commercial operations in the energy market in Panama, announced Juan Esteban Calle Restrepo, General Manager of EPM and leader of the EPM Group on Wednesday .dellín, has started generating electricity, with an overall investment of $314 million, for a total of 32MW.