“We should not forget the colonial style which is well represented by the Parita Church, as well as the square plaza, which was designed by the Spanish construction norms, and which has the typical Spanish plaza arcade” stated Colon de Carvajal, while thanking the recognition made to him as illustrious visitor of this central region of the country, filled with traditions and customs.

Colon de Carvajal highlighted that the appeal of communities like Parita, will allow a tourism upturn for the district since it is appealing for a visitor interested in the customs, culture and all the elements that identify the passage of the Spanish civilization through this community of the Herrera province.

“All of this interests and we can identify it as positive for the tourism” stated the Duke of Veragua, who repeated the mission of the Castilla del Oro Foundation of boosting the tourism development of the central region of Panama, led by entrepreneur Richard Fifer-Carles.

“i feel satisfied because we have done in San Lorenzo some agreements to restore our historical heritage that were forgotten. We are going to push Colon forward, we are all going to pull the wagon” said Rios.

The governor was referring to a gentleman’s agreement between the President of the Public Companies of the Autonomous Region of Extremadura in Spain, Jaime Ruiz Pena and by him, that has as honorable witness the Duke of Veragua, Cristobal Colon of Carvajal, as president of the Foundation Castilla del Oro of Spain lead by the businessman Richard Fifer-Carles, in which they compromised to work together to capture the Fort of San Lorenzo and Portobelo, points of interest of worldwide tourism.

This was stated by chief engineer of the replanting department of the company,  Enrique Melendez, who added that to compensate a thousand hectares, just as how it is established by the EIA of the mining project of the company has made consulting sessions to reforest the impacted areas, in this case, an extension of   50% more than what the Panamanian legislation stipulates-.

The forest compensation also includes the reforestation of water sources like  basins, creeks and affluent in the close by communities that are not impacted directly by the project as part of the contribution that the company makes with the purpose of improving the residents’ quality of life in these far away regions of the country.

Those statements were made ??during a tour by Ruiz Peña through forts St. Laurence and Portobelo, accompanied by the Duke of Veragua, Cristobal Colon de Carvajal, international president of the Castilla del Oro Foundation, which was created by engineer Richard Fifer – Carles with a vision to enhance the attraction of rural communities in the country’s central region.

Ruiz Peña said that all the colonial setting at St. Laurence and Portobelo, along the historic Camino de Cruces, “is a treasure the same size as the Canal and therefore Panama has in its hands the ability to become one of the world’s largest tourist destinations.”

During a visit made in Panama, Colon de Carvajal toured the provinces of Colon, Panama, Cocle, Herrera and Veraguas, to know the advances of the project which is executed by the foundation Castilla del Oro to promote the tourism in the rural communities in the country.

Fifer- Carles intention is that the benefits of the mining to be distributed among the nearby communities to the project and for it to stay in Panama as an element of development for the future when mining itself, which has a shelf life of several year, runs out.

Albert White, director of the Chamber of Commerce, seemed satisfied with the explanation that the company’s directors gave about the Environment Protection Plan and Environment recovery.  “They are doing a good job, that is not what a typical open mine that destroys gives as result”, stated when he referred to the work that the company does under the direction of engineer Richard Fifer Carles.

Business men from this important business community received information on behalf of the directors of the Project,  Lazaro Rodriguez, Corporate Operations VicePresident  of Petaquilla Group; Rafael Eysseric, Operations Director Petaquilla Gold, S. A., Leonel Silva, Prevention and Environment Superintendent.

As a part of this social commitment, Petaquilla Gold SA, executes these initiatives through the Petaquilla Foundation, and more recently through the Castilla del Oro Foundation, which have sustainably promoted the participation of several artistic groups from small communities in festivals and vernacular celebrations, fairs, and carnivals, with the purpose of helping the social development and enhancing and safeguarding the regional and national identity of these towns and their residents.

The days of cleaning of the collaborators of the company Petaquilla Gold S.A., led by businessman Richard Fifer Carles have included the preservation of ditches, solid waste collection, street sweeping, grassland cutting in the sides of the main road leading from the district of Penonome to La Pintada, as well as the planting of ornamental plants in various parks in both municipalities.

The cleanup program has also collaborated with the collection of trash in both municipalities, which has contributed greatly to keep both municipalities, which leads them out of the danger of an epidemic due to the lack of collection of these waste.

Cristo Yacente de la Buena Muerte, donation of the Castilla del Oro Foundation

Redwood, an international consultant in economic geology, said that two universities in Panama City opened degrees in mining and geology, reflecting the growing importance of the mining sector and the demand for professionals in this industry.

One company that has driven this upsurge of mining is Petaquilla Gold, S. A., under the leadership of engineer Richard Fifer Carles, where gold has become the primary Panamanian export product, while business organizations like the Panamanian Industrialists Union (SIP) noted that this metal is the main export item.