Casco Viejo is a World Heritage Site defined by it's massive historic sea wall built in the 1670s to defend the city from attack by the pirates. For hundreds of years Panamanians and visitors alike have enjoyed strolling atop this wall and gazing out into the Pacific Ocean. Today it is one of the most important historical monuments in the Americas, it is also one of the last places we have to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the ocean free from Panama City's sprawl and traffic.

As hard as it is to believe, there is currently a plan afoot to wrap a massive highway around Casco Viejo, destroying the integrity of this beloved monument. This costly project is based in 1970s-style urban planning that equates massive and visible with progress. It would destroy the character of the oldest permanent settlement in the Americas, and undoubtedly lead to the removal of Casco Viejo from UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites.

Panamanians are horrified by the plan and they need your help! There are cheaper alternative routes available, but they will not be studied unless the government can be made to understand why this kind of project is dangerous to the future of the country.

Please express your opinion and send us your comments and thoughts. Whether you are a Panamanian or not you are entitled to a voice on the treatment of World Heritage Sites, so speak up!

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