Following Bloomberg’s October 22 report (full report publicly accessible here) on the proposed Puerto Barú port development and the debate surrounding its environmental impact, Louis Bacon offered the following perspective on his involvement in efforts to protect the region:

I’ve heard the suggestion that my involvement is somehow invalid because I care deeply about this part of Panama. My view is exactly the opposite. People are most likely to stand up for places they know, love and understand. Throughout my life, I have supported conservation efforts in places where I have spent time, because I have seen firsthand what is at stake.

The question here should be whether the concerns are legitimate, not who is raising them. This region is home to extraordinary natural resources, and the environmental, legal and scientific questions surrounding this project deserve careful scrutiny regardless of who asks them. My position has never been about protecting my personal economic interests. It has been about protecting a unique ecosystem and ensuring that decisions with permanent consequences are made transparently, lawfully and with the long-term interests of Panama in mind.