{"id":12629,"date":"2026-04-13T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=12629"},"modified":"2026-04-11T21:47:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T02:47:57","slug":"massive-trash-wave-hits-panama-citys-matias-hernandez-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/environment\/massive-trash-wave-hits-panama-citys-matias-hernandez-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Massive Trash Wave Hits Panama City’s Mat\u00edas Hern\u00e1ndez River"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Powerful weekend rains swept a massive wave of solid waste into the Mat\u00edas Hern\u00e1ndez River in Panama City. The incident, captured on video this Saturday, has reignited concerns about urban pollution and inadequate solid waste management<\/a> systems in the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Footage shared widely on social media shows a dense, floating mass of plastic bottles, packaging, and other debris clogging the river’s mouth near the Costa del Este area. This visual evidence highlights a recurring seasonal problem where trash from streets and drains ends up in vital waterways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“We are waiting for the ratification of a river cleanup project that will address this pollution in the Mat\u00edas Hern\u00e1ndez River, the R\u00edo Abajo River, and the coastal beaches of Panama Bay,” said Panama District Mayor Mayer Mizrachi in a social media post. [Translated from Spanish]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Local observers note these scenes repeat almost every rainy season. Stormwater systems carry litter from across the city into rivers, which then transport it directly into the Panama Bay<\/a>. The cycle underscores a persistent failure to manage waste at its source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

@feliciailso<\/a> After seeing Netflix Plastic documentary #plastica<\/a> #panama<\/a> #ocean<\/a> #trash<\/a> #healtheworld\ud83c\udf0d<\/a> \u266c originalljud – feliciailso<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote>