Guna Yala islanders in a moral tug of war over tourism, climate change

In Panama's San Blas archipelago, community-based hospitality has long sustained the autonomous Guna nation through island cabanas and traditional crafts like molas. However, sea-level rise poses a direct threat to low-lying island infrastructure, prompting entrepreneurs to develop alternative mainland tourism initiatives. Guna leaders and business owners are striving to diversify their regional economy while keeping environmental sustainability at the forefront. As the centennial of the 1925 Guna Revolution approaches, the community continues to leverage its hard-won political sovereignty to safeguard both its environment and heritage.