Feature: Canal's turning tide -- Panama's path to sovereignty

PANAMA CITY, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino on Sunday dismissed recent threats made by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to retake control of the Panama Canal, reaffirming that "the sovereignty and independence" of Panama are not "negotiable."

"I want to express precisely that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belong to Panama, and will continue belonging to Panama," Mulino posted on social X.

"Every Panamanian, here or anywhere in the world, carries it in their heart, and it is part of our history of struggle and irreversible conquest," he added.

The Panama Canal, an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic with the Pacific, was completed by the United States in 1914 and returned to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed by then U.S. President Jimmy Carter and then Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos. The deal relinquishes American control over the canal by year 2000 and guarantees its neutrality.

A "MADE" NATION

In 2019, the U.S. documentary "Panama Canal" premiered. While the film showcases the canal's global significance, it skips a key chapter: U.S. intervention in Panama's secession from Colombia, which secured American control of the canal for nearly a century.

"To build the canal, the United States had helped Panama gain independence from Colombia, thereby dismembering a -sister republic to secure a canal treaty that secured U.S. interests," Panamanian historian Marixa Lasso, wrote in her book "Erased: The Untold Story of the Panama Canal."

In 1821, Panama declared independence from Spain and became part of the Republic of Gran Colombia. By the mid-19th century, its strategic location attracted U.S. interest, particularly as the country sought a transoceanic canal. In 1903, the Herran-Hay Treaty was signed, granting the U.S. rights to construct a canal. However, it was rejected by Colombia's legislature over sovereignty concerns.

Then U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt hinted backing Panama's independence in a letter to his friend Alber Shaw, "Privately, I freely say to you that I should be delighted if Panama were an independent state, or if it made itself so at this moment."

On Nov. 3, 1903, U.S. warships supported a revolt that led to Panama's secession. Within days, the U.S. recognized the new nation and quickly secured the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, granting it "the use, occupation and control" of the canal zone in perpetuity for a modest payment.

"I made Panama," Roosevelt said.

Construction of the Panama Canal began under U.S. control in 1904 and was completed in 1914.

The surrounding Panama Canal Zone, a 16.09-kilometer-wide strip covering 1,432 square kilometers, operated as a "state within a state" under U.S. jurisdiction. It had its own governor, administration, and military command, with the American flag flying over the zone.

Between 1913 and 1916, the U.S. forcibly relocated indigenous residents, dismantling Panamanian towns and displacing about 40 thousand people without adequate compensation.

A letter preserved in U.S. National Archives, signed by various victims and sent on Sept. 30, 1914, stated the inhabitants of the zone -were treated even worse than "ferocious criminals." They had been denied "a place to live and eat, our lands and -houses being taken from us without paying us justly what they are worth."

In the 1920s, the United States tried to establish the failed Kellogg-Alfaro treaty, which was rejected because it aimed to legalize the presence of U.S. troops on Panamanian soil.

"That treaty completely turned Panama into a U.S. military base, that is, a military springboard for the rest of Latin America," said Julio Yao, former foreign policy advisor and honorary president of the Center for Asian Strategic Studies of Panama.

"WORLD HAS VETOED U.S."

Panama's decades-long struggle to reclaim sovereignty over the Panama Canal reached a boiling point in the 1960s. Escalating protests and international diplomacy ultimately reshaped the country's relationship with the United States.

Inspired by Egypt's 1956 nationalization of the Suez Canal, Panamanians intensified calls to revise the Panama Canal Treaty.

On Jan. 9, 1964, the "Flag Protests" escalated into violent clashes after U.S. residents in the Panama Canal Zone tore a Panamanian flag, recalled Federico Alvarado, now 78, who was among the protesters. Over four days, U.S. forces opened fire on demonstrators, leaving more than 20 dead and several hundred others seriously injured.

The violence prompted Panama to appeal to international bodies. In 1973, the United Nations Security Council held a rare session in Panama City, with the late Panamanian leader General Omar Torrijos delivering a blistering speech condemning U.S. colonialism.

"We have never been, we are not, nor will we ever be, an associate state, colony or protectorate, nor will we add another star to the flag of the United States," Torrijos declared.

A draft resolution supporting Panamanian sovereignty won the backing of 13 out of 15 Security Council members, with Britain abstaining. However, the United States exercised its veto power, blocking the resolution despite its broad support.

"The United States has vetoed Panama's resolution, but the world has vetoed the United States," said then Panamanian Foreign Minister Juan Antonio Tack.

The veto galvanized international sympathy for Panama's cause. The world finally understood Panama's struggle, Yao said.

In September 1977, the Torrijos-Carter Treaties were signed by Torrijos and then U.S. President Jimmy Carter, establishing that the Panama Canal would be turned over to Panamanian control on Dec. 31, 1999.

INDEPENDENCE STILL ELUSIVE

"The Americans always deceived Panama with a later date and never left Panama," Yao said.

Even after the signing of the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, the United States continued to assert its strategic dominance over the Panama Canal.

The U.S. invasion of Panama, dubbed "Operation Just Cause" by Washington, began on Dec. 20, 1989, and continued until January 1990, with the stated objective of capturing Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega on charges of drug trafficking and organized crime.

Trinidad Ayola, now 68, whose husband was killed by U.S. invasion forces, said the pain and injustices of the 1989 military incursion will always haunt her.

Before Ayola returned home and learned of the loss of many Panamanian lives, she had been searching for her husband at the airport, where she encountered U.S. soldiers who "loaded their weapons."

"It will always feel like it was yesterday. I have to live with that pain all my life," said Ayola, president of the Association of Relatives and Friends of the Fallen on December 20.

More than 26,000 American troops participated in the operation, which resulted in Noriega's arrest and the dissolution of the Panamanian Armed Forces. The invasion significantly impacted the history of the Central American country, causing an undetermined number of victims and political fallout.

"According to the United States, the purpose was to remove Noriega ... but in reality, what they wanted was to destroy the defense forces," said Sebastian Vergara, who presided over the association from 1996 to 2001. His father, a civilian, was one of the many innocent casualties of the invasion.

Rolando Murgas, president of the December 20 Commission, a group investigating the truth behind the invasion, believes that "the invasion ... aimed to crush all of our past demands and national dignity."

The commission documented over 400 victims, ranging from a one-month-old infant to an 84-year-old.

In 2022, the Panamanian government declared December 20 a National Day of Mourning.

Vergara also seeks to educate future generations about the invasion. "If it is taught as a subject in schools, young people will be aware that these situations should not be repeated," he said.

"Forgetting is forbidden," Ayola said.

PANAMA FOR PANAMANIANS

It was a rainy day. On Dec. 30, 1999, the U.S. flag was lowered for the last time, replaced by Panama's flag. The transfer, made official on Dec. 31 under the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, marked the start of a new era for Panama.

"And then, after the transition, only the Panamanian flag, and a huge flag, went up," said Jorge Luis Quijano, former Panama Canal administrator from 2012 to 2019.

"For the world, it was just another day, but for Panamanians, it was monumental," he said.

With full control of the canal, Panama introduced police stations, courts, and civil law in the canal zone, with Panamanians replacing U.S. personnel in managing operations.

Under Panama's administration, significant efforts were made to expand the canal to accommodate modern shipping needs, especially as older locks struggled to handle larger vessels. The canal's expansion, completed in 2016, was pivotal in positioning Panama as a key player in global trade.

Today, the canal handles roughly 5 percent of global maritime trade, cementing Panama's role as a hub for logistics, trade and finance.

Panama's Colon Free Trade Zone is one of the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The country's Tocumen International Airport is a vital transit hub connecting the Americas. Panama City has also become a financial center for Latin America, hosting major banks from the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

The canal's importance transcends commerce. At the Panama Canal Museum, a restored flag torn during the 1964 "Flag Protests" reminds visitors of the sacrifices made for sovereignty. The inscription, "Who sows flags, reaps sovereignty," underscores its display.

"We belong to those patriots who do not want to be forgotten," said Joaquin Vasquez, a representative of the Canal Sentinel Association.

For Yao, the nation's journey mirrors broader struggles in the Global South. Yao draws parallels with regions like Africa and the Middle East, noting that shared histories of domination and resilience shape their paths forward.

"That is a great awakening for a region that has been very impoverished, very dominated, very interfered with, and very manipulated. I think there is a reason to feel optimistic," Yao said.

"I believe very firmly in the Global South," Yao added. "It is the right path." ■