The nation of
Panama came into
being on Nov. 3,
1903. With American
warships off the
coast, Panamanians
overthrew the
Colombian government
in what was actually
a fairly peaceful
revolution. The
United States aided
and abetted the
revolution for one
simple reason - to
construct the Panama
Canal.
Prior to the
overthrow of the
Colombian
government, the
United States had
been negotiating a
treaty to build the
canal. The sticking
point was that the
United States wanted
to own the canal in
perpetuity. Colombia
was only willing to
give a 99-year
lease. Frustrated
with the
negotiations, it was
quite easy for
President Theodore
Roosevelt to side
with the
revolutionaries and
create a new nation.
Within a few days,
Phillipe
Bunau-Varilla, a
Frenchman who had
been designated to
negotiate a Canal
Treaty by the new
Panamanian
government, agreed
to giving the United
States control over
the canal forever.
Through the years
of United States
responsibility for
the canal, that
portion of the
treaty became a
festering irritant
to relations between
the two governments.
And as we all know,
the Carter-Torrijos
Treaty of 1977
changed the
perpetuity clause.
As a result the
Canal was
transferred fully to
Panama on Dec. 31,
1999.
Today, relations
between our two
nations can best be
summed up by what I
call a century,
culture, currency
and the canal. First
we have had a
century of
relations. While
some of the period
has been a rough
road - the
perpetuity issue and
Manuel Noriega -
most of the
relationship has
been a close
partnership with
many friendships
developed on both
sides.
Next, we have
culture. I know of
no other country in
the world where two
cultures can be a
part of so many
people at the same
time. Panamanians
are truly
bicultural. They
have roots in both
the United States
and Panama with many
also totally
bilingual.
Unlike any other
nation, the official
currency of Panama
is the US dollar.
That makes trade and
tourism very easy
for people visiting
the country.
Finally, there is
the canal. It
remains an
engineering marvel.
With almost 68
percent of the cargo
transiting the canal
destined to or from
the United States,
the canal is vital
to our nation. Some
250,000 jobs on the
Gulf and Atlantic
coasts are dependent
on Panama Canal
traffic. For that
reason, it is
essential that the
canal continue to
operate efficiently.
The next 100
years should bring
even closer ties
between the United
States and Panama.
One of the first
steps in that
direction should be
a free trade
agreement between
Panama and the
United States. Both
nations would
benefit. With
Secretary of State
Colin Powell
visiting Panama on
Nov. 3, we can
expect to hear more
about this subject
over the next
several weeks.
