Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Snider
“Panama’s history is tied closely to U.S. imperialism and intervention. In fact, Panama was born out of an act of imperialism designed to acquire the canal. In a little remembered story, Panama was created to facilitate American ambitions for the canal. When Theodore Roosevelt set out to build the Panama Canal, there was no country of Panama. Panama was a province in Columbia, and the Columbian government was proving to be an obstacle with its unwillingness to surrender its sovereignty over the canal zone. So, Roosevelt created a small band of revolutionaries who, without the necessity of winning a revolution, simply declared Panama an independent country. … the U.S. recognized Panama as an independent nation and sent a fleet of warships to protect its new ally. Work on the Panama Canal could now begin.” (01/07/25)