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Links đź”—
- How the USA Stole the Panama Canal
I’m sure everyone’s aware about the Suez blockage two weeks ago where it’s talked about so much and became a meme. Well, I’m here to shed some light on an equally significant waterway, the Panama Canal.
Backstory:
With the success of the Suez Canal in 1869, people were eyeing another channel that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Panama was the ideal place for the new canal, being the thinnest strip of land between the two oceans. The French started building it but gave up after construction proved too difficult, dangerous and costly. USA took over and continued the works, with the end goal of taking full control of the Panama Canal. There’s just one problem, Panama was a region of the Republic of Colombia, and Colombia wouldn’t just give away the canal’s control.
Solution:
USA saw an opportunity in 1903 when Colombia was recovering from a civil war. USA backed the liberal separatists of Panama to revolt against the conservative central government of Colombia. Having suffered great losses from the civil war and knowing the USA’s backing of Panama (“gunboat diplomacy”), Colombia had no choice. Panama seceded and declared its independence. After “lending a hand” to Panama for its independence, control over the canal was swiftly in USA’s hands.
Keep in mind that this is a simplification of the events. Although I’m aware that the Panamanian identity is distinct from the Colombian’s and has existed before its independence, it’s not a stretch to say that Panama, as a country, was created to build a canal by way of USA’s “foreign policy playbook” of instigating coups to take control of the land for resources.
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