Michael and Helen Cook

I was a child when my interest in the Panama Canal was first peaked. “A man, a plan, a canal, Panama” - my Dad taught me that and the fact it is a Palindrome (can be read forward or backwards).

Well we have been to the museum about the canal, crossed the canal and visited the main pacific side locks.

It is an amazing feat of engineering. 30 million kilos of dynamite were used to blast a way through the mountains (more than in any war previously). Over 45,000 workers were employed the vast majority ex slaves from the Caribbean many of whom lost their lives during the work.

What is also interesting is how the vision for the canal actually caused the country of Panama to be formed, divided, invaded and then united!

Formed - the USA negotiated with Colombia to build the canal and they would not agree to the US price so instead the US backed some rebels from Panama to break away from rest of Colombia. Within 15 days of Panama being formed as a country a treaty was signed for the canal to be built at a cheap price of $10 million for which the USA was sovereign over than canal and a zone 5 miles either side. The Panamanian government was told of the terms without being involved in the negotiation,

Divided - from the formation of Panama to 1999 the country was divided by the Canal Zone which was 10 miles wide. The USA owned and ran this zone and it was quickly seen as an unjust colonial insult to Panama’s sovereignty. In 1964 students took the Panamanian flag into the zone to raise it in key locations. Violence followed and about 20 were killed. Panama broke international relations with USA.

The USA was increasingly losing the moral argument over the canal with several UN votes going against it. So from 1979 to 1999 a process progressed to hand the Canal Zone and operations back to Panama.

Invaded - fairly recently 1989 the USA invaded Panama to implement regime change. The president Noriega (a former CIA agent) was a liability to the US, accused of many crimes and ignoring the election that he lost. The canal could not be handed over to him. The full invasion lasted two months and many civilians were killed. Those we spoke to here said it was very traumatic but the majority of the country supported it to end military dictatorship.

United - on 31 December 1999 the canal was handed over fully to Panama and the “fifth border” was removed. Since then the canal has been widened to allow bigger ships and it has operated smoothly. Ships pay variable rates to transit the canal from $2k for a small yacht to $1.2million for the largest ships that want to jump the queue. Today the size of many ships around the world are designed to fit the Panama Canal. The Neopanamax class (fits the new locks) are 370m long and 49m wide.

Oh and the canal pays the Panamanian government about $3 billion a year, 26% of government income.Read more