POSC240 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Nationstates, Hinder
Document Summary
Panamanian nationalists in 1903 to declare independence, us quickly recognizes them. These nationalists had french advisors in the us (who just happened to be in the. Panama gets screwed, not happy but any backing out now! Created the us canal zone - own mini-america in the middle of panama. Early route /b/ atlantic and pacific- boating is cheap, good for militaries, business, France tried to build a canal (unsuccessfully), so us decided to try to take it over. In 1890"s, panama was part of colombia and colombia did not want to accede. Canal remains useful to the us 1903- late 1980s. Panama is always 16th on any list of the 15 top issues . Generally us public opinion supports keeping it- we built it. Re-negotiations never include change in ownership- panamanians unhappy and show it. By 1972 (nixon), us policy it status quo and there"s nothing panama can do about .