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LEADING FIGURES FROM PANAMA CANAL'S HISTORY TO DISCUSS TRANSFER
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass., Oct. 8, 1999 -- Williams College will host a symposium titled "Transferring the Panama Canal: Passage to a New Millennium" on Thursday, Oct. 21. The event, which will feature leading figures in the canal's history and transition, will be held at 8 p.m. in the Thompson Memorial Chapel on the Williams campus.
The panelists addressing these issues will include Jose Miguel Aleman, foreign minister, Republic of Panama; Howard Baker, supporter of the Panama Canal Treaties while Republican senator from Tennessee; former President Ernesto Perez Balladares of Panama; co-negotiator Sol Linowitz, former ambassador to the Organization of American States; David McCullough, author of Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914; former Vice President Walter Mondale, who participated in negotiations with Panama under President Carter; and Jack Vaughn, ambassador to Panama in the 1960s and later director of the Peace Corps.
Under the Panama Canal Treaties of 1977, Panama is to assume control of the canal on December 31, completing the transfer of authority that began in 1979.
President Roosevelt initiated construction of the canal joining the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in 1903, the year that Panama declared independence from Colombia. When the canal opened for shipping in 1914, the United States military became a dominant force in the region, not only monitoring the canal but also patrolling drug traffic, maintaining peace, and providing humanitarian aid.
The goal of the Panama Canal Treaty's transfer clause was to improve diplomatic relations between the U. S. and Panama. The 1903 treaty giving the U. S. the right to act as if it had sovereignty was seen as a relic of imperialism--inappropriate for international relations policies as the 21st century approached. In addition, the canal was of less importance than early in the century, with only a minority of commerce actually using the canal. Further, naval fleets were then staged in all oceans and so the military importance of the canal was also outdated. The treaty recognized the 70-year effort on the side of Panama to regain control of its own natural resources.
Those opposed to the American withdrawal dispute Panama's ability to manage the canal and to integrate its assets into their economy. The country's government has earned notoriety for corruption, and concerns abound about the implications of the U.S. military's departure and transfer of power to Panamanian elites. Some foresee the possibility of war if attempts to seize the canal threaten U.S. security or commercial interests.
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