United States and protection on the Panama Canal
In this investigation I will answer my question? In which I will use 2 secondary sources to reach a conclusion.
Source 1: Fitzgerald. L. History of relations between Panama and the United States: Panama, Panama. Editor Sibauste.
The origin of the first source is secondary taken from a book History of Panama Relations and the United States of the author and professor Fitzgerald, Luis.
The author’s purpose is to transmit about how the United States was related to Panama mainly at the beginning of the construction of our channel which made security of the entire Panama Canal area.
Source 1 presents a great historical value according to its origin since it is a book written by the Panamanian author and professor Luis Fitzgerald, which tells us impressively as enriched the relations between these two countries spoken above, according to their purpose it makes us Know that Panama with the United States had to relate to get a channel in the Central American Isthmus since this was a proposed project by the United States.
This source presents limitations according to its origin since the author is Panamanian and can only testify to what he knows or what he wrote, also because the book is published in very recent times. Therefore, in its purpose the author only makes known in general about all the relationships that Panama had at the time that our interoceanic path was newly built. As for its content, it makes us known only a part of why the United States is located in the Canal area just built this.
This source is important for my research since it allows us to see and analyze the development of military bases near our channel.
Source 2: Selser, G. The US bases. UU in Panama and the fate of South Command: Mexico, Mexico. International editorialist.
The origin of this source is secondary taken from a digital book downloaded on the website of the author Gregorio Selser Professor and Argentine journalist.
The purpose of this source is to transmit about the United States military bases established in Panama with the fate of the South Command.
This source presents a value according to its origin since it is a digital book of the Argentine professor and journalist Gregorio Selser, so it is assumed that it is of secondary origin. The value of the source according to its purpose is that its author wishes to transmit how the military bases and the Southern Command influence more than everything to the vicinity of the interoceanic channel. The value according to the content is that the Argentine Gregorio Selser makes us known his testimonies.
As for the limitations, in its origin because it is a book downloaded from a website. On the other hand, another limitations is the date of publication since it is contemporary to the facts.
This source allows us to understand the perspective of influence by the United States to Panama in military bases.
Research
Since the construction of our Panama Canal the United States of America, new military bases for the great safety of the channel were influenced, decides to do this together with the South Command since it was of great help for many Panamanians and that When this country is at war then the interoceanic route is protected. The South Command was created with the aim of caring for the channel. The historian Verenori, M clarifies “the political purposes of military training and the extent to which the same and the presence of United States armed forces in the area of the channel against, as it is in public notorious of the will of the Panamanian people and government contribute to the maintenance of the global and not only military dependency of much of the countries of Central America ”. The defense of the channel was one of the arguments so the Americans spent greater times near the banks of the Panama Canal. Since the 1850s, with the construction of the Transistmic Railroad, many US troops arrive in Panama and intervene in the isthmus many times, some cases wanted to do so and also because they wanted to rely on the Mallarino-Bidlack treaty and another because it was a command of the government of the government of Colombia. From the separation of Panama from Colombia in 1903 the presence of US troops became even more permanent. In addition, the United States government decides to create command which unifies various parts of the world and that is where the Caribbean command is designated, which is one of those located in the country of Panama, but it is not until 1963 that This Caribbean command is called "South Command". More than all United States creates the South Command with a goal and it was for the newly built Panama Canal to defend.
Panamanian control
The security of the Panama Canal, since past times the two countries involved in this construction had been practicing and carrying out many positions for the preparation of the strategic future for the surveillance of this interoceanic route. More than all these two countries, they wanted. But over time both nations fell into a crisis and the Panamanians who were receiving military classes, had to withdraw from the military academy where they were learning. Puerto Rican professor Carlos Pérez Morales emphasizing “we know about the existence of the multiple air bases in Panama established by the South Command (EE. UU), although the authorities deny it and that much of their military when they return to Puerto Rico are displays of the operations that have carried out in the Panamanian territory ”. Certain documents refer that in the year of the presidency that the president Ricardo Martinelli still ruled signed as an agreement in conjunction with the US Department of Defense to build some “naval-naval bases” that were located in the two coasts of Panama , but this caused a great protest by the Panamanian people, which the government preferred to stay away from those things and be silent.
Past stories
At that time many areas suffered great changes in the case of Albrook that there were many uniform spaces that have passed to great different styles. According to the press reports "The history of Panama in the twentieth century was marked by a fight against the neocolonial and military occupation of the United States". When talking about stories of the past it was when Panama was still in command of the United States government and many Panamanians still remember her as it would have been today and that also at school the teachers taught about this class. Just as some people have also remembered the history of the Panamanian people and that also does not give so much the subjects that talk about this particular issue no longer occur. Some Panamanian people give testimonies about military bases and say that these military bases do not belong to the Panamanian people but to the United States.
Importance of military bases in terms of their space
When the USA. The UU placed the military bases on Panamanian soil, many argued that this could bring many consequences, but it was not so since these areas later converted them throughout that implanted and settled many projects such as: airports, tourist centers and also commercial areas Industrial, but as mentioned above, this would have consequences and thus it was, there were “spaces contaminated with explosives” so that when time passed, some of these places have been abandoned and are decompleted deterioration since they failed to keep them in good condition.
According to scholars of the channel reversal theme, they affirm that "making a balance, there has been little the use that has been given to the old American military bases that surrounded the Panama Canal during the twentieth century".
One of the military bases that settled the United States we can mention what is in Ciudad del Knowledge the so -called Clayton base, located with a view in front of the channel; It was also one of the southern command headquarters. When the channel passes to Panamanian hands in 1997 with the Torrijos-Carter Treaty the Clayton base is divided into two parts that are the city of knowledge and the Clayton Garden City.
The Clayton base was delivered in 1999 with the reversal of the channel at the hands of the president of Panama Mireya Moscoso by the commander of the "South Army" Edward Schumman.
The United States decides to install military bases in Panama since Japan attacked its military base in 1941 located in Pearl Harbor, so then..UU was convinced that the next objective would be in the Panama Canal therefore began to build their bases in most of the Panamanian territory for military use. According to López, K (2017) argues that “in Cerro Ancón there was a forest that in a case of attack that was given to certain military bases of shares the South Command could gather under the Ancón hill and there they structured his attack, his technique And they maintained direct communication with Washington D.C ". These military bases are built fences from the banks of the channel at 100 from the interoceanic road.
In the years 1942 and 1979 the entire country of Panama acted as a military base in the United States where they prepared their strategies and attacks. The press declares that “more than 67,000 American military a possible military objective of the power of the axis ".
Reflection
Finishing this work I have realized that many times historians have many limitations regarding their investigations. For me these books used have been very useful since they helped me a lot in my historical research.
When the investigation began to work, there were many limitations respectively when using the books since it did not have enough, and also those that I found were not reliable sources therefore I limit this part. In this research, so many PDF, newspapers and magazines with authors were used supported websites.
When I had to choose the issue I focused more than everything to study something that was part of the past here in Panama, therefore I found that the United States government had installed military bases for years to protect the channel, which caught my attention And I started seeing if I had more or less a total of about 5 reliable sources of books.
The role of the historian is very important since many times he makes us known his views about the subject, but, in addition, this happened here in Panama then the journalists also interviewed many people who were for the time of the installation of the military bases at each point in the country
There are still memories of when in Panama they installed these bases with the help of the South Command, in addition there are some that have revived them of the oblivion in which they had them and a very important example is the basis that is located in the city of knowledge and also the very known Clayton base. At that time many Panamanians were in total disagreeing that the United States was or spent so much time in areas of the channel.
References
- Fitzgerald, l. (2016). Stories of relations between Panama and the United States . Panama, Panama: Sibauste.
- Selser, g. (1982). The bases of the United States in Panama and the fate of the South Command. Mexico: International Editorialist .
- Guevara, h. (March 12, 2016). Tour for the old military bases of the channel. Obtained from the press: https: // www.press.com/Cultura/Tour-Antiguas-BaSes-Militaries-Canal_0_4435056590.HTML
- López, k. (March 25, 2017). New military -based life in Panama. Obtained from The New Day: https: // www.the new day.com/news/premises/note/newvidaabasemilitarenpanama-2304018/
- Tenesi, m. (October 13, 2002). old military bases, national development engine . Obtained from El Panama América: https: // www.Panamaamerica.com.PA/OPINION/LAS-ANTIGUAS-BASES-MILITARES-MOTOR-DE-DEVELLO-NACIONAL-103540
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