A Brief History of the Panama Canal Zone (Part Four)

0:09 Hi everyone, This is Carmen and Christina. This is Esodia Unknown, a podcast where we talk about Latin American history. Sometimes it's horrible and deals with heavy topics like racism, corruption, and genocide. But more than that, it's also by resistance, power and community. And sorry about missing last week. Carmen here, Yes, I'm so sorry. Twas my fault, it was her fault. Okay, So let's get into this. We have been talking about the Panama Canal so far. We have talked about the Panama Canal before US intervention, when the French were trying to develop the canal, how the Panama Canal came under control of the US, the eugenics slash racists and colonial beliefs of the time, which you know had a huge influence in how the canal was developed and blah blah, and how the Panama Canal Zone towns went from democratically run municipalities to ICC run administrative districts. So that's what we have covered so far. Yes, in this journey. It's been a journey, yes, And we're going to get into the depopulation of the zone towns today and a little bit more also, okay, and that we're also going to talk about Martyr's Day. I don't know what that is.

1:29 What are you going to find out? Yes, So last week we left off with the depopulation order of December nineteen twelve made by Teddy Roosevelt, because we talked for a while about his speech that was called the Teddy something or the whatever, the Monroe doctrine. And then but there's another one that's similar with that heat that's specific, the Roosevelt corollary. Yeah, yes, yes, So a popular myth of the time that people continue to repeat and believe was what was that the zone towns had to be depopulated due to canal construction, But this was not true. The historical erasure of these towns, along with the Panamanian contributions to his own life, have been so forgotten that even Panamanians were surprised to learn about these historical towns.

2:16 The depopulation order came after a long period of debate among canal officials, with the debates largely being about the difficulties of regulating the zone towns and whether it was worth the effort of regulating and modernizing these towns into more quote American towns. Is this even worth it. That's what they are. That's what they debated about. Yeah, in that tone, they said it, do we even want to do this? Guys? Guys? Should we actually like? Are these savages worth it? Is just a worth our effort? And basically that's what it boiled down to. Yeah, jeez, yeah, word for word basically, Yeah. I have quotes later ICC authorities like the chairman George Gotthol's chief sanitary officer, William Gorgis.

3:07 We talked about him last time too. I forgot to put that in my summary anyway, And the head engineer over the Central Division of the canal, David Geillard, debated amongst each other, with some feeling like Panamanians could remain living in the zone and others feeling like the towns had to be relocated. Gaillard thought quote it was undesirable to have a native town anywhere near the docks, that such town would necessarily be a place for rum selling, drunkenness and disorder. Oh look, more stereotypes. Wow, yeah, shocking. Others felt that the towns like Balbois could serve as military basis, and Gelliard felt that quote squalid native villages or slums had no businesses being near military bases. Very rude. Yeah.

3:58 Gaillard also felt that the ICY he was under no obligation to help the Panamanians that would have to be relocated by locating them to a suitable town, and that their only obligation was to pay the owners the cost of the damages done to their few houses of quote cheap construction and very poor repair. I have no words other than this is the American way. Yeah. And there's more to be said, including other ICC authorities disagreeing with Gallered, some disagreed, some wanted to do the writing, and they felt like the ICIC old Panemanians more. But for the sake of time, we're going to skip right over that. Okay. Ultimately, Gaillard and those that agreed with him or won the debate.

4:42 Besides debating amongst each other, ICC officials also brought the issue to the US Congress, and Gottos ended up testifying in one of the congressional hearings about this. And just like the debates amongst the ICC officials, the main questions the Congressional committee members had boiled down to whether it was desirable to keep the black population of the zone towns there or not. Wow. And I think I had mentioned before that the majority of Panamanians in this area, and I mean majority in general, are black. Yeah, we're black back then also, and most of the migrants, like from the West Indies and the Caribbean were also black, like the workers of the zone and stuff. Yeah. One committee member even said quote, the contensus opinion of every witness has been I think that there are no tracks on this zone which are of any value in attracting any kind of desirable population. That American population will not come here because it cannot support itself, that it will deteriorate, and that it ought not to be encouraged. That the only kind of population that would come would be an undesirable black population, which would deteriorate, be a menace to the welfare of the community, require expensive government and policing system, and be detrimental to the best interests in operating the canal.

6:02 Ugh yep wow. Another engineer said, quote, My idea is this that the zone should be depopulated with the exception of the fourth necessary to operate the canal. All the others should be concentrated in the towns at the end where they can be policed and fimigated more economically. Wow, and there's more racist and eugenous quotes, but they're like, oh more of this, yeah, yeah, more of the same point being that they were really racist and eugenists, and it was these racists and eugenis believes behind the depopulation, not the logistics involving the development of the canal, as is so commonly believed. There were others, though, that disagreed and felt it was more necessary to police the twenty five hundred Americans that were there as they should as they should have. They stated, quote, the Americans needed a law more than anybody else. Yeah, but yeah, I mean ultimately the side that wanted the deep population one. Of course, months before the official depopulation order was made in nineteen eleven, the people of Gorgona were notified that their area would be flooded in the creation of the Gatun Dam. And today there are only a few documents that show how the people of Gourguna felt about their displacement. And this was one of the only places that actually had to relocate because of flooding from building the dam. Okay, they

7:34 are literally like one of the only places everywhere else was not the case. Everywhere else was because they didn't want black Panamanians near them, yeah, or migrants. One of these documents was a collective public letter from October nineteen twelve that Gogana residents got together to write to Panamaza National Assembly demanding support from the government. In the letter, they asked for help from the government for public lands to resettle and restart their lives, especially since Banama had done this in the past. And I don't mean it makes sense if you're moving someone because you don't want them there anymore, you should help them move to wherever you find like a location for them, instead of making them finger it out. Yeah, like ideally you wouldn't move them, but like, if you're forcing them to move, fucking help them.

8:18 But one of the reasons they were asking for this help was because in the past, the Panaminian government had given vacant lands to European immigrants. Oh, so they were just asking for the same treatment right in their own country. Right. At times the government did help defend the legal rights of Panamanians, but sometimes they also convinced Panamanians to accept the US terms and demands. And again there's more information about that that we're skipping over. So in the letter Gourgana, residents expressed their frustration and sadness about being asked to leave their homes and hear some of their words we shall all remain, such as nomadic tribes, homeless and without bread, and then they described how difficult this time was for them.

9:04 Quote hours of enguish in the course of our life like that's how they described that time, which makes sense right. They also wrote the painful hour when we shall see disappear the flourishing towns of Gurgona, Mattachin, Mamae, San Pablo, Gamboa, Obispo, and Cruses. So Gorogana was just the biggest town in the area, but there was a lot of smaller towns too, right The depopulation process was a longer one, especially with Panamanians trying to fight for their rights. But finally, in June nineteen thirteen, Zone police put notices around town saying you're hereby notified to remove or destroy your building in the town of Gorogona before August first, nineteen thirteen and so far as available, the Panama Railroad Company will furnish care for the free transportation of the lumber and material in your house to Panama or curon. It will be necessary for the ICC to destroy your building if not removed before August first, nineteen thirteen. So after a couple of years of being in limbo because we're going to residents were waiting to hear whether Panama was going to help them, like the government that and also whether they would receive compensation if they moved before. Like a lot of things were in legal limbo basically, So after a couple of years, a couple of years have been in limbo, going our residents were told they had one month to leave their town, but they go to go. Our residents kept fighting because there was still a lot of unanswered questions like were they still entitled to competation for their

10:35 properties if they dismantled their houses, if they did not take them apart, would they still get compensation? So there was like a lot and yeah, the question was like, okay, what if we wait until they destroy our houses, are you still going to pay us? Like things like that. Ultimately some go to on. Our residents settled as individuals with the ICC and the there was another organization that didn't write down, but it was like the Land Commission or some shit like that oh I did it right now anyway, oh my god. And so so some residents settled with them, they got their payment, and they started relocating, while while others waited it out because they weren't sure what was going to happen. And while free transportation was provided, it proved difficult to transport thousands of people and their houses, like the materials of their houses. By late August nineteen thirteen, the trains were transporting about two hundred and fifty people per day to New Argona to resettle there. And there were a lot more logistical issues that caused Gorogona residents plenty of headaches and inconvenience that we won't get into again for the stake of time. But the main point is that the people of Gorogana were confused and had to deal with a lot as they arrived to their new location of New Grogana. For example, sometimes they had to wait on the train cars with their belongings for six hours. And this isn't the same as today waiting for your stuff, Like right, you're like they're in the elements waiting for their stuff. Yes, that's one thing, and another thing is there's nowhere for them to go because

12:06 they have to build their houses. Right, like Goa, there was barely any buildings because they had to build their own houses that they had to unassemble or disassemble to tracks for it. And I don't think I wrote it down, but I also wrote about like a lot of people not having like shade in the train ride and like kids being like severely sunburned and stuff. Yeah, they couldn't even give them covered trains. Right. By September, it got even harder for Gogana residents to relocate because the ICC tore up the tracks connecting Panama City to Cologne City. And mind you, these residents only waited that long because they weren't receiving answers about whether they would be paid right even if they chose to dismantle their houses. I don't believe anyone for waiting until the last minute to leave their home that has been their home forever. Right.

13:00 Many homeowners pleaded for help transporting their housing materials, but in response, the ICC said the homeowners had ample time to remove their houses, as they were notified in June or July that the settlements would be abandoned. But again, this wasn't the case because they were waiting on confirmation about their payments, and they didn't find out un till early September, and it was like, let's say, mid September when they tore the tracks and communication got around so much slower back then, you know. So yeah, yeah, email, it wasn't a phone call. No, there wasn't enough time. No, And even if there was, I don't care another thing. They in their statement, the ICC called these areas settlements settlements.

13:49 It was Yeah, it was a long established town and so this was just another way for them to like minimize the damage they round doing. Yes, yeah, you're reading my topic, zeal. It's like Ris wins for reasons. Yeah. And there were a lot more legal issues and fighting for compensation between Panamanians and the ICC and the Land Commission that again we won't get into. But one of those was that Panamanians reported being pressured by the ICC to sign away their leases without any competition. I mean that's not surprising at all either. Yeah, as well as the ic C under valuing land and paining Panamanians less than what was worse. Yeah, okay, you know what, I'm not even surprised. I was expecting this. Yeah, yeah, if if this wasn't the case, I would have been surprised.

14:39 While Panamanians had to fight for competition and sometimes received help against the ICC from the government, West Indian and Caribbean immigrants received no competition and no help, although they made up the majority of the population in the zone because the majority of the workers had immigrated there. Right. The Commissioner of Panama even requested that separate railroad cars be used for Panamanians and West Indians. Oh so segregation, Yeah, I don't like that. While depopulation was going on, the Panamanian government passed laws banning immigration from China and West India. And what's the news like the Caribbean, right, they're like, we've already used you for your labor, no more of you. Yeah.

15:25 But while they passed laws banning immigration from these areas, they promoted European immigration. By I hate this, Oh my god, it's giving me like PTSC from like Bukala promoting to the US. No we're not going to now. Yeah what did I say to the US? Yeah? My bad, my men's have worn off. I'm dying, but against my life, I have some backups to last me, like two months, I see. So yeah, they were promoting European immigration by publishing announcements in newspapers trying to attract European immigrants, and this was again to blankyard the population very discussing. Yeah, Panemanian citizens and European immigrants were given free plots of land in New Goggana, while West Indians had to purchase plots, And while Panamanian citizens and European immigrants received compensation for relocating to New Gogogana, West Indian immigrants were only offered free tickets to return to Jamaica, but no competition for the houses they owned. Wow wow, And like they moved to work on this canal or whatever, rebuilt lives because that's you know, when you move, you move everything. Yeah.

16:45 At this point there had been there like for more than one generation, like decades, right yea, yeah, and so they've like made their lives here and now they're like whatever, fuck you. And there was already a long history of like immigran because of the first the railroad, right yeah. Ultimately, the relocation to New Googagona felled and sixty percent of the New Orgona residents ended up believing for many reasons some of those reasons or that Gogna was a merchant town, and so many go to Gona residents had stores. But now in Ygoorgona, they were no longer located in a bustling merchant town, and so they didn't have customers anymore to fuying things. Yeah. Yeah, there was like an over population of stores and yeah, over satuation. I guess that's that's the smart word. There were also no physicians, midwives, or drug stores or telephone slash telegraph services in town, and there was no railroad and no river, and eighteen people had died from stagnant water because when people arrived, the stuff that they had a promise would be ready was not ready for them. The infrastructure in the town, that's the word living. It wasn't there. The stuff. There was no infrastructure basically, yeah, or stuff, you know, Yeah, the stuff wasn't there. In an anonymous letter signed by various victims, that's how they signed their letter, like I'm

18:19 a victim too, Yeah, various victims expressed the pain of their displacement and anger for not receiving fair competition. They called their letter the Offspring of our Wounded Hearts. So poetic, wow, But because there was so much pain there you know no, of course, and here are some of their words. Quote, I'm ready to cry, colonel before God. There is no merit in the glory you're trying to gain at our cost by ruining us and hurling us into the abyss. And that's what they did. Yeah. The all powerful, the only impartial judge without a salary, the giver of truth and justice, will know how in good time to crucify those guilty of what we are suffering at the hands of the Imperial Yankee represented by you. Your name will win glory with the deeds you accomplish with the poor unfortunates, but that will be on earth, where all is efimle Oh okay, I don't know whatever. No, that's not right efimal hold on, hold on, let me look this up. Yeah, I don't even know how to spell it. Your name will when glory with the deeds you accomplish with the poor unfortunates, but that will be on earth, where all is ephemeral. Damn it if I'm just going to play that after your attempt, Okay, I'm not going to say it again. The point is that I can pronounce that word. Yeah, but there in the other world where everything has to be just and right. It will be different. He who

19:50 makes victims of the poor unfortunate cannot be glorified by God. And this reminded me of the speech from the Adams family, which, oh wo, when Wednesday's like years from now, your people will be blah blah blah. It just I don't know, it gives out those vibes. No, but it is. It is true, and like we can only hope that. I mean, it has yet to happen, you know, Like yeah, but no, I mean, what else can you do but like try and curse everyone? And this comes up again later. Oh yeah, in the letter they're like, you know, we can't do anything now, you guys fucking suck with your pinky bullshit, but God they will punish you. Yeah, yeah, so yeah.

20:34 The main points of the letter were to express how sad and difficult it was for the Pandemanians to leave their homes. Sad, difficult, infuriating. Yeah, that the US cared more about the glory to be gained from building the canal than the pain they cost, of course, and that the compensation they received was unjust and yeah, and it was truly. The letter also said that the Canal authorities burned down houses after forcing people out. But I haven't. I didn't look up anywhere else to see what happened. But the letter expressed that that happened. I believe it me too. The letter also expressed that Panamanians were under no obligations to contribute their lands to the development of military bases, and that the US should have acquired the land legitimately. So the they're in their letter, they're like accusing the government. You're saying, you need these lands for the canal. You actually want them to build military bases.

21:31 And we do not owe you our land for you to build military base, military bases on it. And I mean the US did end up building military bases, yeah, the yeah, depipulated zones, not only in the canal you know zone. Yeah, but it's true, like if they're invoking the treaty that was not in the agreement of the treaty, no, you know, and so and so they thus they are invalidating the treaty themselves. Yeah, but that doesn't matter to them, No, it doesn't. And the letter ended with the words, from gatun to the most remote place of the canal zone, we're uniting in a single echo the most righteous melddictions which each one of those victims is hurling upon you and your government every day as the only consolation that remains to them. So basically, all we can do, or all that is left for us to say or do, is to manalos yes as what it says. Okay, souse, they're saying like all of us were uniting in this big yeah, yeah, go to hell. And there's also a song from that time that oh well, the song became popular like about ten years later after the depopulation orders, but it was a recorded song, and not many songs of that time were recorded, right. That just shows how popular it was. Do you have the name it? So

23:03 the song, I don't know. It just it didn't really have a name in the book. It just said it's a version of a song called and a Kite. Oh and the genre of the song is which is a popular genre of that time, and the group that sings it is a group of is Meno. It's old. So it's hard to understand. Yeah, and I have the words here in cas it's hard to understand, so I won't read all of it, but here's some of it. Go Helpdovavava colpa, vamos pronto Panama, colvaan colpova, TiO sam colpeva no second forman canal co helpdova, to keren a, capar colvo Panama, colva, respirat colpeva it opata go helpdva. We

24:43 just really like some of it without the nine that repeats, which is the cold. Yeah. The total is mose naran last Sam either no charan the most todos Banama and in Gistanama they're pretty much repezza after that. But as an English, okay cool. Take the kite before it flies away.

25:23 Take the kite before it flies away. It flies away, it flies away. Let's leave Banama soon. Take the kite before it flies away. If we don't leave, they'll throw us out. Take the kite before it flies away, because those children of Uncle Sam. Take the kite before it flies away, do not have enough with the canal. Take the fly before it flies away. They want to see z all. Take the kite before it flies away. And the natives of Banama, and the natives of Banama, we can't even breathe anymore. They demand everything with liberty. It flies away, it flies away, flying, it comes and flying it goes of all the isthmus. They'll become owners Uncle Sam's little sheep from our homes. They'll throw us out.

26:07 We must all emigrate, let us all leave Banama. It flies away, it flew away. They say they're on the road. Take the kite before it flies away. Wow, powerful stuff there. Yeah, my favorite lines are the children of Uncle Sam. What was the the one that I was like, damn Uncle Sam's little Sheep. Yeah, I was gonna say that was my favorite party. Oh and then also where they say they demand everything with liberty. Yeah, wasn't that so powerful? Because I'm like, how many times is this story of freedom and liberty and blah blah blah and it's like for who though, Yeah, exactly. Wow, that's a powerful song there.

26:51 So Yeah. Basically, the song's recurring theme was that Banama no longer belonged to Panamanians, that the US would not be satisfied with the canal and would take all Panama and throw Pannumanians out. So that was the depopulation of one zone town, but this played out through the other Zone towns, who were even more shocked at their displacement. Because the US could not use the excuse of the flooding from the creation of Le Gatun. Right, Gogana is the only one that was going to be flooded, and the everything talents that they mentioned in the letters, but yeah, everything else is not in the area for the building or for anything. And even some had already moved once and resettled in places like New Gatoun. And then we're asked to leave again, Oh my god, and not asked really, you know, to demand for force. Yeah, okay, So I wanted to talk a little bit about the people of New Gatun who were being asked to leave a second time.

27:53 So I didn't write down the dates of the orders or anything, but the point is that the people of Newgatoun they didn't leave by the deadline that they were given because they said fuck this. And as a response to encourage them to leave, the ICC shut off their water. And then wow, two years after the depopulation order the people and some had left, of course, but you know, there were still a lot of people there. But two years after the depopulation order, people were still in New Gatun living there, and again to encourage them to leave, the ICC shut down the train that ran from Goloon City to Gatun again to like now they have no way of getting to their jobs or whatever, disconnecting them from everything. Yeah, and that was in around January nineteen sixteen.

28:46 So then around June nineteen sixteen, ICC officials tore down the homes of West Indian employees who were considered Silver Row employees and would soon be laid off. So that was another thing too that this book doesn't really get into. But I listened to another podcast and there's another book that I want to read about it. I think I saw you add it to your TV armed. Yeah, it's more about the workers of the canal, but you know, after the canal was done being built, they were going to lead. They weren't going to need everybody anymore, so they were trying to force these people to leave, so they destroyed their homes and eventually the town was depopulated, and then residents of a smaller town Nimon, had to relocate twice in four years. Oh my god. The town residents, also known as nimon Neto's even sought the help from Panama's a National Assembly. They were afraid of having to relocate again and losing their homes for the third time, so they wrote a letter petitioning for help from the Assembly, and in their letter they wrote, quote, Americans take pleasure in harassing us and in destroying our homes every time we build a town. No, because really, what the fuck are they doing? Yeah, like it has to be fun for them. They also accused the Panamanian government of being too generous with the United States because they're like, we wouldn't be losing our homes again if y'all, you know, weren't playing so nice with them. If they it's like they wanted it too, Yeah, in some way, because they're not signing up for them. Yeah, the Limonettos didn't end

30:18 up having to relocate a third time, but they were still fighting with the ICC because when the Zone government was building their houses, they were building the houses with the ceilings too low, and they made their houses too hot. Instead of listening to people who have lived in this area forever and who would know about the climate, they didn't listen to them, and so the Limonettos were stuck living in poorly constructed houses and they previously had well constructed and they were also too far from the river. And I didn't write too much about it, but they were fighting with them about locating to another area where they would still how river access, and they ended up not being able to get that. Yeah. Wow. The people of Chagres also lost the river, losing their ties to a long history of international trade as merchants. The chig Danios were depopulated because the US said it needed the lands on the mouth of the river for the defense and protection of the canal, so military basis right. There are only a few documents in existence that demonstrate how chick Danios felt losing their homes. And in one letter, a man who was described as like a peasant wrote, today the American government demands that we leave this place for a place so distant, abandoning what has caused so much sweat work and hardship. And again, these are people that built their homes and have cultivated the lands, and you know what I mean, Like yeah, yeah, and they're

31:50 being forestyle. So that ugh for to build for the US to build military bases for imperialism. Yeah. Basically, Over time, the myth that the zone towns were depopulated because of flooding caused by the creation of Lake Gatun was propagated. This myth became even more popular with the novel lost towns by heel blast. The Hata, which was about Panemanians being forced out of it was a fictional novel. One. It was about Panamanians being forced out of their homes by the creation of Lake Gatoon. And in the novel, the lake slowly floods the land while heartless Canal police force while they forced the Panamanians out of their homes.

32:32 But that's not what happened. And that's not what happened. Yeah. No, Although this was a fiction novel, academic writing and lore have connected the flooding with the population because it sounds better, it sounds nicer, exactly, Yes, And that was my next point. Okay, yeah, and that's right. That point is correct and erased. The book that I read most of my source for all of this, Medisan Naxo emphasizes the importance of remembering that technological and economic decisions are based on social priorities, on what a society considers to be worth the price of saving, and what it considers non essential. And basically, the US decided that all of these Panamanians were non essential, you know.

33:19 And preserving the history of the depopulated towns was made even more impossible because Canal Zone media rewrote history as it was happening. Instead of reporting the depopulation process accurately, they called the displaced Pandemanian squatters, writing about yeah, and so they would write articles about squatters being moved from one area to the other. But these, again, we're not squatters. These were displaced populations that were forced to rebuild their lives in different locations. And then some were asked to move again and again. Right, oh my god. But again if it's their narrative, so of course they're going to refort is it to make them seem like the better person group? After the depopulation was completed, the ICC started to build the new permanent towns. These towns were fully segregated, with specific towns like Balboa for white US workers and separate towns. Oh shit, I think I meant to write New Balboa, because then I wrote Boa. Okay, one of them is New Balboa, and the words a different towns, but I wrote blah blah twice. But point being that there was specific towns for white US workers and separate towns for black with Indian workers. Wow. And before this, the towns, the zone towns were segregated, but it was like certain neighborhoods were black, certain neighborhoods were white, and now it's a whole like specific black towns and white towns.

34:49 In the new towns, the US government provided all food and all forms of entertainment, and they were alcohol and gambling and cabaret free. So boring, lame. The ICC sought to reform, modernized, modernized, and police the black workers who lived in Naba, Oh. The town was La Bocay, Okay, and they wrote about expelling anyone who would not conform to their standards. I just the audacity to do this in like a whole different country that's not yours, right, is insane, But nig again, not surprising. Mm hmm. All Canal Zone, how do you say that? Commissaries, no commissary commissaries. Yeah, All Canal Zone commissaries were run by the Panama Canal Company and all housing was rented from them. White US Zone residents never had to leave the zone. They had their own US run schools, police courts, with the US flag flown at schools and most public buildings. While the ICC was creating white and black towns all over the zone, the Panamanian government created the new neighborhood of La Exposition, along with the new high school, the Instituto National, which served as a counterpart to Balbois High School. The Balbois High School served as a symbol of the US ability to modernize a tropical Banama, while the Instituto National was a symbol of Banama's ability to manage its own modernity. Eventually,

36:21 both of the high schools came to symbolize Banama's struggle to recover the canal and the US opposition during the fifties and the sixties. In nineteen fifty nine, Aquilino Boyd, who was the former Panamanian Foreign Minister, led protests in which Banama's flag was planted in the Canal zone. I love it and several protesters were then beat by Canal zone police and US soldiers of course. Yeah. These protests led to Eisenhower beginning discussions with the Panamanian government about these kind of issues and as a result, and these continued over to the Kennity administration. But eventually it was agreed to that Banama's flag would fly over one specific site in the zone, which is crazy because this is Panama exactly, Yeah, not the United States. Yeah, And so yeah, it was under Eisenhower where it was agreed that Banama's flag would fly over one specific site in the zone.

37:27 And then issues like this continued happening into the Kennity administration. And then in nineteen sixty two, during the opening of the Thatcher Ferry Bridge in the Canal Zone, which was named after a Kentucky congressman. And I'm like, how are you going to name something in another country over a Kentucky congressman, of all places, a Lisa another more important state. Yeah, So during this opening of this bridge, Panmanium protesters disrupted the opening ceremonies, demanding the bridge be renamed to the Bridge of the America, which honestly is a better name, right because like this is connecting the Americas exactly, America, South America, Socral America. Literally makes so much sense. Protesters chanted slogans while some climbed the bridge structures to hang banners and remove the US name signs. Oh love it.

38:20 They also rushed the speaker's podium, causing everyone to flee. Oh good, run, bitch. And then on January tenth, nineteen sixty three, Kennedy agreed to fly Banama's flag alongside the US flag at non military sites within the Canal Zone and White US Zone residents were pissed off at this. I did fuck them, Okay, this is not your country. This is insane behavior. So they were pissed and one of them even sued, but Kennedy's executive order was upheld by these zones Federal District Court good in December oh.

39:03 In December nineteen sixty three, Canal Zone Governor Robert Fleming Junior issued a decree limiting the effect of Kennedy's executive order, basically seeing the US flag would no longer be flown at schools or other locations, so then the Panamanian flag would also not be flown. No one gets flags now. Yeah. Basically, it's like when your kids are fighting over a cookie and you're like, all right, I'm eating the cookie. Yes, yeah, but that's what it's giving. Yeah yeah, but why. US Zone residents were still not happy, and they defied this decree. Oh my god, I hate them, And so they were flying the US flag at several buildings, including the zones, junior college, and various high schools. One Zone high schooler who led the flag raising at I guess I should saying in English, because this is a zone town Crystobal High, not to the wee. Yeah, you have to be such a dumb bit to be like the manning to fly your flag and a country that's not the I totally hear what she said. Okay, we want just the American flag flying.

40:09 It proves our sovereignty. Go back to your country for your fucking sovereignty. You know what. This is why I have no problem with burning the US flag out protests. Oh god, oh yes, there's just one more sentence. The next step, if they have their way, will be just to fly the Panamanian flag in Panama. Yes, yes, I'm foreign. Yeah, sends spends put for real. Mm hmm. Okay, so this we're gonna add something else. What's next? To find the Panamanian flag and Panama? Right? Oh? Dare they? And this brings us to January ninth, nineteen sixty four. And on this day, the governor, not realizing I guess all the tension about the fire and the flags, he left for some business in Washington, leaving the lieutenant governor in charge, and things really got out of control a little bit.

41:08 So that's why so things got a little wild, how and governor was in Washington. As a response to the US flag being raised, about two hundred Panamanian students from the Instituto National these rivalry. This was a pride rivalry high high school. Yes, well like in Panama, when they're trying to take away you, you being Panama, of course you're going to be like full of pride. Yeah. So as a response, students from this high school, about two hundred of them, led by seventeen year old Guillermo Gevarapas, marched to Balboa High School to raise the Panama flag as was the right per Kennedy's executive order. Right. They were carrying the Panamanian flag from their school, which was a symbolic move because in nineteen forty seven, students from the Instituto National had carried that flag during the demonstrations demanding the withdrawal of US military basis chills, I have chills.

42:04 The students were also carrying a sign proclaiming Banama sovereignty. In the Canal Zone, the Panamanian students were met by Canal Zone cops and a crowd of US Zone students and adults. A half dozen group of Panamanian students were allowed to approach the flag pole, but were then surrounded by a swarm of Zone cops and residents who were singing the Star Spangled banner. They're so fucking dumb. Get the fuck out of here. You're not in the United States. You're not go back to your country. Are you serious? Right now? Oh? My god? And so then these group of twelve students were forced to retreat because they were being swarmed right and during the scuffle, the Panyminium flag was torn. Ah again, Burn more US flags please. The police captain denied any of the Zone residents being at fall for ripping the flag, but one of the Panaminian students said they started shoving us and trying to wrestle the flag from us, all the while insulting us. A policeman wielded his club, which ripped the flag. The captain tried to take us where the others were sold the other group of students. On the way through the mob, many hands pulled and tore our flag. I believe him, no, one hundred percent. Can you just imagine those little, like greedy, nasty hands just reaching little grubby fingers. I'm gonna finish this prog Okay, no shade to white people, just these

43:37 white people, these specifics in Panama. Yes. Yeah, as a smaller group of Panamanian students were joined by the larger group of Penamedian students. They were beaten by police and retreated to the Canal Zone Administration building, where they tried to lower the US flag but were stopped by Canal police. But the Panamainan students kept their protests going, and so they but this week they were pissed and they yeah, sorry for so oh good again more rock throwing, more molodovs. They did do that later, So they were throwing rocks at the building and cars, and they were like they kept retreating now out of the Canal Zone and into actual Panama. I mean, but mind you, this was Panama.

44:20 But right, this separation exists because that's how they made it. Yeah, And so they were being chased by the police at this point. So they were rolling trash cans down the street to obstruct the police cars that were chasing them, and they were retreating into Panama City. Were spread about the protests and more Panyminiums joined, storming the zone and planning Penminium flags. This new group of protesters were tear gasts and in response to them, threw rocks at the cops, who then opened fired on the group. Oh my god. Okay, as saniel I saw Mena who was twenty was shot in the back and died within a couple of minutes, and he was the first one who died and became the first of Banama's martyrs. Is this the day of the martyrs? Yes, this day became the day of the martyrs?

45:11 Oh my god? How many are there? About twenty? Are you fucking serious? Yeah? Oh my god. Witnesses said that Assanio was not actually part of the protests, that he was on his way to the movies and he came upon like the fighting and then at this point the I think they had already opened fire and he was helping an injured demonstrator and when he was shot, wow, Understandably, the protesters became angry. So things just escalated from there and they started to burn cars that had Canal Zone license plates, as well as sending fires to several buildings and railroad cars in the canal zone. The police opened fire again, and Paneminians say the US Zone residents also open fire on them, but this is disputed. Bet I believe them. I know one hundred percent. I will never ever ever take the word of the US police in another country. No militarid of the country. No, no, not to mention they lie. They lie all the time about this shit. Yeah. US authorities asked for help from the Guard Nacional to call the protests, but they declined to help because back in nineteen fifty nine they got involved in similar in calling similar protests, and they were criticized for siding with the US. So they're like, nah, leave us out of this now. You know what they should have done. They should have joined the process, which obviously they can't like do, but like, really, I mean, in

46:43 front of the US District Corps, Panamanian protesters tore down a section of the fence that ran from Panama City to Barbois. This is the fence that separated Panama from the rest of the zone, and the fence was known as Defence of Shame, and they tore down part of it. Tear down the wall. Why isn't this as symbolic as a tearing of the Berlin Wall, as my wife, Because the US is villain in this story, that's why. Yeah. The protesters also stormed the home of the U S District Judge Guthrie Krow, and then the police responded with tear gas and then again by opening fire. People from Elchurillo, a primarily black neighborhood. Yeah, and we talked about this before in the Manuel Noriega episode about the US invasion Young invasion of Banama. So people from Elchurillo joined the protests and they were met by law enforcement with tear gas and gunfire. So this isn't the first time Elillo has been terrorized by US farll no, no, no, yeah, like this here they were open fire and then doing the invasion of that happened later. Yeah. Right, I'm just saying like there's like, yes, more than one, because I I thought that was the only time that like this neighborhood would have been like attacked. But no, and I'm not surprised. Yeah. In mind you the only reason there it was neighborhood in Tritio was because they it was one of the displaced populations. I hadn't even like made

48:14 that connection right now that you said it, that this whole neighborhood exists because of the displacement of the other towns during the Panama Canal Zone. Yeah. Wow. By eight pm, Canal Zone police were overwhelmed as about eighty officers faced and least five thousand protesters. Wow. That's that grew? Oh my god. So then the army was deployed around eight thirty five pm, the US Army, yes, yes, okay at this point because the National Guard refused to help them, right okay. At this point, protesters had their own guns, son personally owned, and others obtained after breaking into the American gun chop in the zone. Good. And so then they basically had like an armed conflict between the protesters and the And I mean they're being fired at enforcement. Like, what did you say? I said, they're being fired at.

49:07 I'm the right to defend themselves. I mean the only reason they picked up the guns and brought out their own guns was because they were being shot at. Yeah. US military personnel and their families fled their homes and other US citizens thaught refuge in the Canal Zone, and then the Guardian and Nasunal finally stepped into help, but mainly to protect businesses from being looted. Several bystanders were shot and killed, mostly most likely by US gunfire. As the US you know, Canal Zone and military. They were the only ones to type powered rifles, and so you could prove right, like right, No, Peneminians did not have these kind of guns. Yeah. One of the bystanders was an eleven year old girl named Dorosa le Landecho, and she was standing on the balcony of her family's as the fighting was happening, and she just got hit by a stray bullet. The fighting continued for three days. About twenty two Panamanians and four US soldiers were killed and hundreds were injured. Tragically, one of those lost lives included a six month old baby girl named Oh Marisa. I know, it's said, Oh my god. The baby's name was Marisa Avila a la Vara, and she was asphixated by tear gas.

50:33 I keep saying terror, sorry, tear gas. Yeah, oh my god. And although they were the only ones dispensing tear gas, the US denied any fault in Marita's death. Are you fucking serious? Yeah? Oh my god. Some say that at least three hundred were injured, but efficiently, only about one hundred injuries were recorded at hospitals. It's like we say in all these episodes, it's always the higher number. Also, like a lot of panamineons didn't seek medical help because they were afraid of being fired from their jobs, right, which were like Panama Canal Zone areas and companies. Yeah you know so, yeah, it was mostactly the higher number.

51:16 And January ninth is now commemorated in Panama as a national day of mourning and is known as the de Martidez or Martyr's Day. After the fighting, LBJ ordered that both flags would fly in front of all canal schools, and the governor said anyone who was in disagreement with that policy would be deported from the zone. Like this is how you this is how you deal with basically, like what would you call these people? It's it's ranking for me the vibes of the J six people. Oh yeah. And also like the lack of dealing with any of it really, like as far as Trump, you know what I mean? Yeah, if it had been dealt with swiftly, would be here. Now. I don't know, Oh, I don't know.

52:00 I don't think so think so, I don't think so and so like here now the governor is like, okay, anyone who has an issue with both flags is going to be departed, Like, okay, yeah, the OAS. We've talked about them before and I forgot to write down their actual name. Yeah, I think of something I don't remember. But anyway, the OS looked into the matter and investigated whether the US were the aggressors, and although they didn't make a decision about that, they did find that the US used unnecessary force. Sorry, the Organization American something right, the Americans Organization of American States, American States. Okay, it's basically like a coalition of organization of like all like right, the US, Central America, and the Americas. Yeah, the Americas, but usually like on the American side of things. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

52:59 So they did find the the US used unnecessary force. Oh good, Okay, I almost thought you were going to say that they were like, no, the US didn't do anything wrong. They did say that the that was unnecessary force, but that it was not excessive in basically trying to shut down the riots and stuff. Okay, so but they said it was unnecessary force, like maybe they didn't have to open fire all those times, maybe they didn't have to dispense tear gas in neighborhoods like where that was killed baby babies, yeah. Yeah. After these events, public opinion forced Panama to break diplomatic ties with the US and they basically broke ties for four months, and in order to re establish relations, negotiations started over the Panama Canal.

53:47 And so there were several talks over the years. And this is highly highly condensed now because you know, we need to end up that way. We've been recording now for over an hour and a half. So there were several talks over the years. Again, a lot more can be said about this. For the sake of time, we're not getting into it. But the zone became Panamanian after the signing of the nineteen seventy seven Torrijos Carter Panama Canal Treaty, with the process of the Panama Canal transitioning to Panamanian control in nineteen seventy nine and ending in two thousand when the last canal structures and military bases were transferred to Panama. And like this is why you know, people are like, oh, you don't need violence, But this would not have happened if it wasn't for the Day of the Martyrs. Yeah, absolutely, that day would not have happened.

54:35 Things would have things would have been the same, yeah, until something like the Day of Martyrs happened. That's what it takes. For legal reasons. We're not calling for violence, but you know, no, you know, of course, of course, of course, but fuck I slumped kidding no, But this is why again when and I've been meeting to make a video about this, and I just haven't because I'm like, I'm not ready for this. But when people here in the US in these times were in Fereragary of twenty twenty five, there's been multiple protests about deportations, right, and at these protests there have been people burning you as flags. I have never had a problem with it. I do not give up buck In fact, burn more flags. That's what I have in sane. If I had a flag to burn, I would do it too. And I say this as like and this doesn't even mean anything, but people keep saying as a veteran, I'm so offended, I don't care. I don't care. As a veteran, I don't care.

55:32 But this is why, as people in the Latin American diaspora, you should not care either, Because the United States in other people's countries killed people for find their own flag. We talked about this in the Ponte massacre in Puerto Rico, that's right, which has been so it was so horrible. Go back if you're new and this is your first episode and you need to know what I'm talking about. That was a horrible massacre and people literally died holding the Puerto Rican flag like by in the hands of the United States. And this too. I mean I only talked about what three deaths, but twenty two Pandemanians died.

56:15 There's a reason it's a day of mourning. Yep, yep. And this is why people need to think about these things, because this isn't the only things. This isn't the only time this has happened. But like, think about those these two at least the Ponta massacre and this day, now that you know about it, if you listen to this episode, when you hear like, oh, you need to be proper, you need to be not that ghetto. You need to be respectful, you need to never you need to respect the flag, like why why when this country has gone and killed people and other countries for flying their own flags. Yeah, I'm sorry, but no, I'm sorry but no, no, But like I said, this Panama, we didn't have control of the Panama Canals. And if this day hadn't happened, Yeah, and it's terrible, and it's it's terrible that it had that it happened. It didn't have to. But because the United States doesn't care, they don't care until something like this happens. Mm hmmm. And that's all I have to say about it. And yeah, I didn't have time to write more thoughts about this, but like, the reason I wanted to look up more about the Panama Canal was because that was a bullshit. Even before the I think before he was even the inauguration stuff, Trump was talking about, oh, we need to take back the Panama Canal and blah blah blah, and no, simply no, leave it alone. This has already been fought for. Panama has already said they will defend their right to the canal because it is

57:47 their right. And so yeah, I mean that was what inspired me and you know, to look more into this, and it's just it's just bullshit that we are here now, you know. Yeah, going back in time in so many ways and expressing a desire to reagin control of the pandemic analogy is one of those ways that we are regressing. Yeah. Yeah, Wow, this has been a long journey and I'm just so glad I know about this day now because then I can justify even more defending the right to burn the us fun that sounds about. It's about Banama and their right to their land and you know, yeah, and to fight against the periallysm you know. Yeah. Yeah, thank you for all your research and your hard work on this, even though you were it was so hard for me.

58:44 It was it was I'm telling you, it's because I literally I get obsessed and I'm like trying to write everything one day and I'm like, this is not humanly possible. Yeah, but that's why in my parts, whenever they happen, they're able to come out weekly. Yeah, she hypercad problems. Yeah, I have problems. It's the sign I probably don' on AVD No, because you procrastinated. Actually, you're right, yeah, because it's so dauntine that I was like wanting to give up and I'm like, no, I read it, I highlighted, I'm like ready to take notes, and you were literally waiting to the last minute possible to write the note. I was I was, yeah, wow, like today you finished them. Yeah, I did. And we're recording. Yeah, oh my god, Yeah, we're going to get it together one day. Yeah. But no, seriously, I'm thankful that you did do all this research because that was a lot of information and still not everything there is to learn about it. And you know, and yeah, that's another thing that I think I've seen like a lot of posts and like stuff like saying like the message like everyone has a role to play, like in fighting against oppression, right, And one of those things is truth telling, right. And I feel like that's kind of what we do here, you know what I mean, Like, yeah, there's so much bullshit spread around how Yeah, no, I was gonna say. I'm like, like, I don't think we well maybe we have said it a bunch of times, but it's so it means so much when someone has messaged us and said this podcast like radicalized maybe because I didn't know about these things that I mean, it

1:00:15 means a lot. And you know there's the other end of that of people like oh they're obviously one sited and they're like misrepresenting. It's like that's my thing. I'm like, we have already learned all the US version of things, which is also biased and propaganda, everything we learn, you know what I mean? Yeah, Like so much has been omitted that has been at the fault of the United States. And so this is just the other side of that coin, which is the reality that people don't want to see because they don't want to admit that the United States has yeah faults. Yeah, even this quote unquote immigration crisis. Who is our fault? The United States? Like you don't want immigrants, you don't want for refugees, and don't create them.

1:01:00 But too late, you already did. You don't fucked around the whole fucking world. And we are where we are, true that and so I will not shut up and so yeah, we will keep telling the truth here. Yeah, and it is what it is, you know. Yeah. I also shout out to everyone that's found us through threads recently because it's been popping off. I'd like three or four yeah, mini viral posts over there, so and a few comments also on ig which is it's viral for us. We do get a lot of action there. No, we do not get a lot of action there. And the same video I put on TikTok it has done well.

1:01:41 It always but usually these things do well on TikTok for us, it was about the bath rights. The bath rights, the video about the bath riots. We have never had a video real dude, numbers like that and yeah so wild. So yeah. If you're here from threads or Instagram, welcome. This is basically what every episode is like. Yeah, we get mad, we get proud, both of those things usually. Yeah. So yeah. Also, one more thing. If you join Patreon right now as a free member, you can follow along our reading of defectors. We're thinking we made the post that we're starting this random read along because you both happy to read this book round the same time. Yeah.

1:02:29 I'm halfway through chapter one now, so oh my god, I finished. I know, I know you finished. I'm thinking what we're going to do is both finish it and then just put up a link like, hey, join us on zoom so we can like all discuss this book together. Yeah, that'd be fun. That would be fun. I think that's what we're going to do, because when we do book club episodes on this book tells it comes out as an episode here. I don't think we need to do that. I think we could just all get together and talk about it, even if it's just being krime and talking about it. I don't care. We'll be on there. We'll be on there for sure. Yeah, so yeah, I think that's what we're gonna do. So if you're interested in that, you can join as a free member. You'll have access to that post and that Zoom link. When I finished the book, we've had a shout out. I think like three members. I'm like one person already read it. Someone was like, oh, I just got it from the library, and someone else had just bought it, but I don't remember who was who was I'm not saying names, but you know who you are. So yeah, once we finished that, we can get together on Zoom talk about it because that book, there's gonna be a lot to discuss. And that's the last thing I was gonna say. And if anyone is interested in our episodes where we yap about I don't know, current events, petty internet drama sometimes yeah, sometimes like stuff we're watching, listening to stuff for reading, then yeah, you can upgrade or yeah, join the paid membership of Patreon for those episodes and a one time

1:03:59 an own stick and I still have Monsanto stickers if anyone wants them from our Monsanto episodes about hate bigg stickers, all the homies, hate Monsanto or all my homies. I don't remember what it's yeah, something like that, but yeah, yeah, I guess this now brings us to the end of the episode, right, yes, and so we have ended our journey with the Panama Canal. We hope this was one less estoria unknown for you. Bye bye,