LAST DITCH OF COLONIALISM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R000700200001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 11, 2001
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: December 20, 1999
• Content Type: NSPR

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Panamanian and U.S. representatives are now in the
fourth round of negotiations since the January 1964 riots
Miss ernburs x is Z'lClt South American correspondent in 13oFotcF which resulted in the deaths of twenty-two Panamanians
I:er
for Copley News Service, and four Americans. Both sides agree that the United
States should administer the Canal and provide for its
I3ogo1n defense. The United States also is willing to return some
Bnclc in 1956 ?'hen John Foster Dulles was warding the of the unused land in the 553-sq.-mile Zone, and ]land'
British and the French to keep their hands off the Suez oN'er certain administrative functions, such as postal facili-
Canal, neither the State Department nor the Pentagon ties. What. has stymied the talks is the United States'
;rasped the irony of the situation. It never crossed the refusal to give Panama jurisdiction over Canal Zone
minds of those in government that what was good for courts, police and water supplies, in effect perpetuating
Egypt might also be good for Panama. Not surprisingly, te Zone's status as a."country within a country." The
h
the thought has since occurred to the Panamanians, who United States also wants the new treaty to extend into
now are talking in earnest about nationalizing the Panama the 21st century at which time I anima would have. an
Canal rather than put up with Washington's intransigence option to terminate the treaty if a satisfactory new
InuP Bement could not then be negotiated," stays Ambassa-
in revising the 1903 Hay-Bunau?.Varilla Treaty. arrali0
.Gen. ? Omar Torrijos, Panama's tough, straight-talking dor David 14. Ward, former deputy Under Secretary of
strongman, already has threatened to march on the Canal tlhe Army and now a Canal treaty negotiator. I his will
Zone on two, occasions. Washington bureaucrats who think end the perpetuity provision which has beet' a substantial
he is blufjiing coulll he in for a surprise. Torrijos may not cause of dispute over the years." Ward assumes, of
be every Panamanian's idea of a benevolent dictator. course, that Panama is willing to wait another three or
(Ile heads the. National Girard, Panama's combined police more decades.
and armed forces, but is not tlie' President, who is only a U.S. insistence that the Panama Canal must be
-figurehead.) However, Torrijos has niachisino, 'and the "etlicientl administered and securely defended" has been
guts to stand up to the United States in a confrontation,. Y
Pentagon, a highly prized. I~itin American virtue wiping out all other' strongly influenced by the which the Pananlan-
sins in Panamanian eyes. Moreover, his impatience at the fan Government and American employees of the Panama
failure of the United States to come to terms with Panama Canal Co.. blame for U.S. intransigence. however Rear
-
over the eliinination of an outdated colonial enclave is Adm. Gene La Roque, former director of the Inter
shared by all Panamanians, who to a man would march on American 1=Dfense College and now head of the privately
the Canal Zone at Torrijos' orders. sponsored Center for. Defense Information, believes the
"I'm no admirer of To'rrijos," said a former cabinet Southern Command headquartered iii the Canal Zone (as
well as the military groups in' Latin America attached
minister's wife, but I have to admit the wan has the
courage of his convictions." She was referring to an at to it) should be phased out?because it no longer influences
tempted countercoup in December 1969, following or serves U.S.. strategic interests.
Torrijos' ouster of aging President Arnulfo Arias the pre- Until the question of sovereignty is resolved, Panama,
vious year. While on a pleasure trip to Mexico, Torrijos will not discuss the issue of new. Canal tolls or a second
was informed he had been replaced by other military inter-oceanic canal.-The government also says that the
officials and was offered a handsome "pension" to stay duration of the new treaty will depend on how favorable
in Mexico City. Torrijos refused, hired a small plane and the terms are.
landed in Panama at dawn to begin a triumphant march on Foreign Minister Tack points out that if United Fruit,
the capital, all of which was televised nationally. From of all companies, can operate without problems under
that moment on, Torrijos was transformed from ail obscure Panama's laws,' there is no reason why Canal Zone resi-
military officer into a national hero. dents cannot do the same. "How would the Americans
In delaying a Canal settlement, the United States also, like it if a foreign government were allowed to rule a
is postponing any solution to the drug traffic from Europe territory within the United States?" he asks. In effect,
and South America which flows through Panama to the the. U:S. Congress is responsible for establishing laws
United States. Due to greaten vigilance over the direct within the Zone and a military governor is empowered
Atlantic route, large quantities of heroin, cocaine and to enforce them. It has even occasionally happened that a
marijuana are being shipped via Panama, a' fact the Panamanian citizen has been arrested in the Zone, ever,
Panamanian Government recognizes. "if we had more. though. he did not live or work. there, and deported to
control over the Canal Zone, we might be able to exercise the United States.
more control over the drug traffic," suggests Foreign - One of the little publicized reasons why a U.S. Canal
Minister Juan Antonio Tack. From the Panamanian study commission has ruled out Colombia as a possible
viewpoint, there is no reason to cooperate with the United location fora second inter-oceanic canal is the Colombians'
C States in solving its drug problem if the United States certain refusal to accept the United States' condition of
will not cooperate with -Panama by abolishing its claim a sovereignty clause. In fact, if the Panamanians had
to "perpetual sovereignty" over the Carial Zone. U.S.' had any say in the matter, they never would have accepted
Congressmen naturally want it the other way round, the United States' claim to "perpetual sovereignty" when
saying They will not consider a new treaty until 'Panama they declared independence from Colombia in 1903. As
cracks down on the drug traffic.
t1Q~
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 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP80-01601 R000700200001-4 STATINTL
May 1972
PA NA MA '. S,. ANSWER,
In their efforts to force Panama to
back down in its demands for a revision
of the fettering agreement on the Pa-
nama Canal signed in 1903, the U.S. im-
perialists are ready to resort to every
possible means, fair or foul-and the
record shows that most of them have
been foul. They began by attempting,
through their mercenaries, to depose
General Omar Torrijos, the commander
of the National Guards and virtual lead-
er of the ruling junta. Then, Washing-
ton's past masters at subversion began
Instigating local capitalists, disgrunt:ad
by the economic reforms, against the
Panamanian government. This was follow-
ed by attempts to provoke conflicts
between the government and the
Church. And when the numerous plots
and provocations proved of no, avail,
another insidious imperialist weapon
was brought into play-slander.
It all began with a "friendly visit"
to Panama, by Congressman John
Murphy, chairman of the House of Re-
presentatives subcommittee on the Pa-
nama Canal. On. his return to Washing-
ton, Murphy, known to be .one of the
most diehard opponents of any revision
of the colonial status of the canal, di-
vulged a piece of sensational "news" to
pressmen: the Panamanian Foreign Mi-
nister Juan Antonio Tack, assisted by
Moises Torrijos, the present Panamanian
Ambassador in Madrid, had allegedly,
for their personal enrichment, organized
large-scale drug smuggling from Europe
to the U.S.A. via the Panama Canal.-
As the sponsors of this slanderous
anti-Panamanian campaign had anticipat-
.ed, the U.S. press and news agencies
avidly picked up this "news." For the
Panamanian Foreign Minister is one of
the most active advocates of revising
the. old canal agreements and cancell-
ing the 1903 treaty. Moreover, the Pa-
namanian Ambassador in Madrid is the
.brother of General Omar Torrijos, with
whose advent to the fore of Panamanian
political life Panama took a particularly
firm stand in claiming its legitimate
rights to the canal and the canal zone.
By their smear campaign, Murphy and
those behind him hoped to bring pres-
sure to bear on the, Panamanian leaders
to make them more , Tractable in tb.
negotiations on the canal now in pro-
gress in Washington.
Operation Slander, however, boome-
ranged against those who mastermin-
ded it. The Panamanian government did
not take a defensive sfance: -within 24
hours if expelled from Panama three
U.S. ' diplomats who had "informed"
Murphy about the alleged drug traffic.
Juan Antonio Tack summoned the U.S;
Ambassador and told him that the Pa-
namanian authorities had strong evi-
dence that these diplomats were in fact
agents of the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA). "The cause of the whole
affair," the Panamanian Foreign Mi.
nisfer fold journalists, "is that of late
we have been taking a more rigid stand
at the canal talks with the Americans."
Washington's brazen tactics aroused
a storm of Indignation In Panama.
Photos of the "diplomats" flying home
from Tocumen airport In Panamanian
newspapers were' captioned:, "Out
with the CIA," "Out with the
Slanderers." The U.S. State ' De-
partment had to apologize-to the Pa-
namanian government. Apologies were
tendered also by the U.S. Federal Bu-
reau of Narcotics and even by the Di-
rector-General of United Press ' Inter-
national, who had displayed particular
zeal In spreading the slanderous
'fabrications.
What Is most Important, however, is
that the crude pressure exerted by the
U.S. has failed to' soften the attitude
of Panama. "We are firmly resolved to
secure the transfer of the Panama Ca-
..rral zone under the jurisdiction of our
country," Foreign Minister Juan Antonio
Tack recently stated. "'U.S. Imperialism
is suffering defeats , in various parts
of the world. It will be defeated' In
Panama as well." J. COBO
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 STATINTL
Aooroved For Release 2007/10/23 - CIA-RDP80-01601 R000700200001-4 STATINTL /
Atner'icans of all cultures- Italian,
Polish, Slavic, Negro, Jewish, and In-
dian-- arc looking back at their heritage
with now p1 idc, They are finding and
expressing now- found identities. Just as
the 1960's expressed the vitality of
youth, I think the 19'70's a:re going to
express the vitality of America's diverse
cultures.
The myth of the "American. melting
pot" has finally given way to the truth
that each of us has retained the traits
and virtues of our forefathers. And it is
a good thing. As we understand ourselves
and the rich. cultural heritage that is re--
spo.*.tsible for much of how each of. -tts is
put together, I think there is going to
be a greater harmony in America. We
a.re going to discover that we are really
not all the same and we are going to ac..
cent each other's differences. Once we
do that, there is going to be less prej-
udice and hate. I. believe that the truth
is going to make us free of the antago-
nism many of us feel: toward one another.
CONG1.Z735S MUST 1,.11) 7 t [.' T731 CIt1SIS
AT PANA1,n
Y t',1 .1011-IN R.. r" t f,rr
OF LOUISIANA
IN TD'd lIOUS1 _OF 1Zr FBPSENTAT1VhS'
I'anauia to persist in its unreasonable
asonable Hence their conduct cannot be c`;-
Wire hicsr7ay, October 13,-1971
RAItIC}.~. Mr. Speaker, in a state- demands for cession of. the Canal Zolie. plained alone as one;of stupidity for the
nlentt on September 22, 1971, before the As the body of the C,ongr?css closest to effect of their action is in complete be-
Subcomrnittee on Inter-American Af- the sovereign people of the United trayal of the freedom of western na-?
fairs of the House Collrnrittce on F'oreigii States, the House should act promptly tions, including Panama, which has been.
Affairs, I strongly opposed the surrender and favorably on this premise. following a suicidal policy that could
by the United States of any of its treaty- Moreover, our Governnncllt cannot affect its independence.
based sovereign rights, power, and au- surrender by treaty or otherwise its con- In order that the Congress may have
thor?ity over Our territorial possession trol over the Canal Zone and canal to the story of Panama's action at the
known as the Canal Zone and urged any other sovereign government or to United Nations and the cited article by
prompt favorable action on house :Cleso- any international agency, including the Mr?. Varney, as well as a report on the
lotion 540 and other pending identical U.N., without specific authority from the October 11 demonstrations, 1. quote the
resolutions sponsored by some 100 : I.Cnl-? Congress, which includes the House as Varney article slid two news stories front
bees of Congress. That statement was well as the Senate. the Now York Times as parts of my
published in an extension.'of illy remarks The framers of our Federal Constitu- remarks:
in tile'Coiit,Rr:.SSCONAL Rscoeo of SCUt.ein- tion were men of rare wisdom and vision. Wuy Is Mr.. NIXoN C1VTNc AWAY TIM CANAL
bet. 23, 1.971, at page IS 99U4 unc]er the title They foresaw the need for a provision. in Goiu?
of "Paniuna Canal Delon g,5 to the United that great instrument to prevent the Lx- (By Ilarold Lord Varney)
States." ecutive from disposing of any territory Despite angry public protests, Washington
Since then much has happened. On or other property of the United States persists In its insane course in Panama. The
October 6, Panama., in line with earlier by pretext of a treaty except; with the looming end of the road will mean the loss
threats by its officials, placed its case approval of both the Senate and the , of Unitccl States control of the Panama
for new canal treaties-before the niem- house Accordingly, that was included in Canal. A graver effect can be the crash of all
bership of the United Nations. Also, on article IN, section 3, clause 2 of the Con- American defenses in Latin America.
October 6, Harold Lord Varney, preni- The Ni:son Aclmiuistiation is deliberately
Stittltion as follows: Inviting a crushing disaster on the isthmus.
C1C'Ilt of the CU1111i11ttCC On PilIl American The Congress shall have Power to dispose Surely no Amcrican President has ever driven
Policy of New York, published an. ilium- of . the Territory or other Property be- to perdition so heecilessly and needlessly.
inatng article in which he answers this longing to the United Stages. When Mr. Nixon entered the white House
tluestion: "Why is Mr. Nixon (:: i ll As far as the. record shows the cur'- In 1969, the Panama difficulties were as nearly
Away the Canal Zone. , In this axti clC lent negotiators for the proposed ran- a tread letter as is conceivable in Latin Varn
bez
rushl
l treaties have never' referred t
f
C
n
-
i
rlcs
P
ana
those o
s
Acimilist atio
i
tht h ama
h
og
tiirls of the daners atanamaaaveeeS ccesve been denied the people of our country by to this constitutional requirement and Eisenhower, icennedy, and Johnson--to cur-
the Inass news media of the 'United have acted with complete duplicity and render American sovereignty in the Canal
States. insincerity by ignoring' our Consttution gone scemvd to he a had nightmare of the
States. As the cuhnina.ting' events in a long and apparently never bringin it to the past. Johnson, v:ho had been badly bruised
ai;itataonal Campaign of hatred 311 the attention of the P inannania,li ncgoti- by the fight over the proposed treaty of 1967,
tepublic of Panama, by its revolutionary ators. Whatever the Scrl to may do as had with a genuine, sigh of relief fuecl away
mlitaiy ' O\emem ent against the Tlillt?C,cl 1?cta1?(iS the projected surrender at Pan- the draft treaties which his inept n.e-oti-
States, there were mammoth clelllonstra- ama, tlie House has thus far been wore tlbledland Palm ost The fo otten~1B1 treaties
Lions on October 11, in support of Pana-? adamant and will likely so r?einain. Yet But now they are back again-aud back
manias demands for full sovereignty our negotiators have gone merrily along witin P. bang.
over' the U.tl.-:o\.vned Canal Zone tern.- ignoring' the vital const.itution.^l provi- Presldent Johr;on had been saved at the
tory and the Panama Canal. While no lion with Chief Negotiator l ob.ert B. An- gong by is comp] tely unforeseen evolit--the
disorders occurred during the demon- cicr,son and his associates evidently try- scisure of the Pan,yma eloverrrnent by a
strations the Panamanian strong lr,a.n, big to weep the proposer -1vcaway ox, nil
),)J.;,,. Gen. Ow it '.t'onijes, made dc:rila? Cana? Zen, unci?r' the diplomatic n
The people of the United 3t,..tCS, t
ture in -
f
u
ltl United S-,..,. es of
the event )'ananra does r]ot ,se it c it's ob-- are v role: nt]y opirosed. to any such sin.
tl]tts involved have
ti
h
ons
e ac
As t
jcctivo of full sovereignty over. the Canal render. become better kno:vn, tile people hay
lane. The unreasonable dens ands by Panama- expressed their views, which arc over
for the surrender of the Canal Zone to vvhelnlint,ly hostile as shown by an ex
tenslve correspondence from many part
that country, does not conform to reili-
of the Nation.
ties. Panama, exists as an independent
In view of these facts, it is difficult to
country solely because of tile Pastime
Canal. Until November 3, 1903, it was understand how President Nixon STATINTL
part of Colombia. if these is to be any have been so hoodwinked as to accept
turning back of the clock of history, the Weak and timid 1.967 Johnson canal
which most i.llou h{.fttl Anleriea.Ils op-? Policies and to retain. the Anderson out-
pose, the Canal Zone should be returned fit in - positions affecting the P ,-lama
to Colombia, which. country in 1.915 roe- negotiations. This action by the Presi--
ognized the title to the I'ananl.a Canal dent is beyond the comprehension of
and Railroad as "vested entirely and ab?- rational thinkers, who oppose assuming
solut-ely in the United States, without the burden of responsibility without
any encumbrances or inclclnllit?ies S; i.lat- authority.
The Johnson-Nixon negotiators stein
soThe to be utterly ignorant or inclif"cer'ent to
The United States boa,, bt all the the relationship of the Panama Canal
rights, powers, and authority of cover- and the s.t.curity of the Western Hemi--
cignty over the. Canal. Zone from sphere, including the United States and
_-sou'to a, which country was the succes-? Panama. The fact that Cuba is already
sor to Colombia, as the sovereign of the under U.S.S.R. control, the further fact
owned and ptll'Cliaser all privately that Chile has I'CCCiht;ly passed 1.11c1C1' the
ovvnecl land and property in the ,one Communist yoke, and the added fact
from individual property owners. It that Soviet power is infiltrating every
would be just about as sensible for Latin American country in a design
Mexico to cienland the return of the aimed at wresting control of the Panama
Gadsolcn Pll1?Cha.5c or Soviet li,llssia to Canal fl?oul the United States seems to
demand the return of Alaska as for make no impression on our negotiators.
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10. JUNE 1911. STATINTL
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The former 'officer, Abra-
ham CCroc