Hundreds of Panamanians today took to the streets to protest on the anniversary of the 1964 uprising against US control of the Panama Canal, with some setting fire to an effigy of US President-elect Donald Trump, who has recently threatened to reclaim the vital waterway.
In January 1964, more than 20 Panamanians, mostly students, were killed and hundreds injured when US security forces fired on mass demonstrations protesting American control of the canal. The unrest, which also killed at least three US soldiers, is seen as a turning point that ultimately resulted in the handover of the canal to Panama in 1999.
Sebastian Quiroz, an 84-year-old retired unionist and a student during the revolt, was quoted saying, “Today is a day to honour the sacrifices of our martyrs and reaffirm Panama’s sovereignty over the canal.”
Protesters chanted slogans like “spilled blood will never be forgotten” and “hands off Panama” as they marched toward the eternal flame monument, erected in honour of the 1964 victims. Earlier, President Jose Raul Mulino paid his tribute by laying a wreath at the site.
The recent remarks by Trump over taking control of the canal either through military force or economic sanctions touched off the protests. The canal itself is a waterway stretching 82 km (51 miles) between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and thus holds a critical position in the global shipping route. Trump condemned the cost price of the goods going through the canal and bemoaned the influence of China while Panama has great control over the canal.
Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha shot back at Trump’s threats, stating, “The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian.”
University worker Ivan Quintero attends the protest Trump. Quintero slammed Trump’s words, stating that Panamanians fought for sovereignty over the canal and demand respect from the US leader.
