The Panama Canal and America's Legacy of Entitlement

Thursday 02 January 2025 - 16:04

As Donald Trump prepares to reclaim the presidency, his rhetoric has recently turned toward an unexpected target: the Panama Canal. The former president has used social media to express frustration over the fees Panama charges for passage through the interoceanic waterway, which he claims are unfair to the United States. In his view, Panama’s actions are particularly offensive given the “extraordinary generosity” he believes the US has extended to the country.

However, this claim ignores historical realities. The Panama Canal, built by the United States in the early 20th century, was operated by the US until 1999, when control was officially handed over to Panama. Trump’s allegations of Chinese military control over the canal are unfounded, as no such foreign presence exists today.

The narrative of American "generosity" toward Panama is similarly problematic. A key example is the US military's 1989 invasion, known as Operation Just Cause, which resulted in thousands of civilian deaths, particularly in the Panamanian neighborhood of El Chorrillo. The invasion led to the ousting of Panama’s leader, Manuel Noriega, who had once been on the CIA payroll despite his involvement in the drug trade. This action opened the door for greater involvement in Panama’s drug trade by the country’s elite.

From 1903 to 1979, Panama was under de facto US control through the Panama Canal Zone, an area that hosted military bases and maintained racial segregation, even after such policies were abolished in the US itself. The canal’s construction, which claimed thousands of lives, was driven by the US’s strategic interest in global dominance, not by an altruistic desire to help Panama. The canal's completion in 1914 marked the realization of President Theodore Roosevelt's vision of a global destiny for the United States.

The US’s interference in Panama's sovereignty began with Roosevelt’s intervention in 1903, leading to the country’s separation from Colombia and the establishment of the Panama Canal Zone. This was an action “carved out of the heart of Latin America to serve the objectives of a foreign power,” as noted by authors John Weeks and Phil Gunson. The scars of this history are still visible, with streets and landmarks in Panama City bearing names linked to US influence, such as the Fourth of July Avenue, which was later renamed Martyrs’ Avenue to honor the Panamanian victims of the 1964 flag riots, during which US forces killed 21 people.

Trump also has a business connection to Panama City through a luxury condo building that was once branded as the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower. The building, now known simply as "The Trump," has been associated with organized crime and drug money. Yet, despite his ties to Panama, Trump has never shown much interest in the country—until now, when his sudden threats to retake the canal fit neatly into his “America First” narrative, aimed at stirring up his political base with claims of injustice and victimhood.

The US has long been a global superpower, able to exert its will on countries across the world. Trump's Panama Canal rhetoric is just another manifestation of the United States’ tendency to assert dominance, all while portraying itself as a victim of international unfairness. As history shows, the US has a long track record of shaping foreign policy to suit its interests, often at the expense of the sovereignty and well-being of the countries it targets.

In the words of Colombian diplomat Dr. José Vicente Concha in 1902, the US may “toy a little with their prey before devouring it,” but its ultimate goal remains the same: dominance. As Trump continues to shape his foreign policy vision, it’s clear that this legacy of imperialism and entitlement is not likely to be left behind.