Torrijos-Carter Treaties
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The Torrijos-Carter Treaties (sometimes referred to in the singular as the Torrijos-Carter Treaty), are a pair of treaties signed by the United States and Panama in Washington, D. C. on September 7, 1977, abrogating the Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty signed in 1903. The treaties guaranteed that Panama would gain control of the Panama Canal - then under US control, after 1999. The treaties are named after the two signatories, U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos. Torrijos was not democratically elected, having taken power in a coup in 1968, but is generally considered to have had widespread support in Panama for the signing of the treaties.
This first treaty is officially called The Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, commonly referred to as the Neutrality Treaty. Under this treaty, the U.S. retains the permanent right to defend the canal from any threat that might interfere with its continued neutral service to ships of all nations. The second treaty is called The Panama Canal Treaty. It is this treaty which insured that after the year 2000, Panama would assume full control of canal operations and become primarily responsible for its defense.
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Ratification
Both treaties were subsequently ratified in Panama by a two-thirds majority in a plebiscite held on October 23, 1977. To allow for popular discussion of the treaties and in response to claims of American treaty opponents that Panama was incapable of democratically ratifying them, restrictions on the press and on political parties were lifted several weeks prior to the vote. On the day of the vote, ninety six percent of Panama's eligible voters went to the polls, the highest voter turnout in Panama up to that time. The neutrality treaty was of major concern among voters, particularly on the political left, and was one reason why the treaties failed to obtain even greater popular support.
In the United States, the Senate ratified the first treaty on March 16, 1978 and the second treaty on April 18.
The treaties were the source of some controversy in the United States, particularly among conservatives such as Strom Thurmond and Jesse Helms who regarded it as the surrender of a strategic American asset to what they characterized as a hostile government. In the year preceding the final transfer of canal assets, there was an effort in the United States Congress, notably House Joint Resolution 77 introduced by Helen Chenoweth-Hage, to declare the Carter-Torrijos treaties null and void. Despite the fact that the pullout of the United States is now complete, there are still organizations (primarily on the far right of American political spectrum, such as the John Birch Society) that urge the United States to declare the treaty null and void. Support of HJR 77 was part of the 2000 platform of the Texas Republican Party, but no longer appears in the 2004 platform.
Possible sabotage
According to the New York Times, the day after the Senate ratified the treaty, Torrijos declared that his regime had contingency plans to sabotage the canal if ratification had failed. In August, 1990 the Chicago Tribune reported that documents captured by the U. S. military revealed that Torrijos had asked Manuel Noriega to prepare such plans. Noriega's handwritten notes on the plan were found during the 1989 invasion.
These reports were confirmed in Noriega's book, America's Prisoner published in 1997. The contingency plan was code-named "Huele a Quemado" ("It smells like something's burning."). In Noriega's account, Panamanian military specialists, had infiltrated the U.S. security cordon and lived for two months, posing as peasants and fishermen. They were prepared to assault the canal and the Panama-Colón railway with explosives and rocket launchers upon Torrijos' signal, to be broadcast as a coded message on the program of a popular radio personality.
In the book, Noriega also repeats the charge made by critics of American foreign policy that the invasion of Panama under Operation Just Cause was launched primarily to circumvent the treaty.
Historical perspective
The Panama Canal Treaty laid out a timetable for the transfer of the canal, leading to a complete handover of all lands and buildings in the canal area to Panama. The most immediate consequence of this treaty was that the Canal Zone, as an entity, ceased to exist on October 1, 1979. The final phase of the treaty was completed on December 31, 1999. On this date, the United States relinquished control of the Panama Canal and all areas in what had been the Panama Canal Zone.
As a result of the treaties, by 2000 nearly 1,500 km² (about 370,000 acres), including some 7,000 buildings, such as military facilities, warehouses, schools and private residences, were eventually transferred to Panama. In 1993, the Panamanian government created an agency (Autoridad de la Región Interoceánica or The Interoceanic Region Authority, commonly referred to as ARI) to administer and maintain the reverted properties.
The groundwork for these treaties was laid in 1974, with an eight point declaration signed in Panama City by the American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and the Panamanian Foreign Minister Juan Antonio Tack. Nevertheless, Panamanian efforts to renegotiate the original Hay-Bunau Varilla Treaty, had been ongoing almost since it was first signed in November of 1903, a few weeks after Panama obtained its independence from Colombia. However, activity to renegotiate or abrogate the treaty increased considerably after events in 1964 precipitated a complete breakdown in relations between the U.S. and Panama. Indeed on January 9 of that year hostile Panamanian crowds attempted to enter the Canal Zone area, in protest against what Panamanians perceived as an attack by Canal Zone Police on Panamanian students who had participated in a flag-raising event in the Canal Zone. Widespread rioting ensued, during which over 20 Panamanians were killed and about 500 were injured. Most of the casualties were caused by fire from U. S. troops, who had been called in to protect Canal Zone property, including private residences of (mainly American) Canal Zone employees. However, the U. S. military later provided evidence that some shots were fired from buildings in Panama outside U. S. control, which could also have been responsible for some of the casualties.
The next day, January 10, Panama broke off diplomatic relations with the United States and on January 15, the President of Panama, Roberto Chiari declared that Panama would not re-establish diplomatic ties with the United States, until the United States agreed to begin negotiations on a new treaty. The first steps in that direction were taken shortly thereafter on April 3, 1964 when both countries agreed to an immediate resumption of diplomatic relations and the United States agreed to adopt procedures for the "elimination of the causes of conflict between the two countries". A few weeks later, Robert B. Anderson, President Lyndon Johnson's special representative flew to Panama to pave the way for future talks.
The negotiations for the treaties began on February 15, 1977 and were completed by August 10 of that year. On the American side the negotiators were Ellsworth Bunker and Sol Linowitz; the Panamanian side of the negotiations were headed by Rómulo Escobar Betancourt. A few days before final agreement on the treaties was reached, President Jimmy Carter had sent a telegram to all members of congress informing them of the status of the negotiations and asking them to withhold judgement on the treaty until they had an opportunity to carefully study it. Senator Strom Thurmond responded to Mr. Carter's appeal by stating in a speech later that day "The canal is ours, we bought and we paid for it and we should keep it".
References
- M. Noriega and P. Eisner. America's Prisoner — The Memoirs of Manuel Noriega, Random House, 1997.
Periodicals
- New York Times, April 4, 1964. U. S. and Panama Sign Agreement to Restore Ties, Tad Szulc.
- New York Times, April 20, 1964. Andersen Goes to Panama as President's Special Envoy.
- New York Times, February 8, 1974. U.S. Agrees to Yield Sovereignty of Canal to Panama, David Binder.
- New York Times, August 9, 1977, Canal Negotiators Said to Seek Accord by Tomorrow, Graham Hovey.
- New York Times, August 11, 1977, U. S. and Panama Reach Accord to Transfer Canal by year 2000, Graham Hovey.
- New York Times, April 20, 1978, U. S. Was Prepared to Defend the Canal.
External links
- Jimmy Carter Library (http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org/education/panama/)
- House Resolution 77 (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:H.J.RES.77.IH:Joint)
- 2000 platform of the Texas Republican Party (http://www.rlctx.org/RLCTX/Texas%20Republican%20Party%20Platform%202000.htm)
- 2004 platform of the Texas Republican Party (http://www.texasgop.org/library/RPTPlatform2004.pdf)
- ARI homepage (http://www.ari.gob.pa/)