November 3 is Independence Day of the Republic of Panama. This Latin American country gained sovereignty in 1903, when it declared independence from Colombia with the support of the US government.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the United States was interested in creating a short route for transporting military cargo and moving parts of the army between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Therefore, in 1902, at a meeting of the US Congress, a decision was made to purchase the French company that was building the Panama Canal. On November 6, 1903, America signed a treaty with Colombia renouncing the latter’s rights to the canal in exchange for a large financial compensation.

Already on November 18, an agreement was signed with the puppet Panamanian government on the permanent presence of Americans in the canal zone and the continuation of its construction. For this, Panama received solid subsidies for 9 years.

In 1977, the Panamanian government refused to abide by the previous treaty and signed an agreement with American President Jim Carter to transfer the Panama Canal to the country.