In his inauguration address, President Trump vowed that “we’re taking [the Panama Canal] back,” 25 years after which the U.S. government illegally and foolishly surrendered to Panama in 1999, following a 1977 treaty paving the way for it. In making this announcement, Trump became the first prominent American politician in decades to even mention this important issue.
Congress must back up President Trump’s goal with robust legislation — and we must inform both Congress and the president about the deeper problems with the Panama Canal treaties. Contact your U.S. representative and senators using our legislative alert here.
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian dictator Omar Torrijos negotiated and signed the Carter-Torrijos Treaties, which paved the way for surrendering U.S. control over the Panama Canal. This agreement not only foolishly compromised U.S. national security, but was illegal, since the United States and Panama agreed to two different treaties. To read Dr. Charles H. Breecher’s 1983 testimony to Congress explaining how the treaties were illegally ratified, click here.
Additionally, read the following articles to learn about the dangerous consequences of surrendering U.S. control of the Panama Canal — consequences that are being realized today:
- “Reclaim Our Canal!” (January 31, 2000)
- “Don’t Give Up the Canal!” (December 6, 1999)
- “Save Our Canal!” (August 2, 1999)
- “Admirals Sound the Alarm” (March 29, 1999)
- “The Panama Canal Sellout” (November 1977)
- “Reclaim Our Canal!” (Presentation by John F. McManus)
What You Can Do
Here are actions you can take to help reassert lawful U.S. control over the Panama Canal:
- Contact your U.S. representative and senators. Urge them to enact a measure similar to H. J. Res. 77 of the 106th Congress formally declaring the Carter-Torrijos Treaties null and void. Use our legislative alert here.
- Share the documents and articles linked above to your congressmen to show them how the Carter-Torrijos Treaties were illegally ratified.