Show Problems In Panama Though the United States can't afford to turn over control of the Panama Canal to Panama until that country's government has achieved a degree of stability and it's nevertheless appropriate lo remember that acquisition of the canal came about under something less than admirable IN 1903 Congress agreed to pay Colombia plus an annual rent of for a right-of-way across what is now But perhaps eyeing more refused to ratify the At this Panamanians desiring independence from Colombia called on a French Varilla had been part of an ill-fated effort headed by Ferdinand de to build such a canal in But the who had built the Suez Canal Varilla stayed on in Colombia and developed contacts with key Americans in New York and WHEN Panamanians saw a chance to get U. support for an independence they sent him lo Varilla didn't negotiate a treaty as fair to the new state of Panama in November of as the one offered For one the treaty gave the U. S. control of the in not for years as had the Colombian Some claim Varilla even wrote the treaty while in And U. S. military power backed the Panamanians in their who thus won their independence from the best of for a canal |