The Day Colombia Lost Panama

In 1903, Colombia was still reeling from the devastating Thousand Days' War when the United States set its sights on the Panama Canal. The Hay-Herrán Treaty seemed like a fair deal, but the Colombian Congress rejected it, hoping for more money. That gave Philippe Bunau-Varilla, a French engineer, the opening he needed. With tacit U.S. support, Panamanian separatists declared independence on November 3, 1903. U.S. warships blocked Colombian troops from landing, and within days, the new Panama recognized the U.S. as a protector. Colombia was left humiliated, losing its most strategic province. This episode explores the treaty negotiations, the swift revolution, Theodore Roosevelt's role, and the long shadow the "Panama wound" cast over Colombian politics. We also examine why this event still fuels anti-American sentiment in the region and how it redrew the map of the Americas.

#Colombia #Panama #1903 #USIntervention #HayHerránTreaty #TheodoreRoosevelt #PanamaCanal #Secession #ThousandDaysWar #LatinAmericanHistory #FexingoHistory #History #ColombianHistory #Imperialism #BunauVarilla #PanamanianIndependence #HistoryPodcast #USImperialism

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