This source below was sent from Ambassador and U.S. Representative Luigi R. Einaudi to the Organization of American States. In this message, Einaudi details what the United States were doing by invading Panama and why it was necessary. He makes sure to explain all of the strategies the U.S. tried beforehand and ultimately why they invaded. He highlights the fact that the U.S. is still committed to peace and cooperation in the region and that this is not a takeover. Instead, they are establishing the rightfully elected government and securing the canal zone which is okay under the 1903 treaty. By sending this message to the Organization of American States, the U.S. aims to avoid international backlash among their allies. They are getting ahead of the story and writing their own narrative. By assuring a peaceful transition of the canal in 2000, and highlighting their cooperation with other regional countries, they are making it difficult for the world to oppose this bold political move.
This is important for the project because it is showing what all of the issues and tensions have accumulated to. The U.S. has conducted the most serious actions against Panama in the two countries history. The piece illustrates why the U.S. did this and what they plan to do moving forward. It is important to consider that the whole reason any of these tensions arose were due to the canal and the U.S. presence it brought. Without the military bases and stronghold in the region, the U.S. might not have gone to such drastic measures. However, with the U.S. firmly holed up in Panama, it became a much easier decision to maintain the status quo through force.
Primary Source:
Full Document :
Luigi Einaudi, “Panama”, Organization of American States (1989)