124. Memorandum From the Deputy Director for Operations, Central Intelligence Agency (Wells) to Multiple Recipients1
SUBJECT
- Panamanian Efforts to Resolve Duration Issue in Canal Treaty Negotiations
1. The following information was obtained from [2½ lines not declassified].
2. Aquilino Boyd Guardia, Foreign Minister and chief canal treaty negotiator, said on 22 May 1976 that General Omar Torrijos Herrera, Chief of Government, recently had instructed the negotiators to be prepared to offer new concessions on defense, lands and waters, and other less important issues in order to obtain the agreement of the United States that the duration of the new canal treaty not extend beyond this century. According to Boyd, Torrijos recently came to the conclusion that the widespread international support which Panama has received on the treaty negotiations will insure that Panama’s goal of taking over the canal in this century will be achieved. This will be a great triumph for Torrijos and for Panama. Boyd said that duration is clearly the most important issue to Panama, and that if it can be resolved successfully, the other issues can be resolved in a brief period of time.
3. Boyd said he believes one manner of possibly satisfying the desire of the United States to retain residual defense rights beyond the year 2000 would be for the United States and Panama to agree to a cooperation and mutual assistance pact similar to that which existed between the Soviet Union and Egypt from May 1971 until March 1976. Such a pact would be totally separate from the new canal treaty, but would stipulate that the United States could come to the assistance of Panama to defend the canal at any time of emergency or danger which affected the security of the canal. This pact could be written to extend beyond the life of the new canal treaty, thus satisfying United States aspirations on canal defense, while at the same time avoiding the problems which Panama would face if the new canal treaty included provision for a United States presence in Panama which extended into [Page 331] the next century. In addition, the pact would guarantee that all United States ships would have unrestricted transit through the canal.
4. Boyd said he had presented his idea of a separate mutual assistance pact to Torrijos, who agreed that it appeared to be a good idea. Torrijos told Boyd to prepare a draft proposal of such a pact for Torrijos’ consideration. Boyd said that if his proposal was approved by Torrijos it would be presented to the United States during the next round of treaty talks.
5. Boyd commented that during a seminar for government employees which was held recently, he was asked how much longer Panama would continue to negotiate a new canal treaty before it decided to resort to violence to obtain the canal. Boyd said that he responded that Panama intended to keep negotiating in a rational manner until a new treaty was agreed upon and that violence would be avoided at all costs. He said Panama’s cause would be lost if violence were employed. Boyd said he told the questioner he had learned that the people of the United States were very emotional and they rallied together strongly when they were attacked. He recalled the forceful appeal which the phrases “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember Pearl Harbor” had had in past years, and he said that he did not want to allow a situation to develop where the new rallying cry would be “Remember Panama”.
8. The above information is being made available to the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Panama. No further distribution is being made.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Inter-American Country Files, Lot 92D281, Box 2, Panama Canal Negotiations Correspondence, Jan–July 1976. Secret; Not Releasable to Foreign Nationals; Not Releasable to Contractors or Contractor/Consultants; Dissemination and Extraction of Information Controlled by Originator. The memorandum was sent to Saunders, Bunker, Dolvin, Bell, and Low.↩
- Printed from a copy with this typed signature.↩