Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty

The Hay- Bunau Varilla Treaty was - a on November 18, 1903, two weeks after the independence of Panama from Colombia, in Washington, DC signed the State Treaty. He gave the United States ownership of the Panama Canal.

Philippe Bunau Varilla was a Frenchman, and traveled as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Panama to the U.S. capital to and from New York City to negotiate terms with several U.S. officials, whose most prominent representative was Secretary of State John Hay. The two men were negotiating the terms of sale for the sewer structure and a Panama Canal Zone, which should surround the canal. No Panamanians signed the treaty although Bunau Varilla was present - as Panamanian Minister - but with his French citizenship.

Bunau Varilla - was originally involved in the construction of the Panama Canal under the same man who built the Suez Canal Ferdinand de Lesseps. After efforts de Lesseps to build the Panama Canal, and the collapse of these efforts in the spectacular Panama scandal, Bunau - Varilla became an important shareholder in the successor company Compagnie Nouvelle du Canal de Panama, which now had both the concession and of certain assets for the sewer in Panama decreed. As part of the Hay- Bunau Varilla - negotiations, the United States bought the shares and assets of the Compagnie Nouvelle du Canal de Panama for 40 million U.S. dollars.

The Hay- Bunau - Varilla Treaty was also The Treaty No Panamanian Signed (contract, the undersigned no Panamanians ) called, although Panama later agreed to the terms and conditions, including the receipt of permanent laws of the United States in a on both sides of the sea route five miles wide canal Zone. Panama was to receive for this contract after ratification a payment of 10 million dollars in gold and, nine years later, beginning, annual rental payments of $ 250,000.

On 26 February 1904, the contract was announced in Washington after the completion of the ratification process in both countries. Among the most important contract points were:

• The neutrality of the Panama Canal,
• The equality of all flags in use, both the American and the other,
• The payment of $ 10 million in Panama, originally destined for Colombia,
• The protection of Panama against any attack.

The contract was from the beginning a source of conflict between Panama and the United States, to January 11, 1964 culminated in riots of 9 on U.S. sovereignty over the Panama Canal Zone. As a Panamanian flag, during the conflict between Panamanian students and police officers of the Canal Zone had been torn apart, began a wide uproar over the right to leave the Panamanian flag waving next to the Stars and Stripes. Units of the U.S. Army were turned on for the suppression of acts of violence in the flag argument after the police the Canal Zone had been overwhelmed. In the three days of fighting, 23 Panamanians and four U.S. soldiers were killed. 9 January was in Panama known to as Día de los Martires or Martyrs ' Day (Day of Martyrs ).

These events are seen as a significant factor in the U.S. decision to negotiate the Torrijos -Carter Treaties in 1977, which finally abolished the Hay- Bunau - Varilla Treaty and the gradual transition of control over the Canal Zone to Panama and the surrender of all rights over the Panama Canal on 31 December 1999 allowed. This agreement is concluded for the Central American country of the 1968 Come in a coup to power General Omar Torrijos and when his contract partner U.S. President Jimmy Carter.