The Canal Zone and the Century Sovereignty Cost

The Canal Zone and the Century Sovereignty Cost

The Canal Zone -- a ten-mile strip controlled by the U.S. from 1903 to 1999 -- had its own government, police, and courts on Panamanian soil. The 1964 Flag Riots killed 22 Panamanians and catalyzed the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. On December 31, 1999, Panama assumed full control.

The Interoceanic Canal Museum in Casco Viejo tells this story with the honesty of a country simultaneously proud of the Canal and resentful of the terms under which it was built.