The 1959 anti-American riots in Panama happened during the celebration of Panamanian independence on November 3, 1959. Demonstrations started that day as Panamanians were influenced by former foreign minister

Aquilino Boyd Aquilino Edgardo Boyd de la Guardia (March 30, 1921 in Panama – September 4, 2004 in Panama City, Panama) was a Panamanian politician, diplomat and lawyer. Aquilino Boyd was born in 1921 in Panamá. He married Dora Brin. He studied in La Salle, ...

, who threatened a "peaceful invasion" of the American-controlled

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone ( es, Zona del Canal de Panamá), also simply known as the Canal Zone, was an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the Isthmus of Panama, that existed from 1903 to 1979. It was located within the ter ...

, to raise the flag of the republic there as tangible evidence of Panama's sovereignty over the territory. Fearful that Panamanian mobs might actually force entry into the Canal Zone, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

called out its troops. Several hundred Panamanians crossed barbed-wire restraints and clashed with Canal Zone police and troops. A second wave of Panamanian citizens was repulsed by the

Panamanian National Guard The Panamanian Public Forces ( es, Fuerza Pública de la República de Panamá) are the national security forces of Panama. Panama is the second country in Latin America (the other being Costa Rica) to permanently abolish standing armies, with Pa ...

, supported by American troops. Extensive and violent disorder followed. A mob smashed the windows of the United States Information Agency library. The United States flag was torn from the ambassador's residence and trampled, and the U.S. embassy was attacked. Stones were thrown against the troops, who were dispersed by

tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...

. Three American troops were injured, whilst two student protesters were arrested. Aware that public hostility was getting out of hand, political leaders attempted to regain control over their followers but were unsuccessful. Relations between the two governments were severely strained. United States authorities erected a fence on the border of the Canal Zone, and United States citizens residing in the Canal Zone observed a voluntary boycott of Panamanian merchants, who traditionally depended heavily on these patrons. Tension were already stoked before amid the discontent over the Canal Zone. In May 1958 students demonstrating against the United States clashed with the National Guard, and nine peopled died in the violence. On September 17, 1960, American President Dwight D. Eisenhower attempted to defuse the issue by letting the

Flag of Panama The flag of Panama was made by María de la Ossa de Amador and was officially adopted by the "ley 48 de 1925". The Panamanian flag day is celebrated on November 4, one day after Panamanian separation from Colombia, and is one of a series of ...

fly alongside the Stars and Stripes of the U.S. inside the Canal Zone. After the events of 1959, violence occurred again in 1964.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Panama, United States, riots, 1959 United States, riots, 1959 November 1959 events in North America Riots, 1959 Attacks on diplomatic missions of the United States Anti-Americanism 1959 in Panama