Caribbean nationals praised for helping to build the Panama Canal, President Trump plans to reclaim

The hard work of nationals from Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada, Martinique, and Trinidad, who were among thousands who died while building the 124-year-old Panama Canal, was praised by a tour guide of Panama Marine Adventures, Jose Manuel, who recently told this reporter that, descendants should feel proud of the accomplishments of their forefathers.

Manuel said the Panama Canal, an artificial 82-kilometer (51-mile) waterway that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, was partially constructed by the United States and is now under threat of being reclaimed by President Trump. The canal has a deep history in the Caribbean.
Everything from the spices used in cuisine to the coconut trees and plants grown in the country was directly influenced by Caribbean culture.

“It’s important that you know the history of the building of the Panama Canal because more than four thousand Caribbean nationals died while building the canal,” he said, noting that it was not easy for nationals to leave their families to work in an unfamiliar country, and under arduous conditions.”

“You should feel proud that Caribbean people worked hard to build the canal to benefit not only the people of Panama but also the world. Caribbean people played a big part in creating the Panama Canal,” stressed Manuel, who expressed “thanks” to all who contributed to the engineering feat.

According to history, the West Indians, mainly those employed in manual-intensive positions, were celebrated as valuable and noted that without their labor, there would not have been a Panama Canal.

For people like this reporter, without any engineering knowledge, it was difficult to understand the intricacies of how the canal really works. At each end, a mechanism named locks lifts ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial freshwater lake 26 meters (85 ft) above sea level. This lake is created by damming the Changes River and Lake Alajuela to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal.

According to Wikipedia, the Locks lower the ships at the other end. An average of 200 ML (52,000,000 US gal) of fresh water is used in a single ship’s passing. This process is carried out because low water levels during droughts threaten the canal.

It was mesmerizing and almost impossible to comprehend how the sea level rises as the locks (gates) open and close. While sailing through the waterway, tourists had a bird’ s-eye view and an extraordinary experience viewing the process. The tour boat approached the locks that opened as the cruise moved through the canal from one ocean level to another.

According to Wikipedia, this process was constructed to create a Panama Canal shortcut that greatly reduces the time ships spend traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This enables them to avoid the lengthy, hazardous route around the southernmost tip of South America via the Drake Passage.

Located between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea in Central America, this tropical oasis is, surprisingly, fully developed, with ultra-modern skyscrapers crowding Panama City. The country has the second fastest-growing economy after Chile.

A double-decker bus tour is the best way to view this sophisticated metropolis, which is designed with tropical forests within the city limits.

This charming country that attracts tourists to its narrow strip of land with a body of water on either side between two larger land masses is home to a mix of cultures, evident in its busy, hustle, and bustle landscape.

The US dollar is the main currency since America continued to control the canal and surrounding Panama Canal Zone until the Torrijos-Carter Treaties provided for its handover to Panama in 1977.

Walking tours, showcasing colonial buildings in Casco Viejo, rooftop restaurants and bars, mesmerizing scenery from The Point, a skyscraper located in the Punta Paitilla district of Panama City, and overhead ziplining are just some of the vibrant multi-cultural offerings of this country.