The Panama Canal | Under the Shadow, Episode 12

Panama is, perhaps, the country in Central America that has suffered under the longest US shadow, right from the very beginning. The country and its famous canal would grow to become the United States's most important asset in the region. During World War II, the US installed as many as 100 military bases throughout Panama, and it was the base of Washington’s Latin American military training apparatus. Panama became the heart of the United States in Latin America, and the US ripped apart the country to do it, clearing and flooding whole cities, installing its own walls and fences, segregating its new territory into an apartheid system on foreign soil.<br /><br />In this episode, host Michael Fox walks us from present-day Panama to the very beginning, to the genesis of what was once the United States’s most important asset in Latin America. This is Episode 12 of Under the Shadow.<br /><br /><a href="https://therealnews.com/under-the-shadow" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Under the Shadow</a> is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. <br /><br />In each episode, host Michael Fox takes us to a location where something historic happened—a landmark of revolutionary struggle or foreign intervention. Today, it might look like a random street corner, a church, a mall, a monument, or a museum. But every place he takes us was once the site of history-making events that shook countries, impacted lives, and left deep marks on the world.<br /><br />Hosted by Latin America-based journalist <a href="https://x.com/mfox_us" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Michael Fox</a>.<br /><br />This podcast is produced in partnership between <a href="https://therealnews.com/under-the-shadow" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">The Real News Network</a> and <a href="https://nacla.org/under-shadow" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">NACLA</a>.<br /><br />Guests:<br /><a href="https://www.johnlindsaypoland.com/read-me" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">John Lindsay Poland</a><br /><a href="https://x.com/marixalasso1" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Marixa Lasso</a><br /><a href="https://centroinvestigacionhumanidades.up.ac.pa/equipoCIFHU" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Olmedo Beluche</a><br /><a href="https://x.com/celiasanjurp" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Celia Sanjur</a><br /><a href="https://x.com/gilmagcamargo" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Gilma Camargo</a><br /><a href="https://x.com/claire_nevache" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Claire Nevache-Weill</a><br /><br />Edited by <a href="https://x.com/HeatherGies" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Heather Gies</a>.<br />Sound design by <a href="https://twitter.com/coletivocatarse" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Gustavo Türck</a>.<br />Theme music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nexDyQCZI89JH8zsYu5wa" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Monte Perdido</a> and Michael Fox. <br />Other music from Blue Dot Sessions.<br /><br />Follow and support journalist Michael Fox and Under the Shadow, and listen to his new podcast Panamerican Dispatch at <a href="https://www.patreon.com/mfox" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/mfox</a><br /><br /><b><a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Help us continue producing Under the Shadow by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.</a></b><br /><b><br /></b><a href="https://therealnews.com/eos-pod-subscribe" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Sign up for our newsletter</a><br /><a href="https://facebook.com/therealnews" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Like us on Facebook</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/therealnews" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Follow us on Twitter</a><br /><a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/under-the-shadow--5958129/support" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Donate to support this podcast</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.</a><br /><b></b><br /><b>Follow us on:</b><br /><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/therealnews.com" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Bluesky: @therealnews.com</a><b><br /></b><a href="https://facebook.com/therealnews" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Facebook: The Real News Network</a><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/therealnews" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Twitter: @TheRealNews</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/therealnews" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">YouTube: @therealnews</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/therealnewsnetwork/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork</a><br /><a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><b></b></a><br /><b></b><a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"><b>Become a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!</b></a>