Panama: Crossroads of Empires · Episode 21 of 24 · 20 min
Not a Base: The Memorandum Putting US Troops Back on Panama's Bases
On April 9, 2025, Panama and the U.S. signed a memorandum letting American troops train and build at Panamanian installations along the canal. Panama's constitution requires canal-defense agreements to pass the National Assembly and a referendum. The episode weighs the government's argument that a memorandum is not a treaty against a citizens' challenge that the Supreme Court has not answered.
Who's who
- José Raúl Mulino+5 more episodesPanama's president; says there are no U.S. bases in Panama
- Frank Ábrego+2 more episodesPanama's Minister of Public Security; signed the memorandum
- Pete Hegseth+9 more episodesU.S. Secretary of Defense; co-signatory
- Javier Martínez-AchaPanama's Foreign Minister; told the Assembly no sovereignty was ceded
- Juan Ramón Sevillano+1 more episodeLawyer who filed the constitutional challenge
- Graciela Dixon+1 more episodeFormer president of Panama's Supreme Court
- Sam NunnSenator whose 1978 condition underpins the government's case
- Dennis DeConcini+1 more episodeSenator whose 1978 condition asserted a right to use force
Where it happens
- Panama+5 more episodesCountry whose constitution requires a referendum on canal-defense agreements
- Bocas del Toro, PanamaSite of protests, a state of emergency and arrests in 2025
- Washington, D.C.+31 more episodesSite of the 1977 treaty signing
Timeline
- September 7, 1977Torrijos-Carter treaties signed
- March-April 1978U.S. Senate consents to both treaties 68-32 with conditions
- December 31, 1999Panama Canal Treaty terminates; U.S. basing rights expire
- April 9, 2025Ábrego and Hegseth sign the memorandum of understanding
- April 16, 2025Sal de las Redes files a constitutional challenge
- May 7, 2025Thousands march in protest
Still debated
The memorandum's verbatim text is not currently obtainable, and the status of the court challenges is unknown. Whether the arrangement counts as a treaty needing a referendum is contested. No poll asking Panamanians directly about the military presence has been located, and total U.S. personnel in Panama has never been published.
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