Editing Omar Torrijos (section)

=== Panama Canal ===
An admirer of Yugoslav leader [[Josip Broz Tito]] and inspired by [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]]'s nationalization of the [[Suez Canal]], he embarked on a fight against the United States to gain Panama's sovereignty. In 1973, in the absence of progress in negotiations with the United States, he tried to involve the UN: "We have never been, are not and will never be an associated state, colony or protectorate, and we do not intend to add a star to the United States flag". The US vetoed the adopted resolution.

Torrijos negotiated the [[Torrijos–Carter Treaties]] over the [[Panama Canal]], signed on September 7, 1977. These treaties passed United States sovereignty over the canal zone to Panama, with a gradual increase in Panamanian control over it, leading to complete control on December 31, 1999. The United States, however, retained the permanent right to protect what it called the 'neutrality' of the canal, allowing U.S. administration of the canal as well as military intervention through the now-legalized U.S. bases in Panama. These aspects of the treaty fell short of nationalistic goals and the ratification ceremony at [[Fort Clayton]] was somewhat of an embarrassment for Torrijos. He was noticeably drunk during the ceremony; his speech was badly slurred and he had to brace himself against the podium to keep from falling.<ref name="Buckman">{{cite book |title=The World Today Series: Latin America 2007 |last=Buckman |first=Robert T. |year=2007 |publisher=Stryker-Post Publications |location=Harpers Ferry, West Virginia |isbn=978-1-887985-84-0}}</ref><ref name="Regime"/>