Editing History of Panama (section)

===Origin of the movement===
The Panamanian movement for independence can be indirectly attributed to the abolishment of the [[encomienda]] system in Azuero, set forth by the Spanish Crown, in 1558 due to repeated protests by locals against the mistreatment of the native population. In its stead, a system of medium and smaller-sized landownership was promoted, thus taking away the power from the large landowners and into the hands of medium and small sized proprietors.

However, the end of the encomienda system in Azuero sparked the conquest of Veraguas in that same year. Under the leadership of [[Francisco Vázquez de Coronado|Francisco Vázquez]], the region of Veraguas passed into Castillan rule in 1558. In the newly conquered region, the old system of encomienda was reimposed.

====Printing====

After the region of Veraguas was conquered, the two regions settled for a mutual dislike of each other. Inhabitants of Azuero considered their own region symbolic of the power of the people, while Veraguas represented an old, oppressive order. Diametrically, inhabitants of Veraguas saw their region as a bastion of loyalty and morality, while Azuero was a hotbed for vice and treason.

The tension between the two regions peaked when the first printing press arrived in Panama in 1820. Under the guidance of [[José María Goitía]], the press was used to create a newspaper called ''La Miscelánea''. Panamanians [[Mariano Arosemena]], [[Manuel María Ayala]], and [[Juan José Calvo]], as well as Colombian [[Juan José Argote]], formed the writing team of the new newspaper, whose stories would circulate throughout every town in the isthmus.

The newspaper was put to use for the cause of independence. It circulated stories expounding the virtues of liberty, independence, and the teachings of the French Revolution, as well as stories of the great battles of Bolívar, the emancipation of the United States from their British masters, and the greatness of men such as Santander, Jose Martí, and other such messengers of freedom.

Due to the narrow area of circulation, those in the capital were able to transmit these intoxicating ideals to other separatists, such as those in Azuero. In Veraguas, however, there remained a strict sense of loyalty to the Spanish Crown.