How the US created Panama—and ran the canal for 100 years | Under the Shadow, Ep 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. 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. Under the Shadow is an investigative narrative podcast series that walks back in time, telling the story of the past by visiting momentous places in the present. 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. Hosted by Latin America-based journalist Michael Fox. This podcast is produced in partnership between The Real News Network and NACLA. Guests: John Lindsay Poland Marixa Lasso Olmedo Beluche Celia Sanjur Gilma Camargo Claire Nevache-Weill Edited by Heather Gies. Sound design by Gustavo Türck. Theme music by Monte Perdido and Michael Fox. Other music from Blue Dot Sessions. Follow and support journalist Michael Fox or Under the Shadow at   / mfox  . You can also see pictures and listen to full clips of Michael Fox’s music for this episode. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @therealnews   The Real News is an independent, viewer-supported, radical media network. Help us expand our in-depth analysis and coverage from Baltimore to Bangladesh by subscribing and becoming a member today! Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-yt Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/nl-yt Like us on Facebook:   / therealnews   Follow us on Twitter:   / therealnews