Separation of Panama from Colombia
| History of the Republic of Colombia | |
|---|---|
 Graphical timeline
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| 1899–1902 | |
| 1903 | |
| 1932–1933 | |
| 1939–1945 | |
| 1948–1958 | |
| 1958–1974 | |
| 1964–present | |
Since the disintegration of the Great Colombia, the Isthmus fought for its independence with little success until 1903. The separation of Panama from Colombia was formalized on 3 November 1903, with the establishment of the Republic of Panama. Due to the jungles and lack of development and the proper means of transportation and communications, the news that "Gran Colombia" had disintegrated did not reach Panama soon enough, causing the Isthmus to end up attached to the then formed Republic of Colombia.
After its independence from Spain on November 28, 1821, modern-day Panama became a part of the Republic of Gran Colombia which consisted of today's Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador.
The political struggle between federalists and centralists that followed independence from Spain resulted in a changing administrative and jurisdictional status for Panama. Under centralism Panama was established as the Department of the Isthmus and during federalism as the Sovereign State of Panama.
In 1846 a treaty between Colombia and the United States was signed. In the treaty the United States was obliged to maintain "neutrality" in Panama in exchange for transit rights in the isthmus on behalf of Colombia. In March 1885 Colombia thinned its military presence in Panama by sending troops stationed there to fight rebels in other provinces. These favourable conditions prompted an insurgency in Panama. The United States Navy was sent there to keep order, in spite of invoking its obligations according to the treaty being signed in 1846.
In 1885 the United States occupied the city of Colón, Panama. Chile, which had by the time the strongest fleet in the Americas, sent the cruiser Esmeralda to occupy Panama City in response. Esmeralda's captain was ordered to stop by any means an eventual annexation of Panama by the United States.
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