Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.

My name is Jody Avergan.

This day, January 9th, 1964, a three-day riot erupts in Panama's canal zone.

As locals protest the U.S. presence in Panama, 28 people died and $20 million

worth of property was destroyed. As we'll get into it, all started with the dispute over a flag,

but of course this was about so much more. In the wake of these riots, Panama broke off relations

with the U.S. and appealed to the Organization of American States and the United Nations,

and in many ways,

this started the long, slow process of the Panama Canal region returning to Panamanian control,

which happened finally in 1999.

Of course, now there's talk from the incoming President Trump that he wants the canal returned

to U.S. control.

We'll see where that goes, but maybe the resentments

that led to the riots in 1964 are still there as President Trump tries to wind American

imperialism backup. But here to discuss the 1964 Panama Canal riots are, as always, Nicole

Hammer of Vanderbilt and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wellesley. Hello there.

Hello, Jody. Hey there.

I think we've done a couple Panama Canal episodes, but not too many. And so this is a chance to do a

little bit of background as well as what goes into these actual riots in 1964. But the early

part of the 20th century, right, when the question over the canal and its construction and its control really kicks into gear, right, Nikki?

Yes. So it's in 1903 as Panama is emerging as an independent nation. The U.S., as listeners may recall, in the late 19th and early 20th and basically every century are quite meddlesome in

Latin Central South America. And this was also the case with Panama. And in Panama, we're

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