From: David Sangurima <sangu@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.latin-america
Date: 05 Oct 92 18:38 PDT
Subject: IPS:US to remove troops from Panama
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1473800332:000:3855
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!sangu    Oct  5 18:38:00 1992


From: David Sangurima <sangu>
Subject: IPS:US to remove troops from Panama

/* Written 12:08 am  Sep 30, 1992 by newsdesk in cdp:ips.englibrary */
/* ---------- "PANAMA: UNITED STATES TO PULL OUT T" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: North America
Title: PANAMA: UNITED STATES TO PULL OUT TROOPS BY 1995


panama, sep 26 (ips) -- the u.s. government plans to withdraw
over one-third of its troops from the panama canal by 1995, it
was announced here saturday. the pullout could involve 4,000
soldiers and about 3,000 civilians.

the head of the executive directorate for canal affairs in
panama's foreign ministry, luis guizado, said the programmed
withdrawal of the u.s. military contingent is included in
treaties on the inter-oceanic waterway signed by the panamanian
and u.s. governments in 1977.

he said the anticipated withdrawal will increase in intensity
in 1994 and 1995, when some 3,900 u.s. servicemen stationed in
the six bases along the shores of the canal will leave.

about 10,600 soldiers and officials are stationed in the six
u.s. bases.

another 3,000 u.s. citizens residing in panama, mostly the
dependents of servicemen and civilian support staff, will be
repatriated.

when the 1977 treaties entered into effect on oct. 1, 1979,
the u.s. military contingent there was about 8,000 troops.
however, its number grew during the crisis between washington and
the regime of deposed general manuel noriega from 1987 to 1989.

after the u.s. invasion of panama on 20 dec. 1989, in which
noriega was overthrown, u.s. military on panamanian territory
numbered 35,000. about 27,000 soldiers and officials despatched
to panama for the invasion were gradually withdrawn from february
1990 when u.s. president george bush declared ''operation just
cause'' terminated.

guizado disclosed that, when it withdraws its personnel, the
united states will hand over some military and civilian
installations to panama.

these include the curundu heights and campo chagres training
camps, which will be handed over in 1993, three others to be
ceded in 1994, followed by a group of installations and
residences in the fort amador area in 1995.

according to the panamanian official, the withdrawal of us
troops and civilian personnel will lead to a ''marked diminution
of the panamanian staff working in the (u.s.) military
installations,'' who now number about 6,000.

a bi-national commission which administers the canal has been
given the task of finding jobs for the dismissed workers.

the job loss has drawn protests from panamanian workers, who
have called on the government to renegotiate the prolongation of
the u.s. military presence into the next century so as to save
jobs. (more)
----


the 1977 treaties stipulated that the united states would have
to hand over the canal and the bases to panama by dec. 31, 1999
and pull out its military by then.

panamanian president guillermo endara has rejected the call
for a renegotiation of the treaties and has come out against the
extension of the u.s. military presence in panama beyond the end
of this century.

however, panama still has no programme for the integral use of
the installations and lands which will be returned to it by 1999.

during the first 12 years that the treaty has been in effect,
about two-thirds of the buildings and homes in the old ''canal
zone'' and almost half of the zone's 1,444 sq. kilometres have
been turned over to the panamanian authorities.

since 1990 the canal's administrator has been a panamanian.

panama receives 600 million dollars a year in direct and
indirect earnings for its participation as the united states'
partner in the administering of the inter-oceanic waterway.
(end/ips/trd/so/sh-oh/kb/92)
----



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