Yet nothing was done by the imperialists to alter that situation, while the racist regime continued to pour arms and soldiers into its struggle against Angolan independence. True, some hocus pocus lending schemes were altered by the big banks, but all this could be easily turned around later. The apartheid regime's recognition of the African National Congress and the beginning of negotiations is due to the heroic struggle of the Black masses of workers and peasants, and their tremendous support from the international working class and oppressed peoples throughout the world. An important factor there has bearing on the present controversy with regard to sanctions, and we must assume quite a number of capitalist politicians and White House advisers are well aware of it. Before the U.S. embarked upon the military invasion of Panama, it laid the ground for it by imposing sanctions upon the Panamanian government.
Sanctions are a form of punishment through economic sabotage and outright economic war.
For many months the U.S. government, with its enormous resources, tried to strangle Panama by cutting off much of its economic and financial assets and putting a tight blockade around this very small and poor country. Yet the U.S. had no intention to use just sanctions alone. The economic war was continued by embargo and naval blockade. The measures put the small country under a virtual siege. But the Pentagon looked upon sanctions as a preparatory step to dealing a death blow to the Panamanian government.