Friday August the 14th, today, the Panama Canal is 101 years of age. It is one of the seven wonders of the modern world, with a system of locks that defies time.
Some history.................Back in the early days, the US tried to negotiate with Colombia to eventually own, what was to be, the Panama Canal. Panama at that time, was a Province of Colombia. The negotiations failed and the Americans turned their gaze to Nicaragua, where it already had been exploring the possibility. But luckily for Panama, with the possibility of separating Panama from Colombia, a skillful US President decided to support Panamas separation from Colombia and restart the possibility of the canal in Panama.
In the Isthmus of Panama, the US made sovereign, a strip of five miles either side of the canal, that would be US territory and have US laws. They were governed by the laws of the State of Louisiana. Indeed, when a person reached the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, they were entering the United States, so if you went by boat, no immigration services were needed. It was a trip from one US port to another. So they had their own police, their mail, their plates and driving licenses, judges and law, their commissaries and, more importantly, its 14 military bases including airports in four of them.
Initially the canal presence in American hands, collaterally benefited the cities of Panama and Colon. Garbage was collected, the drinking water, as the aqueduct built in the former Canal Zone, produced enough drinking water for the city of Panama. The Americans chose to disarm the army of the new republic and put their police in place to cover the safety of the country.
The influence over the years of American presence in the Canal Zone, was considered normal. The Canal gave us some money, but the economic impact of the thousands living in the area, and others as they gradually began moving and renting in Panama was significant. However, over the years Panama awakened their interest to a) recover its full sovereignty...........and b) renegotiate a less damaging to us Treaty.
Generational struggles started making changes, achieving partial victories with Harmodius Arias in the first revision of the Treaties, Jose Antonio Remon Cantera ('Ni million or alms, we want justice') and finally on January 9, 1964 when Torrijos achieved a repeal and signed a 'date' when on December 31 1999, the last American soldier would leave Panama
We do not doubt that there were apprehensions by many Panamanians. How would this work without the Americans here? Could we manage the Canal correctly? How to replace the income that gave us money from the gringos yearly who would rent and buy? How will the reverted areas be used? Today, everything is past memories. We have done relatively well, a 10 out of 10 in managing the canal today that gives the Government more than a billion dollars a year.
Today, many do not remember the story behind our Canal. Many are unaware of the struggles, confrontations, and the gringo presence. Today we live the reality of enlargement such as this year's water problems by El Niño, and the expansion and the possibility of the Canal in Nicaragua. But we Panamanians face this, engineers, economists, Panama with a Panamanian administrator, that is our pride and although the new generations do not know much about history, my history lives proud of the role played in that long generational struggle. In the end, there will be stories for my grandchildren.....................................................................
In other Canal news.................................................
If the expanded canal does not go into operation in early April 2016, as planned, revenue of a million dollars a day will be lost, said the administrator of the waterway, Jorge Luis Quijano.
'I hope this issue is resolved and resolved quickly, "said Quijano about the call to strike by workers of Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC), led by the Trade Union of Workers of the Construction Industry and Related ( SUNTRACS), starting tomorrow, Wednesday, August 12.
The administrator of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reiterated that any further delay will have a negative impact on revenues............................
SALARY INCREASE.............................
Increases of 8.9% are requested by worker representing $ 7 million annually, of which the consortium expects the Autoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP) by half (about $ 3.5 million) is made as part of a preview of the with pending claims with the contractor.
ACP and GUPC awaiting the outcome of two arbitrations; the first one fails in December: a claim of $180 million for dredging and the cofferdam or retention of the Pacific, and the second, no date for the poor quality of the cement and the delay in the adoption of concrete mixture . In the latter, the Dispute Resolution Board (DAB for its acronym in English) recognized GUPC $ 233 million, which were already paid by the ACP.
'I do not think there is heavy merit to that you can not find a solution, when here we have solved problems of hundreds of millions of dollars. GUPC should not have difficulty solving a $ 3 million, "Quijano insisted.
The administrator of the waterway recalled that the contract signed with GUPC in 2009, when the project of the new locks were awarded for $ 3.118 million, was stipulated that wage claims are the responsibility of the contractor and that it is not for the Canal to assume the rise in salary of workers.
'We will not try anything outside the contract. Absolutely nothing. This is the responsibility of GUPC, trying to pass their responsibility to us again, "said ACP Administrator.
So far the ACP has disbursed about $ 3.200 million GUPC, including $ 233 million of failure DAB, $ 119 million in payments for increased supplies and other small claims.
CLAIMS
GUPC claims currently total approximately $ 2.500 million. These overruns, which the company claims to have incurred are settled at the corresponding levels and were already the cause of the stoppage of the work.
The contract between the ACP and GUPC establishes three instances for conflict resolution: the first is the ACP; the second, the Dispute Resolution Board; and third, the International Chamber of Commerce in Miami.
GUPC is led by the Spanish Sacyr and integrated by the Italian Salini Impregilo, Belgium's Jan de Nul and Panamanian CUSA.
The impending strike, the President's letter of Salini Impregilo, Pietro Salini, sent to the President, Juan Carlos Varela, which warns that require the State to affect investment by participating companies adds.
This letter, which takes the lead the Italian company, has not ruled GUPC consortium and the Government refers to the dispute resolution mechanisms set out in the contract.
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'We will not try anything outside the contract. Absolutely nothing. This is the responsibility of GUPC, trying to pass their responsibility, once again, to us'
JORGE LUIS QUIJANO
ACP Administrator
Panama
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