Ask the Scholar
Page 30 of 49
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
SECTION IV
MILITARY SITUATION
1.
GENESIS OF PRESENT MILITARY POLICIES.
Panama has neither an army, a navy, nor an air force. The US maintains exten-
sive military, naval, and air establishments not only in the Canal Zone but in the Repub-
lic itself, and has a treaty obligation to defend Panama. The Panamanians, well aware
of the Canal's strategic importance for the US, know that even in the absence of such
treaty obligations, the US would move rapidly to defend them should their security be
endangered. They have, therefore, always felt that armed forces for the defense of
their national patrimony would be an unnecessary expense, and for this reason they
have not, since the country's establishment, provided for a national defense force.
Since the outbreak of World War II, however, there has been a growing body of
opinion (particularly among officers in the National Police who have had military
training in various Latin American military academies or in the US) in favor of revers-
ing the no-armed-forces policy. Plans in this sense now reportedly exist on paper, and
provision has actually been made for the conversion of the Panama National Police into
a Panama Army during any national emergency. No such plans are likely to be
adopted in the foreseeable future. Influential Panamanian politicians will be reluctant
to recommend expenditures for an integrated military establishment, and will, as
civilians, probably continue to think of the military as a potential threat to their careers.
The fact that the present Panamanian Government has taken no steps toward reor-
ganizing and improving the Panama National Police in its present form suggests a
wish to keep it weak. During the bilateral staff conversations with the US in 1945, the
Panamanians showed considerable interest in acquiring a US military mission, but no
formal request has been made.
The commander of the Panama National Police Force, provided he has the support
and loyalty of his men, is in a position to wink at, provoke, or even initiate political
disturbances, and could probably overthrow any Panamanian Government. The mis-
sion of the Police Force, according to Panamanian law, is dual. It is charged with (1)
the protection of the State and the maintenance of internal order, and (2) the functions
usually assigned to police forces in democratic countries: namely, protection of persons
and property; prevention of crime and infractions of the law; and the capture and
prosecution of criminals. The present active strength of the Police Force is approxi-
mately 2,246 (159 officers, 2,051 enlisted men, and 36 employees who do not wear the
uniform).
The President of the Republic is the Commander in Chief, and exercises his powers
through the Ministry of Interior and Justice. General headquarters is in Panama City.
The force is divided into a headquarters section, a central section consisting primarily
of a mounted or cavalry squadron designed to be used in connection with crowd disper-
sions, parades, riot duty, etc.; special detachments for five geographical zones; an
IV-1
SECRET
Page data
- Page
- 30
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- dfbbc003e972dc3b
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 486500486
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "486500486",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500486",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Panama, Situation Report 26",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500486",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Intelligence Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875510/875510-01-001.tif",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875510/875510-01-001.tif",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875510/875510-01-001.tif",
"imageCount": 49,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "486500486",
"label": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Panama, Situation Report 26",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500486"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "486500486",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500486",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Panama, Situation Report 26",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500486",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Intelligence Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875510/875510-01-001.tif",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875510/875510-01-001.tif",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875510/875510-01-001.tif",
"imageCount": 49,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500486",
"naId": 486500486,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"productionDates": [
{
"logicalDate": "1948-03-01",
"month": 3,
"year": 1948
}
],
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 30,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875510/875510-01-030.tif",
"mediaId": "dfbbc003e972dc3b",
"ocrText": "SECTION IV\nMILITARY SITUATION\n1.\nGENESIS OF PRESENT MILITARY POLICIES.\nPanama has neither an army, a navy, nor an air force. The US maintains exten-\nsive military, naval, and air establishments not only in the Canal Zone but in the Repub-\nlic itself, and has a treaty obligation to defend Panama. The Panamanians, well aware\nof the Canal's strategic importance for the US, know that even in the absence of such\ntreaty obligations, the US would move rapidly to defend them should their security be\nendangered. They have, therefore, always felt that armed forces for the defense of\ntheir national patrimony would be an unnecessary expense, and for this reason they\nhave not, since the country's establishment, provided for a national defense force.\nSince the outbreak of World War II, however, there has been a growing body of\nopinion (particularly among officers in the National Police who have had military\ntraining in various Latin American military academies or in the US) in favor of revers-\ning the no-armed-forces policy. Plans in this sense now reportedly exist on paper, and\nprovision has actually been made for the conversion of the Panama National Police into\na Panama Army during any national emergency. No such plans are likely to be\nadopted in the foreseeable future. Influential Panamanian politicians will be reluctant\nto recommend expenditures for an integrated military establishment, and will, as\ncivilians, probably continue to think of the military as a potential threat to their careers.\nThe fact that the present Panamanian Government has taken no steps toward reor-\nganizing and improving the Panama National Police in its present form suggests a\nwish to keep it weak. During the bilateral staff conversations with the US in 1945, the\nPanamanians showed considerable interest in acquiring a US military mission, but no\nformal request has been made.\nThe commander of the Panama National Police Force, provided he has the support\nand loyalty of his men, is in a position to wink at, provoke, or even initiate political\ndisturbances, and could probably overthrow any Panamanian Government. The mis-\nsion of the Police Force, according to Panamanian law, is dual. It is charged with (1)\nthe protection of the State and the maintenance of internal order, and (2) the functions\nusually assigned to police forces in democratic countries: namely, protection of persons\nand property; prevention of crime and infractions of the law; and the capture and\nprosecution of criminals. The present active strength of the Police Force is approxi-\nmately 2,246 (159 officers, 2,051 enlisted men, and 36 employees who do not wear the\nuniform).\nThe President of the Republic is the Commander in Chief, and exercises his powers\nthrough the Ministry of Interior and Justice. General headquarters is in Panama City.\nThe force is divided into a headquarters section, a central section consisting primarily\nof a mounted or cavalry squadron designed to be used in connection with crowd disper-\nsions, parades, riot duty, etc.; special detachments for five geographical zones; an\nIV-1\nSECRET"
}