A crime lights the way to a major opportunity

By Dafydd Young

The recent theft of two cannons from historic Fort San Lorenzo is both a crime and another blot on Panama’s record of historical preservation. Concrete and glass towers and luxury spas, unaffordable to most locals, have long taken preference over national pride.

The fortresses at San Lorenzo and Portobelo on the Atlantic Coast are an integral part of of the fabric of this country and played a major role in the history of the Spanish empire, and thus impacting directly on events in Europe.

It was through the Customs House of Portobelo that a large part of the gold, silver and jewels, plundering of the conquistadores passed on its way to the royal treasury in Seville.

The precious metals were mostly acquired literally on the backs of indigenous slaves as they humped unbelievable loads to the surface of mines. Other precious artifacts adorning the chiefs of subjugated tribes were torn from their bodies after their slaughter as the invaders moved forward. Nearly 400 lbs of gold and jeweled decorations were scavenged after only one short battle in El Cano.

After leaving Portobelo, some large helpings of the loot were recycled as it were by the likes of Sir Francis Drake, to the treasure house of Queen Elizabeth I. His buccaneering and pirating successors kept up the predatory tradition, with the rewards spread amply over many coffers.

There was of course a subtle difference between the two groups of cut throats. One group was licensed. The other, perhaps the founders of a Panamanian tradition, simply ignored existing rules.

All  were united in carrying out raids on the fortresses leading to gun battles and ultimately incursions like that of Sir Henry Morgan, which led to the attack on Panama City, its subsequent torching by the defendants, and the founding of what we now call Casco Viejo.

So, in this tiny isthmus there is a vast treasure of history that can be brought to life. The stuff of legend, myth, bravery, skullduggery, romance and treachery. It’s the stuff of research, novels, movies, docudramas and  TOURISM.

It’s a treasure waiting to be mined, but not just for the benefit of foreign invaders, but for Panamanians on both sides of the income gorge.

Scores of millions are spent building  resort paradises on the beaches, ventures which are replicated throughout the region, or wherever there is sand sea and sun, but our unique historical heritage has been virtually ignored.

The fortresses are in a state of constant decline and now, as we have discovered, open not only to the ravages of weather and neglect, but also of theft. The Customs House, which could be home to one of the most exciting museums in Central America, staggers by with a collection of minor artifacts earning a scant few dollars from visitors who spend barely a few minutes inside the walls, replete with history.

The opportunities for regeneration and development of the sites to provide a major source of tourism dollars, scores  if not hundreds of jobs, and a low cost visiting center for Panamanians, are  immense.

How to achieve this? Read part II tomorrow.