The Day Panama Recovered the Canal: 25 Years of the Historic Exchange of Notes

This December, the Panama Canal recalled how 25 years ago the exchange of notes was carried out that formalized the transfer of the Panama Canal, thus complying with the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. Through its social networks, the Panama Canal Authority reported that former United States President Jimmy Carter signed the exchange agreement on December 14, 1999, which was received by the then President of Panama, Mireya Moscoso. The formal ceremony took place at the Miraflores locks and the document indicated that, at noon on December 31, 1999, the interoceanic route and all its assets would officially pass into Panamanian hands. The event was attended by leaders and representatives of the region, as witnesses to the exchange of notes, such as the then King of Spain Juan Carlos I, Ernesto Zedillo (Mexico), Andrés Pastrana (Colombia), Hugo Banzer (Bolivia), Raúl Alfonsín (Argentina), among others. This event not only fulfilled a long-awaited dream of our people, but also initiated a new era of sovereignty and national pride. Today, 25 years later, we celebrate this legacy of autonomy and progress, remembering that exchange that transformed the future of our country.

Historical milestones

December 31, 1999: Panama assumes administration of the Canal.
October 22, 2006: Panamanians decide, by referendum, to expand the Canal.
September 3, 2007: Construction of the expanded Canal officially begins.
September 4, 2010: Bulk carrier Fortune Plum becomes the one millionth transit through the Canal.
July 14, 2011: First emptying in the new locks of the Panama Canal.
June 9, 2016: Test vessel Baroque passes through the new Atlantic locks.
June 26, 2016: Inauguration of the expanded Canal.
May 14, 2018: The largest cruise ship to date, Norwegian Bliss, sails with more than 168,000 gross tons and capacity for nearly 5,000 passengers.
May 15, 2019: The Triton vessel became the largest ship to ever pass through the expanded Panama Canal. The ship carries 15,313 TEUs (20-foot containers).
August 2, 2019: The Panama Canal inaugurates the Atlantic Bridge, which now holds the world record as the largest four-lane concrete cable-stayed bridge with the longest visible span at 530 meters.
August 27, 2019: The Panama Canal inaugurates its first interactive center in Santiago de Veraguas, as a vehicle to engage Panamanians, mainly students, with the canal, its history, operation and impact for the country and the world.
December 14, 2019: The container ship APL Barcelona becomes the 8,000th neopanamax vessel to transit the expanded Canal.