Anarchism in Panama
Anarchism in Panama began as an organized movement among immigrant workers, brought to the country to work on the numerous megaprojects throughout its history. History The construction of the Panama Canal Railway and the Panama Canal brought a large number of migrant workers to Panama. The construction period that was conducted by the French brought about 20,000 workers into the country, many of whom were anarchists from Europe. The construction period conducted by the United States brought about 40,000 workers from Central America and the Caribbean to the country. It was these workers that first brought anarcho-syndicalism to Panama. The most libertarian workers came from Spain, a country where the anarchist movement was tightly organized and held revolutionary experience. While the railway was under construction, a number of strikes broke out, demanding higher wages and improved working conditions. Strikes erupted again in 1895, led mostly by European anarchists, some of them were even successful. On June 11, 1904, the Panamanian government passed a law that prohibited entry to anarchist immigrants. In 1905, governor George W. Davis, made an effort to hinder construction work by anarchists. In 1907, 2,000 Spanish workers struck for better wages. Panamanian anarchists organized as a fringe