Gateway to the world: Visual stories of the Panama Canal

Canal de Panamá

Instituto Cervantes in New Delhi in collaboration with the Embassy of Panama presets the exhibition on the history of the Panama Canal. There was once an ambitious dream to unite the oceans, which emerged in the 16th century. In 1880, French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps, known for his success with the Suez Canal, led the project to build a canal through the Isthmus of Panama. However, his ambition encountered enormous challenges, such as the difficult topography and deadly diseases, which led the French to abandon the project in 1889. In 1904, after the French failure, American engineers like John Stevens and George Washington Goethals resumed construction, also implementing public health measures, led by Dr. William Gorgas, that helped combat the diseases that had affected the French.

On August 15, 1914, the S.S. Ancon became the first ship to cross the canal, inaugurating a route that would transform global trade. However, the United States administration of the canal created tensions, and in the 1970s, Panama, under the leadership of Omar Torrijos, initiated negotiations that led to the signing of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. These agreements, signed in 1977, set a timeline for the transfer of the canal to Panama. Finally, on December 31, 1999, the canal returned to Panamanian hands, closing a chapter of more than a century. The Panama Canal, a symbol of ingenuity and perseverance, continues its mission of connecting worlds, now under the flag of the nation where it was born, becoming a story of dreams, challenges, and sovereignty.

Gateway to the world: Visual stories of the Panama Canal

Organizers