The Panama Canal is no stranger to global attention. President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to “demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question,” possibly with military force , has prompted the latest round of international obsession with this feat of human engineering. But since construction first began in the 19 th century, the canal has captivated the world, pushing the boundaries of what is possible, overcoming international political tension and revolutionizing transport.
Perhaps the most famous critical infrastructure in modern times, the canal has become a major bucket-list item for travelers, with tourism to the waterway surging in recent years as Panama has expanded efforts to encourage visitors. Many looking for a quick and fun boating experience through the jungle or a peek at immense metal machinery instead find themselves educated on a checkered, dramatic history that is inextricable from the history of the Americas. “It was a megaproject of engineering that changed the world with the help and the hands and the sweat and the blood of thousands of people of 97 nationalities that came together on this very small isthmus,” said Ana Elizabeth González, executive director and chief curator of the Panama Canal Museum, highlighting the diverse group of workers who flooded into Panama to help with construction.
“We’re the bridge of the world but also the heart of the universe, being such a sm.
