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8. Panama for the Panamanians: The Populism of Arnulfo Arias Madrid
- The University of Alabama Press
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8 Panama for the Panamanians The Populism of Arnulfo Arias Madrid William Francis Robinson on August 17, 1988, hundreds of thousands of Panamanians jammed the streets of the capital city to pay tribute to their most prominent and controversial leader in this century, Arnulfo Arias Madrid. his death a week earlier in Miami raised concerns for the ruling military government. Gen. Manuel Antonio noriega braced himself for the antigovernment demonstrations he believed would follow the return of Arnulfo’s body to Panama. Arnulfo’s funeral cortege, buffeted by the grieving throngs, took nearly five hours to travel five miles from the cathedral to the cemetery. no other figure in Panamanian history so deeply stirred the emotions of his fellow countrymen. for over a half century, Arnulfo Arias stood at the forefront of the political scene as a staunch defender of Panamanian nationalism. he embodied the struggle of the middle class against the Panamanian oligarchy and military, while his heightened sense of nationalism led him to undertake initiatives that angered the United states. Also Panama’s most accomplished vote-getter, Arnulfo Arias served as president of the Republic on three separate occasions.1 born into a rural lower-middle-class family in Penonomé in the interior province of Coclé in 1901, Arnulfo Arias became a willful, ambitious child who acceded to his mother’s wishes to apply himself to his studies in school. his older brother harmodio had received a scholarship to study in Great britain and returned to Panama in 1911 with a law degree from Cambridge University and a doctorate from the University of London. Arnulfo also received his professional training abroad: after completion of his studies at a preparatory school in new york, he earned a bachelor of science from the University of Chicago, followed by a medical degree from harvard University. Although he hailed from Panama for the Panamanians / 185 a rural background of small landholders, Arnulfo Arias’s education lofted him into Panama’s small upper-middle class. nationalist sentiments Arnulfo returned to Panama in 1925 and served as a surgeon in the santoTomas hospital until the beginning of the 1930s, when his passion and focus switched to politics. During his first two presidencies (1940–41, 1949–51), he continued to provide free medical services to the needy, though by 1951 his medical career had essentially ended. Arnulfo’s interest in Panamanian politics stemmed from his conviction that the political system was corrupt and that the ruling Liberal Party concerned itself with only the well-being of the elite. Arnulfo Arias saw himself as part of a growing professional class marginalized by a Panamanian oligarchy that thrived on the benefits derived from a cozy commercial relationship with the United states. independence, gained from Colombia in 1903, came to Panama with an extremely heavy price. The hay– bunau-varilla Treaty of 1903 traded away Panamanian sovereignty and selfdetermination in exchange for a commitment by the United states to build a canal and to guarantee the independence and security of the new-born republic. The forging of Panamanian independence thus resulted from an alliance between small, mercantile elite in Panama City, who profited from the operation of the canal, and the United states, which enjoyed considerable economic, strategic , and military advantages. following independence, Panamanian politics careened from crisis to crisis, relying on the U.s. government to oversee elections and to maintain a semblance of stability. After an initial decade of conservative rule, the Liberal Party imposed one-party rule that converted political elections into personality contests devoid of substantial debate on national issues. Political allegiances were based on politicians’ personal interests rather than ideology or conviction. for many Panamanians involved in politics during the 1920s, government service represented a gateway to personal advancement, and the presidencies of Rodolfo Chiari and his handpicked successor, florencio harmodio Arosemena , certainly reached unparalleled levels of corruption, graft, and nepotism. As the nation faced increasing economic and financial crises during the 1920s, the political machine of Chiari’s Liberal Party continued to serve the economic interests of a select few. Rodolfo Chiari collected five percent from the salaries of government employees and then placed the proceeds in the Liberal Party coffers . With the national Election board in their pocket, party bosses amassed a considerable war chest that, combined with electoral dirty tricks, made them invincible at the polls. [44.201.96.213] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 07:35 GMT) 186 / William francis Robinson frustrated by a political system dominated by elites...