Way back when, Jimmy Carter turned the Panama Canal Zone and the canal over to the Panamanians. I don’t say “back over,” because there was no Panama before WE built the Panama Canal. That real estate belonged to Colombia. I remember reading at the time, and discussing in school, how Carter’s generosity would affect Panama, now that they were “free,” and someone pointed out they were losing billions of dollars of U.S. aid by taking control. So here we come, full circle. The Panamanians want us back because they can’t afford to defend themselves, and because they now really, really appreciate the dollars that U.S. military installations bring to their country. I wish someone would report how much it cost us to withdraw, strategically, from Panama in the first place.
“We built it, we paid for it, it’s ours, and we’re going to keep it.” - Ronald Reagan
I imgaine they are opening Amador and Colon.
Many years ago we lived at Albrook AFB; I’ve heard that the houses are painted in all sorts of pastels and party colors now.