Chants of ‘Let the Gringos Invade!’ : Many in Panama Look to U.S. for Salvation

A handful of demonstrators gathered, at a sensibly safe distance, to taunt soldiers here during one of the occasional lightning street protests launched last week against Panama’s military ruler, Gen. Manuel A. Noriega.

Just before the troops charged behind shields to rout the protesters, the crowd chanted a slogan that is not usually heard in Latin America:

“Let the gringos invade! Let the gringos invade!”

The shouted appeal reflected a sentiment heard more and more openly in Panama as the country’s political crisis enters its ninth month. Increasingly opposed to Noriega’s continued rule and wounded by severe economic hardship, Panamanians are looking for the United States to move more forcefully and quickly to oust him.

The notion of “Yankee go home” is being abandoned and replaced by the idea of “Yankee come on in”--not only among the well-heeled foes of Noriega but among poorer citizens on whom he counts to shore up his rule.

“Maybe the Marines are the only solution,” said Carlos Lopez, 34, an electrician in the working-class Panama City neighborhood of San Miguelito. “We want the government to change fast.”

There are a variety of reasons for the appeals, which include calls not only for an invasion but also for simply more decisive economic pressures. For one, a freeze imposed on Panamanian government money held in the United States is beginning to be felt in households here. Workers, who are unable to cash paychecks or who may be losing their jobs, are very uncertain about their abilities to hold out for long and still feed their families.

Wary of a Fight

In addition, opponents of Noriega, whether they are active in business-led movements to overthrow him or merely passive observers, are wary of trying to confront the well-armed and disciplined Panama Defense Forces, which Noriega commands.

For the moment, no one here outside of the government itself seems to fault the United States for the country’s problems, but some wonder whether the sacrifices being imposed on them will pay off--and when.

“Our problems come not from the United States but from one man in power,” said Hermenegilda Perez, 34, a fried-food vendor who lives in San Miguelito.

“But, you know,” she added, “I cannot sell any food. No one is buying. People walk around with checks they cannot cash. I myself eat the food I do not sell. But I cannot go on like this because eventually I will have to buy more.”

Hardships to Increase

Enrique Ornano, 40, a tailor, said that he and his neighbors are willing to sacrifice while pressure on Noriega builds but that soon they will face unbearable hardships.

“We have almost stopped eating (red) meat. We serve chicken instead. Next, it will be just rice. We cannot put up with that forever,” Ornano said.

“Of course, it is difficult for us to fight the soldiers. We are afraid of getting hurt,” he added.

Taking to the streets is the least of the concerns for San Miguelito residents. Instead, they are scrambling to stretch their dwindling supply of U.S. dollars, the currency used by Panama.

Ornano, the tailor, said his business is off by 50% in the past two weeks, reducing his income from $250 to $125 during the period.

Food vendor Perez, besides eating her own products, is digging into what she called “mattress money” to keep her family of seven afloat.

Electrician Lopez has stopped paying his water, gas and electric bills as well as installments on recently purchased furniture. “The bill collectors understand,” Lopez said. “They know we have no money.”

Laborer Miro Antonelli Vasquez, 19, has been unable to cash his last $54 paycheck. He has moved into the home of his father, who works at the Panama Canal. His sister, an employee of the Public Health Ministry, is awaiting word on whether she will be paid Tuesday, when government worker salaries are due.

A brother of Vasquez is in the army, and he has not been paid either. “We are just pulling together. We can last, but it will be tough, very tough,” Vasquez said.

Some Face Bankruptcy

Sonia Ruth Camacho, 33, who owns a retail window-glass store, said she has put aside enough money to pay her seven employees through the end of March. After that, she reported, some of her workers have agreed to take vacations while others are willing to cut back their hours to save her money.

“Nonetheless, I face bankruptcy,” said Camacho.

It is far from certain that appeals for quicker action from Panamanians will get a response in Washington. The Reagan Administration has all but ruled out a military invasion. “Only a takeover of the Panama Canal by Panama or the shooting down of Americans in the streets of Panama City could bring an attack,” one U.S. official here said. The Panama Canal, operated at present by a joint U.S.-Panamanian commission and defended by U.S. forces, will be operated and defended solely by Panama after Dec. 31, 1999.

Harsher economic moves by Washington also seem to be on hold. Last week, President Reagan announced measures to reduce the Panamanian government’s income. Among the actions he took was the placing in escrow of fees due the government of Panama from the Panama Canal Commission.

Fears Excessive Damage

But the Administration has stopped short of imposing full trade sanctions on Panama, fearing that excessive damage would be done to private business.

The Panamanian government, meanwhile, is trying to find ways to conserve and perhaps find new sources of dollars as well as keep the economy running during a cash shortage.

The government announced “strict controls on public spending” on Saturday, including a reduction in the use of air conditioners and telephones in government offices.

New import taxes on food have been imposed, and the government is accepting personal checks for its services, including fees for issuing automobile license plates.

In the face of dwindling financial resources, Noriega’s government has fallen back on patriotic calls to try and whip up support from the populace.

On Saturday, the government-owned newspaper Critica printed several statements from government-allied unions and political groups that pledged such things as “a burial for invaders” and “rejection of Yankee aggression.” Government television has been broadcasting newsreel footage of anti-American demonstrations in 1964, when U.S. troops fired on protesters who had entered what was then the U.S.-ruled Canal Zone, killing at least 19 people and wounding more than 350.

But with hardships and a general dislike of Noriega’s rule mounting, traditional flag-waving seems insufficient to shore up popular support.