Catholic Church in Panama Urges U.S. to End Sanctions

The Roman Catholic Church in Panama urged the United States on Friday to lift the economic sanctions it imposed on the country to oust strongman Manuel A. Noriega, saying the measures pose “a threat to the life of our people.”

The church leadership in Panama said in an eight-page pastoral letter that the sanctions “have strongly hit all the people, above all the poorest and the most humble.”

“We consider that . . . they exceed any strategy of political pressure and constitute by themselves a threat to the life of our people,” it said. “They are, therefore, morally unjust. Because of that, we demand that they be suspended immediately.

“In the same way, we reject all forms of military intervention.”

The letter was signed by Archbishop Marcos G. McGrath and the 10 bishops of this predominantly Catholic nation. It asked the government and the opposition to start bargaining as soon as possible to arrange a solution to the crisis.

The sanctions block Panamanian government assets in the United States, bar payments by all people and organizations in the United States to the Noriega-controlled administration and ban payments to this administration by all U.S. citizens and organizations in Panama, including U.S. branches and subsidiaries.

“The lack of money in circulation is bringing misery and desperation to thousands of Panamanians, and an exodus has started of citizens to foreign countries that is beginning to have worrisome dimensions,” the letter said, adding that the crisis is turning Panama into “a sinister battle camp.”