God's People Have Suffered Enough
Episcopal News Service. March 28, 1989 [89066]
George B. Lewis, Jr.
NEW YORK (DPS, Mar. 28) -- On March 19, Palm Sunday, Browning and the primatial delegation -- including Tutu, Peers, and Lindsay -- arrived in Panama at the invitation the country's Episcopal bishop, the Rt. Rev. James P. Ottley, who had been among those traveling with the primates' delegation in Nicaragua. The primates' wives accompanied them to Panama.
The delegation, fresh from its trip to Nicaragua, came to Panama, according to a joint statement, "to rejoice in the courage and liveliness of the people in the face of great difficulties and to be a witness to do all that we can to assist in the struggle of all people for justice, with a hope that their differences can be reconciled."
Unlike Nicaragua, Panama is a relatively prosperous country with a substantial middle class. Its capital, Panama City, is a bustling metropolis. It is an important banking center that, along with the canal, makes Panama an international crossroads.
Panama's political experience is also uniquely its own. In 1988, Panama's President Eric Delvalle was ousted under pressure brought by military strongman, General Manuel Noriega, and the national assembly replaced Delvalle in the presidency with Manuel Solis Palma. Nevertheless, Noriega remained the country's de facto leader. At the same time, the United States government called for the ouster of Noriega, and denied recognition to Solis Palma.
There was no attempt on the part of the primates to avoid Panama's political and economic problems. On the first day of the visit, Browning led a question-and-answer session at the Diocesan Center in Panama City -- a session that was open to the public. It was readily apparent from the give-and-take at this session how complicated and painful the political and economic issues that divide them are for Panamanians.
Despite the issue of government recognition, the delegation wanted to meet Solis Palma. Initially, they were told he would meet with them. Then they were told he would not do so. Further inquiries were not answered. Finally, they received word that Noriega would like to meet with them. This caused discussion among the members of the delegation, who did not want to give the impression that they endorsed the General's regime. The debate continued until Bishop Ottley interceded, explaining that the primates were actually in a unique position to ask Noriega direct and important questions that few others would be able to ask.
The next morning the four primates met with Noriega and his 11 top aides. The General began with an introduction that was a short history of his country in light of United States involvement there.
The delegation asked Noriega about some of the charges leveled at his regime: the closing down of newspapers and of radio and television stations; the holding of political prisoners. They asked about the promised national elections in May and pressed the question of allowing international observers during the process. Another concern of the delegates were the difficulties of the canal workers who had been denied their "paz y salvo" (tax clearance papers), a crucial document in Panama.
Noriega denied the existence of press censorship and political prisoners in his country. He added that Panama's political parties would monitor the elections themselves. He promised that he would look into easing the restrictions on "paz y salvo."
When asked who was actually running Panama, the civil government or the military, Noriega declared it was a joint effort.
That night at the Civic Center in Panama City, before a crowd of some 3,000 people, Tutu delivered a heart-felt sermon on tyranny. His Spanish-language translator was the Rev. Diana Suarez, an ordained woman priest of the Diocese of Panama.
Tutu confined his remarks to the conditions in his native South Africa, but it was clear that there were many parts of his sermon with which the audience identified closely. In his country, he told the audience, they have closed down newspapers; they do not allow freedom of the press. He asked the audience if they could believe that. They responded with thunderous applause. He told the audience of how, in his country, people could be put in jail without a trial; and that a large percentage of the people of his country had no say in their own government. "I am talking about tyrants," he said. The audience response was enthusiastic.
A skilled public speaker, Tutu, throughout his sermon, assured the audience that he was talking only about South Africa. However, the audience made it obvious that they knew he was talking about far more than a country thousands of miles away.
The delegation met with various groups in Panama, including clergy and lay leaders of the Episcopal Diocese and officials of the Panama Canal Commission. In their visit to the Canal Zone, the delegation learned something of the pressures placed on canal employees because of the United States government sanctions imposed on Panama, and also because the Panamanian workers on the canal do not have the same benefits and entitlements as workers with United States citizenship. On the one hand, delegates were assured that because of the "Canal spirit," work on the vital waterway is going smoothly. On the other hand, it was made clear to delegates that it would not take much to destroy the "peaceful balance" that is now maintained in the Canal Zone.
Delegates also met with representatives of the ecumenical community in Panama, both Protestant and Roman Catholic, including the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Panama, Marcos McGrath, representatives of Accion Civilista, and a civil rights group.
The joint statement the primates made at the end of their visit addressed a variety of concerns.
In line with the resolution passed by the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church in the United States in May 1988, the four primates asked that the sanctions imposed by the United States upon Panama be lifted. "These sanctions have led to the destruction of the country's economy, caused immense suffering on the poorest of the poor, increased unemployment, and aggravated social problems. It is also apparent to us that the government of Panama uses the effects of these sanctions to rally nationalist support against the United States."
The delegation also called for "the release of all prisoners held without trial and for an end to the persecution of opposition party members."
The primates urged "the government of Panama to lift all restrictions on the media" and requested "the Electoral Court to allow observers from different international organizations to guarantee just elections."