La invasión de Gregor MacGregor y la independencia de Panamá

Abstract

After an undeniable economic prosperity commenced during the first decade of the crisis due to the uninterrupted supply of silver from New Spain and Peru, that lasted until the invasion of Gregor MacGregor, Panama used part of its budget surplus to help the royalist forces of New Granada to supply uniforms of the battalion of Albuera and to contribute to the royal cause its own troops.

However, Panama as the zone for the frequent passage of troops to Peru or Ecuador had to support a significant military presence that in the last years became more hostile to the population. Moreover, it had to cope with a considerable amount of “emigrants” who played no role in the political turmoil at the time.

Some of the most important events at that time, apart from the well-known aspirations of self-government, was the Cadiz Constitution, liberal agitation, unrest and repression of those who supported these ideas. However, despite everything, these persons still claimed loyalty to the king.

Amid this context Gregor MacGregor arrived with his troops to Panama and despite the fact that its failure was evident, the consequences of this episode were so deep that they influenced significantly the way to independence.