A/44/PV.17 General Assembly

On behalf of the General Assembly, I have the honour to welcome to the United Nations the Provisiooal President of the Republic of Panama, Mr. Francisco Rodriguez, and to invite him to address the Assembly. Provis ional President RODRIQIEZ (in terpreta tion from Spcnish): Mr. President, on behalf of the delegation of Panama I should like to convey to you our heartfelt congratula tions 00 your well-deserved election, which has put in very capable hands the responsibility of directing the debates of the General Ac;sembly. In offering to you, Sir, the President of the forty-fourth session of the General Assembly the support and co-operation of the Panamanian delegation, we acknOllledge that the success of its work will cepend in great measure en your vast experience and knoon dedication, particular ly in matters concerning the solution to problems of great significcnce to the Members of the Organiza tien, such as safeguarding peace and the sharing of efforts leading to the eradication of that affront to humanity apartheid. Your inaugural address revealed a clear perceptioo of the problems of the third world, which gives us renewed hope for the fulfilment of our tasks in the Assembly. I am also pleased to congratulate the Secretary-General and his staff for the elCcellent report he has made ava ilable to us en the work of the Orgcniza Hon. rts contents are clear proof of the arduous and inte'•.Ligent work that has been done to solve some of the most difficult problems canfren ting our world today. As Provisional Presi dent of the Republic of Panana, I shall now refer to a matter of importance, especially to small nations, and reiterate denunciations and concepts that have been expressed by other Panamanian rulers before this forum for the greater part of this decade. Ind~ed, once more we denounce the continued violation by the Government of the Uni ted States of the terms of the PCllama Canal Trea ties. It is disrespectfully ignoring the norms of international law which relate to civilized coexistence among sovereign States. Not even the Host COl.lltry Agreement between the Ulited Nations and the tbited States Government has been able to curtail the cruelty with which we are being persecuted. PCIlamal ien diplomats and officials wi th me here are not all of those who were to accompany me. Entry visas to the United States were refused to the others. Prior to this, a visa was also denied to a Panama-dan Ambassador on special mission for the meeting of the Secur i ty Council on 11 August this year, in violation of the obligations of the United States GcNernment to the Organization. Denunciations presented by Panama - even before the current crisis in PanamCl'lian-Unit:ed States relations - in this ald other world forums, still prevail concerning the so-called Law 96-70 passed by the United States Congress, as well as the other imposi tions and practices wich this and previous Governments have used insistently to avoid compliance with such Treaties, undermining my country's sovereignty, security ald economy, in detriment of the in terests ald security of the international community, which benefi ts from the services of the Canal. During the past 27 tnal ths my COI.I\try has been sub jected to the most in tense disinformation campaign concerning its reality in order to discredit its Government authori ties ald to mdermine our na tiooal struggles. This is part of a brutal progranrne of political, diplomatic and financial pressures i interference in our internal affairs, intimidatioo Md military threats. The aim is to subju9ate us by denegrating, isolating cnd impoverishing our people, in order to subl7ert the institutional order of the Republic and place us at the will of United States regimal stra tegy. These facts demonstrate that there are still centres of power in the world which make it difficult C!Ild costly for a small natien to cling to its identity cnd procure its own social and political answers according to its human idiocyncracies cnd in search of its 0"""" destiny. Nevertheless, notwithstanding these obstacles, in the last years of the decade of the 1960s, a transfornatioo movement was instituted in Pcnama, a movement which did not fit traditional schemes. In 1968, under the leadership of General Quar Torrijos, Panama began a new governmental effort whose principal characteristics were a marked emphasis on popular reforms freeing the people from ignorance, from backwardness and from despair J in other words, a process of del'lOcra thing the opportl.lli ties of progress and welfare for all sectors of our society. However, our effort was viewed not mly as dangerous, but as ever more dangerous, because one could not wave the banner of anti-conanunism against it. The social results of the last two decades are self-evident. In 1968, life expectancy at birth for a Panamanian was 64.3 years) in 1987, when the stage of open aggressioo was reached, life expectcncy was 72 years. Infent roortality, which had been 51.6 per thousand live births, had been reduced to 22.9. We increased the madical faciti ties from 189 to 608. The percen tage of popula den covered by our social security programme, which includes free medical and dental care and had been lr.5 per cent, reached 62.5 per cent. The percentage of popula Hen to which drinking water was available climbed from 65 per cent to 86.2 per cent. Enrolment (P~ov isional President 1\:)& iguez) of miversity students in 1968 was 11,992) in 1987 it had reamed 56,567, while the rate of illiteracy went from 20.7 per cent in 1970 to 13.2 per cent, according to the 1980 census. And in this decade, literacy programmes have multiplied cnd telephone service and electric power have been extended to practically the entire country. '1b this we should add that in June 1987 projections for real economic growth were estinated at 6 per cent, cne of the highest in ratin America for that year. As a result of aggression, the national economy experienced extraordinary 1ooses; an estinated 20 per cent reductial in the gross natiooal product .and of 40 per cent reduction in tax revenues, and a doubling of the unemployment rate. Thousands of small busi~'1esses Welt bankrupt, more than 70,000 workers loot their jobs, cnd there was a shortage of basic food products, medicines and hospi tal ec'"ipnent. Aggression was mecnt to impose suffering UPal our people in order to modify their pol i ti ca1 conduct. '1b these actions we must add the extreme interference in the internal affairs of our country. Among other things, the Government in Washington seized funds belonging to the Panamanian nation in the United States, ordered its companies and the Pa\ama Canal Commissim to witho1d payment of taxes to Panall8, ald suspended making payments to which it is committed pursuant not only to the Treaties subscribed to by both cOlNltries but also to the laws of the Ulited States. 'lb this we add the orders giv~n to United States capital firms in our country illegally to sequester bank monies ald to impede payments to those on a blacklist of functionar ies and others accused of continuing to defend Panama's interests. Persecution at the international level, not excluding multilateral agencies of which we are a menber, is intended to put an end to national effor ts to achieve eCa10mic recovery ald meet the basic needs of the Panamai ien people. (Provisional President Rodriguez) As a result, Panama today has become living evi dence that the Government of the thited States means to impose upon Latin 1lJnerica and the Caribbean a new model of colooization by es\:ablishing cependent and weak governments, coerced by ecooomic cr isis and finCl'lcial terror ism. Such governments would in many cases be established through 1\\a'\ipulating the people with disinfoi:rratiQl camtliligns, economic blackmail and political interference so that, in the final analysis, they would become Sta tes whose sovereign powers could 001y be exercised depending 00 the need to preserve thited States interests. What my country is enduring is ooly an ear Iy manifestation of a strategy for cootinental domination whose purpose is to ceform our historical ideals of independence and annihilate our aspirations to true democratization. United States aggression has met with an intense patriotic mobilization of our people, unequivocally reaffirming our nationalism. Faced with the failure of its purposes, the Government of the tkiited States has reverted to other, equally ignoble, means. In another flagrant violation of the PCI'lama Canal T~eaties, it has sent fresh personnel cQltingEnts a"id additiooal military equipnent to its military installations located in our country, and it has multiplied its shows of military force which, in additioo to being illegal ald unjustified, are dangerously targeted to intimidate, thre;\ten and provoke the PCI'laman ians. Arguing a posteriori that these are military "exercises" to which they allegedly have a right, alluding to feeble pretexts, or simply wi thout CI'ly justification at all, troop contingents, artillery and armoured vehicles, accompanied by combat helicopters, have frequently trespassed in to areas under under exclus lve Panamanian jur isdiction. They have gone so far as to clClBe na tiooal roads and highways ald mill tar 11y to seize the most importMt wa ter (Provisional President Rodriguez) treatment facility that supplies drinking water to a third of the population of the country. In addition, they have mobilized, in privately registered vehicles, troops wearing civiliCl'l attire but carrying combat equipment, through densely populated neighbourhoods in our nation's capi tal. Last hlglSt, these acts of intimidation were intensified both in frequency and gravi ty, while at the same time there was open discussion of an armed attack against PMana in the United States Coogress sub-committees, ald the Chief of the Southern COIll1\and - illegally installed on Panamanian soil - boasted publicly of his willingness to decinate the cOllltry by blood cnd fire, in a natter of hours. Actually, as proof of all this the printed te>rt: which I am delivering to the Assembly today does not include the mos t recent examples of thi ted Sta tes belligerent provocations in my country. Last weekend military personnel from the Southern Com!lla'ld arrogantly ald threateningly prevented my compatriots from engaging in an act of elementary human solidarity~ going to the aid of llmerican soldiers traPPed 00 board a helicopter \:hat had jlSt cr ashed in to the sea after buzzit.g our coast, sowing panic anong hundreds of bathers at a beach under PCI1aman ial jurisdictioo. As a result, none of the crew members survived ald t."le Government today has had to control a new attempt at subversion frustrated by the firm resistalce of our people Md armed forces. Previously, at the height of interventionist strategy in our electoral process - as the United States Administration has now admitted - they delivered to the Panamanian opposition over 810 million, and as if this were not enough, the United States WPnt so far as to cQ'\denn the results of our elections in acrJMce, and publicly to air the possibility of sending in its troops to kiciup the Comma\der-in-Chief of the Panama defence forces, CI\ act of sta te terror ism repeatedly condelMed by General Assembly reSOlutions. (Provisional President Rodriguez) The thi ted States, as an active participMt in the Panamanicn elections, affected the integrity of the voting to such a degree that the Electoral Tribunal decid!d to nulli fy the elections by a resolution which has since been upheld as constitutional by the unanimous vote of the Supreme Court. All those actions are serious violations of internatlooal law cnd the Ulited Nations Charter and, furthermore, they have been committed with ostentatious arrogance in the presence of dignitaries from the regiooal orgCl'liza tioo. Panama hopes that the oommunity of nations will weigh the potential consequences of a heightening of the thited States military threat against my country, as this oould affect peace and the oontinu~ce of international juridical order. If the people Cl'ld the Govarnment of Panama have not capitulated in these 27 months of siege on the part of the West's forelOOst Power, we shall not yield now, Cl'ld this fact heightens the imminent dCl'lger to the region. The PanaUlil'\ ial people's patr iotic mobi1i2lation has led to the formation of volll1 teer civilian brigades wi th a firm willingness to resist at wha tever cost in d!fence of our national sOlTereignty and self-determination. In order that the nature of the conflict should be perfectly clear, I must denounce that, in ClUr case, the thited States cannot invoke the pretexts that it has generally used to justify its military interventions. In 27 mooths, there has not been a single incident which could, in the least, affect the efficient functiooing of the Pcnama Canal ald, in the whole of the Panamal ien terd tory, there has not been a single death of a Ulited States citizen, civilian or military, attributable to the act or will of a PanamaniCl'l ci then. The absurdity of such allegation would be oomp'unded by the fact that for 86 years the people of Panama have lived in close CQ'ltact with U'1ited States personnel. Even tmder affroot Cl'ld hUmiliating practices of discrimination and arrO<jant treatment, not a sin91e act of terrorism against a civilian or military citizen of the thited States, nor against (Provisional President a:,dr iguez) its property, has ever been committed by a Panamanian citizen 1)r by a citizen of another nation in Panamanian territory. I can 1~()udly and rightfully state that ci thens of the thi too States are far safer in Panama then they are in their own country, in their own cities, and this statement is supported by our statistical data and theirs. There are few people so free of rancor, so oommitted to agreements based on sacrifices required by reciprocal concessions, as the Panamanian people. For these reasons, we oontinue to set an example of peace in the midst of the desolation and violence which has, regrettably, marked ..he history of the Americcn continent in the last decades. (PrOlTisional President lCdriguez) These expressions of our special nature reveal very par ticular character is tics of the national identity we are in the process of forming but they are also cOldi timing factors in our process leading to a genuin ely Palamcn im democracy. If the past few decades are impartially assessed in terms of how human rights are observed in Pcnama, without making comparisons with governmEnts Qi this or other continents, the figures ShCM that there is a profound respect for human dignity as the backbene ~f our liberatien movement. EVEn during the last three years of artificially induced discord in our society, there have been no political murders or disappearcnces cnd there have been no torture chambers, \\'laile the total number of police arrests and actions is so tiny that it has been exceeded elsewhere by factors of ten or a hllldred in a natter of days. Our defence forces in no way rePFesent a tradi tional army organized as a repressive force~ en the cQ'ltrary, thei' are a genuine expression of our people. Cbr military persQ'lOel are prepar ing themselves the better to carry out the requiremEnts of the Panama Canal Treaties, which legally require I.S to assume increasing responsibilities for protecting and defending the Canal with a view to taking over completely from the U1ited states forces, which are temporarily stationed in Panama solely for these legal purposes. Those who attempt to denigrate or hinder the fornation of OUI. natiooal armed force are at the same time concealing their intention to fall back on the argument that we are unprepared as a justificatiOl for prolooging military presence. This is the reality behind the IDlitical and propaganda rhetoric which is being used against Panama to disguise interventimist Md aggressive acts by means of sordid accusations aimed at the social role of the Panamanian defence forces. (Provisional President ~dr iguez) Panamanians are aware that the only links that the leader of a great Power has with world realities are determined by the many levels of the hierarchy beneath him. We know that it is at those levels in the sin ister cores of closed governments that many abuses originate, and we know that we have to penetrate to those levels in order to put an end to the present insistence on continuing wi th the punishment which is supposed to prevent the continent from bF--ing "infected" by the nationalist example of resistance set by the Panamanian people. For this reason, I shall avail myself of this solenn occas ion to reiterate what I said at my inauguration as Provis iona1 President of the Republic of Panama ': notwithstanding military aggression and the constant threat that force will he used against us, we have no intention of heading or pronoting any movement against the livas or economic interests of citizens of the tbited States and we are prepared to re-establish the ties of friendly association without rancouq 00 the condition, howell'er, that no sacrifice of our sovereignty or lessening of our independence is imposed on us. During these p:lst months, the Panamanian Government has on many occasions shown its willingness to pursue dialogue both wi th Washington and wi th our internal opposition with a view to achieving honourable and equitable formulas of understanding in order to ensure that the 1i fe of the coun try will return to normal without foreign interference, aggression or threats. Only in this way will it be possible to find a satisfactory solution and continue the del'lDcratization process in a genuinely Panamanian manner. If these efforts have not borne fruit, the primary responsibili ty must fall Ql the obstinacy wi th which the Government of the United States is clinging to a misguided policy that ignores Panamanian reality_ (PrOl1isional President Rodriguez) In an tIlmistakable spirit of cm tinental brotherhood CIld in the awareness of the limi ts on author! ty clear ly established by the Charter of the Organization of American States, the Government of PCI\ama heartily welcomed the efforts of the regional Organization to media te in seeking solutions to the internal aspects of the present conflict between Panam CI1d thf:.\ thi ted States. We are co-opera ting very willingly, and without cavilling at mak.i.ng considerable concessions, in order to establish valid channels for negotia Hon ald we are coo tinuing to keep those channels open. At the same time, the PrOl7isiclnal Government of which I am President has initiated the widest possible del.late Q'l an ecooomic CIld social plan to consolidate the recovery which we have begun to achieve and it is also taking steps tCMards resuming the denncra tiza tiQ'l process by means of elections to ensure that the will of the people is freely expressed. However, the free expression of the will of a people is mthinkable 'hilile they are enduring economic strCllgulaticn and living day after day under the threat of a military attack. What right does anybody have to talk about free elections when at the same time they are sabotaging the democratic developnent of an electoral debate by threatening to cut our throats? In this CQ'ltext, I should mentioo the fact that amoogst the intellectuals CIld politicians, journalists and diplomats, cOJl'lllunity leaders and envoys from orgCl1izatioos who come to Panall'El from abroad, the malt frequent reactioo we see when they arrive in Panama is one of surprise at finding a reality which is the reverse of the me shown by the disinforna tion networks. Not ooly are the basic structures of democratic coexistence still intact, but our insti tutions have tIldergooe ally the inevitable changes brought about by military threat Md the most outright and blatant interference by one nation in the internal affairs of another in order to impose an artificial cnd arbitrary political IOOdel. (Provisional President Bodriguez) he Pl:ovisional Government is not only performing its duties of ensuring cont, )1 over its territory and acting in its capacity of acquiring and fulfilling its ternational obligations, it is doing so in a climate of peace a~d without impel: ng its authority by force. However, my Q:)vernment is under no il1usi<.: 1at cent' -ling a permanent conflict between our small nation and a Power such as me Unite States is either convenient or positi/e. If indeed the nunbers of PilllGr::' lians - inside my Government and outside it, wi thin the armed forces and out of tm form - willing to defend our country at any price are high enough to safeG lrd our na tiooal ideo ti ty before the world, we do not have to shirk our corroo! lent to democratization or waver in our determination to bring it about. (Provisional President Rodriguez) The Governrnent of the tbi ted States has kept Panama in a state 0 f emergency for 27 months and has threatened the very existence of the Panamanian State. tbne of our efforts, none of the sacri fices we ha\Oe made in our commitment to the process of democracy has been recognized or taken into &CCQunt. On the contrary, not only has the reality in our country been concealed, but persecution has increased. That is why I ask the United Nations to oontribute to our efforts by carrying out, through applicable rll;!chanisms, a careful and detailed verification of the path which my Government is following towards our own democraCYr and to testify to the actions other Governments are tak ing to obst.;uct or strangle those efforts. It is not my intention to dramatize our situation, but only to present the facts. Panama has this alternative; to consolidate its presence in the community of free nations, or to become a protectorate, a new form of colony, albeit disguised in flowery language. We represent somewhat more than the simple longing of a oountry to develop its own plans for the benefit of its citizens. We are an invaded country whose primary commitment is to break the shackles of coarse interference in its internal affairs, which undermines its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and threatens the basic rights of its citizens. The aggression which we are enduring is the result in no small measure of Panama's loyalty to the pr inciples of non-alignment and to our commitment to neutrality and friendly relations with all nations of the world. It is also the resUlt, in large part, of our refusal to allow our territory and military resources to serve the purposes of foreign military aggression against a country with which we have fraternal bonds. It is the result of our rejection of any form of foreign occupation) it is the result of our unreserved defence of the right of all nations to choose their forms of government wi thout interference of any k!nd • . --''j (Provisional President Rodriguez) The current struggle of the Panamanian people does not make us forget others butp ratherg strengthens our satisfaction at the advances taking place in other parts of the world. My country decisively supports all efforts to eradicate apar the id once ant! for all. We are against racism not only because this is a humanitar ian (pestion but also because of our experience as a society where there is not the slightest trace of racial discrimination. In a spirit of honour and duty, my country has sent a delegation of the Panama ~fence Forces to join the contingents supervising implementation of the agreements which will guarantee Namibia's independence. We would express the warning mat in the elections to be held in Namibiag as well as those to be held in Nicaraguap we must avoid any type of foreign intervention that could interfere with the sovereign express ion of the will of the ci tizens of those countr ies - as happened recently in the case of Panama. How can anyone speak of free elections When a nation grants financialp organizational, pronotional and news-media assistance to one political faction in a foreign country, when in other neighbour ing nations information and cotm\unication systems are set up to brainwash the ci tizenry, and when the secret services of a foreign Government establishes infiltration and bribery networks in all the organizational units of the country getting ready to elect a government by popular vote? A genuinely democratic contest cannot be oonducted when a foreign Government is resorting to coercion by hunger and ext!:eme deprivation, as well as to the outright buying~ff of the leaders of other Governments, and when, in addition to an overwhelming apparatus of psychological warfare, the voting population is subjected to the threat of destruction, terror, grief and ruin. (Provisional President Rodriguez) we also hope for the success of the joint plan of the United Nations and the Organization of Afr ican Unity for the deex>lonb:ation of Western sahara, so that the independence and self-determination of the Sahraoui people can be ensured for ever. We call for negotiated solutions in Kampuchea and in the Middle Fast. We cannot forget that progress in lessening tens ions everywhere is directly related to recognition of the inalienable rights of the people. In that respect, Panama continues to offer its solidarity to the people of Puerto Rico in their struggle for self-determination. We urge all parties to oontinue supporting the efforts of the secretary-General to fulfil the aspirations of the Cypr iot people to independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the Panamanian people embraces the Cypriot people's struggle as its OfJifl. Panama also desires the prompt reunification of the Korean peninsula. Central liner iea, understandably, has a special significance for us. We welcome the agreements reached by the Heads of State of the region, and we hope that they will not again be obstructed by the arbitrary and unjustifiable decisions of other countries. We remain convinced that the Malvinas islands are an integral part of Argentina, and we therefore place our hopes in the prompt renewal of ties between Buenos Aires and Lc:ndon, and in a greater response to the requ irements of the process of deoolonization prevailing in the world. The advances which we mentim today - the lessening of tens ions between the super-Powers, the agreements to eliminate intermediate-range missiles, the Geneva Agreements on Afghanistan, and the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq, which we hope will Ultimately lead to a permanent peace treaty - should not be interpreted to mean that all the iillSjor problems are 00 their way to final solution. Many of the peoples of the world continue to endure the harsh conditions and dangers caused by a terr ibIe plague: drug consumption and traffick ing, a ser ious (Provisional President Rodriguez) threat to the future of mankind as well as to the stability of institutions and States. We see criminal organizations oontrolling sums of money which exceed the gross national product of many nations, a handful of criminals amassing so nuch material power that they can defy legitimately constituted authorities and unleash insurrections that take en the dimensions of internal warfare. We must therefore open our eyes to this radical distortion of the basic concept of human association in national States. This is the moment to identify the real roots and rationallY agree on the cure, without demagoguery. On the other hand, third-world countries, particularly the Latin American nations, are weighted down by the burden of their foreign debts and by pressures Which increasingly require the sacrifice of national sovereignty and the national hed tage, while the needs of their peoples are becoming more urgent and press ing. In these circumstances, new forms of neo-colonial subjugation are beginning to emerge, as if humanity's progress in certain areas must be paid for at the cost of setbacks in others. It is unjust for small and lX>or countr ies that are struggl ing to mQet their obligations in the internatia\al community, playing the CJame honestly, still find thenselves the victims of those who cheat. My country's situation is a good example. I was the Comptroller-General immediately before assuming the presidency, and I can vouch for the scrupulous manner with trilich we oompl ied with our obligations until 1987. But solely because of the unjust sanctions imposed by the United States Government, Panama has been unable to meet its conmitments since that date. Faced wi th the choice of not paying our foreign debt and seeing our people starve, we have opted for the former, as befi ts a Government conscious of its moral and social responsibilities. Chce again before this Assembly I request the world commmity to direct its attention to the case of Panama. If the self-determination of the Panamanian people, their ability to engage in peaO!ful labour cnd their commitment to neutrality cnd friendship with all peoples and nations were to be fully and effectively realized, that would mean more wealth ald welfare for .tbe people of the Uti tec1 Sta tes, gr ea ter dis tinctiQ\ for its leaders, and greate~: splendour for the ideals it professes, than would our sub juga tic:n in to slavery through the use of mill tary force. The cost of the secQ1d option is clear, given our unwaivering determination to defend our COWl try. The first path, towards which world directioo cnd history is heading, is the one which will lead to lasting and fruitful yields. By abandoning arrogance and coerciQ'l, the Uti ted Sta tes will have gr eater assur CI'lces of always being able to count on friends in the heart of the lmericas, on people who, in moments which reqUire reciprocal cQlcessions of interdependence, will be more willing and more understanding, than it will by carrying out a terrible aggregate of siege, pr lva tim, humilia tioo cnd injury. We are a nation with such great potential that citizens of many other COllltries may find amcng us plen tiful opportllli ties for fortme cnd happiness. Changes in world trade, in transportation and in conmunications systems enhance the increasing importcnce of Panana's geographical character istics. My Government is fully aware that the rapid developnent of the wealth of that great natural resource for the benefit of the Panam",icn people is inseparable from equitable cnd respectful associa tion with other nations and other peoples. Mr. Pr esi dent, it is now my duty, wi th whi ch I happily comply, to convey the timeless debt of gratitude which the Panamanian people feel towards Your Excellency for the words with which you referred to the situation in Panama in your inaugural address to this forty-fourth session of the General Asserrbly. Indeed, the current conflict between the lhited States and Panama is incompatible with peace, but a prompt solution depends 00 allowing Panamanians to carry out our daily tasks in a secure environment, free of violence. Before this forum, I solennly reiterate my Q)vernrnent's best willingness to peacefully resolve our di fferences '1171 th the Government of the thi ted States, based on JlUtual reco~ition of the legi tirnate interests of both nations. '1'0 establish a climate of good will, the first step should iJe for the Ulited States to oomply with the pcovisions of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, and appoint the Panamanian Administrator proposed by the 'IS, who is to assume office on 1 January 1990, in less than three months. On our part, what I am about to state will leave no doubts in anyone's mind as to our OWl good ["'Iith. The idea of establishing a multinational force to oonbat drugs is being debated by several Governments. We believe that this proposal merits deep analys is for we must weigh the difficulties of establishing such a force ,against the incredibly des tructive power amassed by these criminal '.etworJcs. If formulas could be devised so that a multilateral action of this nature became the slJbject of an international conventior., with adequate mechanisms to safeguard national sovereign ty and availl threa ts to the independence of any nation, then the Republic of Panama wow.d not ooly render its enthusiastic support to the initiative, but would go further. Given our l(J\g experience in fighting illegal dr\J9 traffic, because we are nei ther a producing nor a consuming country, cnd because our successes in this area have been r~oo~ized by the entire world, the Republic of Panama would be willing to accept the headquarters of such a multinational force in our territory, as (Provisional President Rodriguez) another service that the IsthmlS 1 strategic posi tioo would offer to the international comnuni ty. If the United States desires a new relationship with Panama concerning military bases, why does it not state that openly? Let the tbited States make such an announcement, without: disguising it in an attempt to ~mpose it using the formula of force wi thout 'JIar. In any case, whether with my Q)vernment or any other Government of Panama, decisioos must reflect the will of the Panama'\ial people pursuant to article 310 of our Consti tution, which establishes a refeE"endum procedure for the rati fica tion of internatimal agreements of a nature so vital to the ~public. The people themselves must be the contracting party. The Republic of Panama ha"' been made into a giant exper imental laboratory by the most powerfuL na tioo in the world, me that proclaims itself the leader of human rights. In my country, essential elements for the taking over of governments and terd tor ies have been put in to practice. They are based Q'l low in tensity war fare and inclUde tactics such as psychological warfare, economic aggression through the seizure of goods Md property of poor natioos, the indebtedness of cOll1tries without great resources for future collection with inflated interest, using a form of blackllBil which lIldermines their sovereiCJ')ty anddiqnity. To this one must. add military threat and aggression under terms dictc:.ted by the arrogance of super ior weapoos ald prCNoca tions targeted against a tradi tionally peacefuL people. This laboratory, which produced the so-ealled Panama crisis, extends to other nations, intimidating them in order to exert pressure and force them to isolate 2 million Panamanians who have never had, and do not have~ a background of hostile attitudes, or racism, or aggressiveness, or plans for offensive expansion, and whose only sin is to raise a banner against neo-coladalism, against apartheid <md against any form of imperialism. Two million Panamanians aspire only to be left in peace, to work in peace, to share ..,cl enjoy the fruits of our efforts, free and in peace.

On behalf of. the General Assenblyl' I wish to thank the Provisional President of the Republic of Pa.,ana for the import<mt statement he has just made. Kt. Francisco Rodriguez, Provisional President of the Rapublic of Panama, was escorted from the General Assembly Hall.