Anarchism in Panama

Anarchism in Panama began as an organized movement among immigrant workers, brought to the country to work on the numerous megaprojects throughout its history. From the mid-19th century onward, Panama’s labor history was shaped by waves of migrant workers drawn by major infrastructure projects such as the trans-isthmus railroad and the construction of the Panama Canal.

Early strikes for better wages and conditions began during the railroad era, with anarcho-syndicalist ideas introduced by European and Caribbean workers during the French and later American canal efforts. Following Panama’s independence from Colombia in 1903, anarchists established transnational networks that drove labor organizing in the Canal Zone, despite government attempts to suppress activism.

Anarchist newspapers and affinity groups emerged alongside continued labor actions, culminating in the founding of the Sindicato General de Trabajadores in 1924 and the involvement of anarchists in broader socialist and communist movements by the 1930s.