Technological University of Panama

Faculty of Industrial Engineering

Bachelor of Logistics and Multimodal Transport

Course:
English II - 8638

Dramatizing:
3rd of November 1903

Group:
12L113

Group members:
Lizeth Altamiranda, 8-1002-1205 Margy Rios, 8-997-1490 José Sanjur
Astrid Avendaño, 8-1004-266 Vivian Dominguez Karla Flores
Gabriel Bernal, 8-1004-2342 Yaleth Ranger Enmanuel Perez, 8-1006-1761
Brandon Lobon, 8-990272 Carlos Ortega Guillermo Cano
Melani Gonzales, 2-753-1264 Abdul Solis 8-956-36 Emily Sanches
Alejandra Xintaris, 8-1006-1795 Ricaurte Echeverría Armando Valdes

Teacher:
Margaret Bennett

Due date:
Thursday, November 10, 2022

Second Semester, Victor Levi Sasso Campus

Scene 1
Narrator: In 1903 Panama was going through a bad time, this as a consequence of the Thousand Days
War that was fought between the two political parties of the time. The Conservative Party that held
power in that year and the Liberals who sought to oppose them.
Panama did not have much to do with the war, but great battles were fought in the country ....
(1000 Days War)
Belisario Porras: Let's continue with this, boys, let's not give up, if we continue like this we will be able to
take the capital.
Victoriano Lorenzo: We have to fight for what is ours

Scene 2
Narrator: The Thousand Days War left chaos and ruin in the province of Panama. At that time all of what
is now Panama was a single province of Colombia, the capital of the country at that time was in
Colombia, and to discuss urgent matters a long boat trip had to be made.
(meeting between 2 people)
Actor 21: (Actor 21 is writing a letter in a hurry)
Actor 23: (enters the scene and asks) Good afternoon Actor 21, I was informed that it was an urgent
situation.
Actor 21: Yes, that's right, Actor 23 I need you to take this letter to Bogotá to the Ministry of Health
because with the malaria outbreak we are running out of medicines, I need this letter to be delivered
immediately because people are dying.
Actor 23: That's right Actor 21, I'll leave immediately.
Actor 23: (Actor 23 enters the scene tired after the trip) Actor 21, I delivered the letter in Bogota, but
they told me there are no medicines, I'm coming back empty-handed.

Scene 3.
Narrator: At that time they didn't pay attention to us, although, the only interest they had in the country
was due to the money that was generated due to the geographical position of the country, at that time
we had a railroad that exported large quantities of merchandise, especially after gold was found in
California and the gold rush arose.
(A couple is at home chatting at a table)
Actor 24: (Takes money out of his wallet) Looks like we'll be able to eat well this week.
Actor 25: Actor 24 That's good, I was getting used to eating the same thing every day.
Actor 26 (Colombian general): (enters the place without first knocking or asking permission and in a
demanding tone says:) Where is the money, you must give me the contribution of the Colombian
government because we are at war and we have to pay the expenses, also separate because two people
in a meeting is considered conspiracy (Actor 26 leaves).
 Scene 4
Narrator: Not even 10% of the taxes in Panama were used for construction or helping the country, but
there was a Hope. .....
(Meeting in a park)
Actor 27: (Reading a newspaper) Listen, listen, it says here that the French will build a canal in Panama.
days later......
Actor 28: Remember that the French were going to build a canal, the French company in charge of the
work fell into bankruptcy.
Actor 29: No way, when we thought the situation was going to improve.
days later....
Actor 27: I heard that the Americans are interested in resuming construction of the Panama Canal.
Actor 29: True, but it seems that the U.S. Senate prefers the routes through Nicaragua.
Actor 28: No way, Panama has a better position and would take better advantage of the transit of ships.
Actor 27: It is true what you say, but, someone convinced the senate to continue with the construction
of the Canal in Panama. The problem is that the Colombian congress plans to reject this proposal.
Actor 29: Those Colombians do not allow the country to prosper, I can't stand them anymore.

Scene 6
Narrator: After 25 years of problems the Colombian government itself would strip us of the only solution
to the country's problems. Hearing this the leader of the separatist Chief of Panama enters the scene.
(José Agustín Arango and a Panamanian boy talking while walking through the city)
José Agustín Arango is walking and chatting with Actor 30
José Agustín Arango (lawyer for the railroad company and senator of the provincial government of
Panama before the Colombian government): Are you seeing this, this city is falling apart, the streets are
full of mud, holes, there is garbage everywhere. This government doesn't give a damn about what is
happening to the country.
Actor 30: Look doctor Arango, it says here that it is rumored that the congress will reject the Herran -
Hay treaty.
José Agustín Arango: I knew this was going to happen, if the government rejects this treaty because of
the Spooner Act, the United States will have to build the Canal in Nicaragua.
Actor 30: Doctor, we cannot stay with our hands folded, the canal is our only option for the country to
improve its situation.

Scene 7
(José Agustín Arango meets with a group of young men)
José Agustín Arango: Boys, you are younger than me and you are the future of the country, what
happens with it at this time will benefit or harm you and your families in the future.
Understand that if this treaty is rejected, we will not only lose the canal, we will also lose the railroad,
which belongs to the Americans. All our businesses will go bankrupt.
I believe that the canal should be built with a Colombian or a Panamanian government.
Actor 31: Maestro, does that mean that you are proposing to separate us from greater Colombia?
Actor 32: Doctor, the risk involved is very great, we could lose our lives or our families.
José Agustín Arango: That is true, but our Liberty merits that risk and more.
Actor 33: But in this group we all belong to the Conservative Party and our parties come from a War.
Actor 31: That is true, but consider that this goes beyond a Party flag, we must unite, rebuild and repair
all that we have destroyed by being divided.
Actor 32: This has to be done right, our lives and our country depend on it.
Actor 30: (Arrives running to the meeting) Doctor, I come in a hurry to inform you that Victoriano
Lorenzo has just been sentenced, he is going to be executed in the Chiriqui barracks.

Narrator: For the conspirators this was a key movement, Victoriano Lorenzo was a liberal leader who
fought against the government and in a totally unfair trial of just days he was condemned to death after
the Thousand Days War ended with an "amnesty" that was signed with the peace of Wisconsin with the
help of the Americans and almost immediately.
This means that the Colombian government was capable of killing anyone who opposed it.
Scene 8
Narrator THE key point for Panamanians to finally decide to separate from Colombia since their union in
1821.
After the shooting of Victoriano Lorenzo, José Agustín Arango meets with Manuel Amador Guerrero, a
doctor of the railroad company, who also worked as a doctor in the construction of the French canal.
(Meeting at Amador Guerrero's house)
Manuel and Amador: I wanted to talk to you, the situation in which we find ourselves is getting worse
and worse.
José Agustín Arango: That is why we are gathered here.
Manuel: And what is a doctor supposed to do in this situation?
José Agustín: If we all thought like this, the great revolutions would not have occurred.
Manuel: You are Senator Agustín, why don't you defend the treaty?
José Agustín: The treaty will be rejected, that is why we must act, join the cause of separating Panama
from Colombia.
Manuel: How will we make it if we don't have money, weapons or people supporting the movement.
José Agustín: There is no shortage of people, the whole town is upset with the situation and is looking
for a change. I have had several meetings with William Nelson Cromwell the attorney for the railroad and
French Canal shares.
He told me that the United States would look favorably on Panama separating from Colombia and could
help us.
Manuel Amador: But we're going to end up as Victorian
José Agustín: We cannot allow his death to be in vain.
Manuel Amador: Count on me, whatever it takes for this land, but we will continue with the same
management of the Colombian government, we cannot raise suspicions.
Narrator: After this meeting José Agustín Arango began to gather people with different types of power.
José Agustín: I already have some names: Carlos Francisco Arosemena, Federico Boyd, Manuel Espinoza
Batista. We also have another senator who can help us, José Domingo De Obaldía.

Scene 9
Narrator: José Domingo De Obaldía meets with the president of Colombia at the time, José M.
Marroquín. When the liberals were about to take over Panama City, he went to ask the Americans to
help him in exchange for signing the Panama Canal contract.
José M. Marroquín: De Obaldía, I need you to wait a few seconds because I am attending to other
matters.
José Domingo: President, chaos is forming in the isthmus and it is because of this that Panama is going
to separate from Colombia, because of the shooting of Victoriano Lorenzo there is discontent with all the
people. It is also rumored that the congress will reject the Herran-Haye treaty.
José M. Marroquín: If I sign that treaty now they will give me the no to reelection in 1904, let the
elections pass and I will sign it without any problem. Preserving political power is the priority.
José Domingo: More important than preserving Panama? This treaty could be Colombia's greatest
achievement or its greatest failure.

Scene 10
Narrator: The news that Colombia would reject the Herran-Hayas treaty reached the U.S. presidency,
President Theodore Roosevelt was not happy with the news.
Theodore's Secretary: Theodore Marroquín has a strong opposition in the congress, even the people are
against the Herrán-Hay treaty.
Theodore: What they want is to have a higher profit.
Secretary: According to the Spooner Law, if we have problems with the treaty, we are going to build the
canal through Nicaragua.
Theodore: The canal has to be in Panama, send someone to make a study of the terrain, we are going to
prepare a warlike action for the railroad routes, if the Colombians do not accept the 10 million we are
offering there will be problems.

Narrator: The meeting of the Colombian Congress was held to decide whether the Herran-Hay treaty
was rejected or accepted, José Domingo de Obaldía tried to defend the treaty so that it would be
accepted, but when the votes were taken, it was decided that the treaty would be rejected, this reached
the ears of everyone, the people and even the presidency of the United States.
Narrator: William Nelson Cromwell, a Wall Street tycoon, agreed to a meeting for the construction of the
Panama Canal, the person in charge of going to the United States to talk to Cromwell was Manuel
Amador Guerrero.

Scene 11
(Talk between Marroquín and José Domingo de Obaldía after the congressional meeting where the
U.S.-Colombia treaty was rejected).
Marroquín: Mr. José Domingo, you know that with everything that has happened we are going to
destabilize the province with everything that is happening and that is why I need someone to help me to
keep calm in the place.
José Domingo (Annoyed, he responds): I have nothing to talk to you, everything they are doing is wrong,
they are only looking for their benefit and not that of the Panamanian people.
Marroquin: I need your help and that is why I have decided to give you the position of governor of
Panama, you know that rumors of separation are increasing and that is why I need you to keep the
people calm.
after winning the elections in 1904, he signed the treaty with a decree law.
José Domingo: Well if so I promise you that I will perform my work with all my qualities, but you have to
know that I am Colombian, but before that I am Panamanian Isthmian and if my people need to separate
I will be on the side of my people.

Narrator: Manuel Amador Guerrero arrived in New York and met with Cromwell to ask for help to
finance the separatist movement, however, nothing prospered, days later Amador met with a friend in
New York who told him that he had met with a French engineer who helped in the construction of the
French canal, he also commented on what was happening with Panama and asked for a meeting with
Amador.
In the meeting Amador told him everything he knew and also everything that was being planned to
separate from Colombia, with the excuse of having the same objective (the construction of the canal)
Bunau Varilla convinced Amador Guerrero.
Bunau Varilla with the information he had obtained an appointment with the President of the United
States. After several meetings, Amador Guerrero and Bunau Varilla met with the President of the United
States.

Scene 12
(meeting between manual amador and Bunau varilla)
Amador: How is it possible that the separatist movement took place in 15 days and why only Panama
and Colon were separated. Panama has 9 provinces, I do not accept this.
Bunau Varilla: When you have U.S. support you can annex the other provinces on your own.
Amador: I accept
Bunau Varilla: November 3 will be the day of their separation.
Amador: But that is one week after I return to Panama, it is not possible that I can mount a war in that
time against a country much bigger than ours.
Bunau Varilla: To achieve the revolution they must have a declaration of independence, constitutions,
symbols that represent the homeland and a plan of attack to be able to take Panama and Colon.
But the most important condition is missing, I must be your minister plenipotentiary to the United
States.
Amador: That can't be, why you?
Bunau Varilla: I am the one who has Roosevelt's support and confidence, also the one who conducted all
the negotiations.
Amador: What will the world think when it finds out that we are represented as prime minister by a
Frenchman. This is not going to please my colleagues who are watching the movement.
Bunau Varilla: If your answer is no, you will not be able to count on my financing.

Conclusion
Manuel Amador Guerrero revealed the whole plan of the movement to Estaban Huertas, Colonel of the
Colombian Battalion Tiradores because they needed his help. The Colombian troops were arriving in
Panama at the same time as the American support.
Narrator: On November 3, 1903, at 3:00 a.m., the United States military support arrived and promised
Bunau Rod, but at the same time the Colombian military support arrived with a battalion of 500 soldiers
and disembarked in Colon, however, Esteban Huertas supported the cause and stopped the Colombian
army that was approaching the Isthmus.

It was at 7:30 on November 3, 1903 after the Colombian troops withdrew that Panama could finally
confirm its separation from Colombia, it was then that Manuel Amador Guerrero sent to the other
provinces the message MATEA arrived, the Code to tell the other provinces of Panama, we are free.