U.S. President-elect Donald Trump recently said he would not rule out the possibility of using military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.
In response to Trump's renewed comments, Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha said, "The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian, and that's how it will continue."
The canal is a reminder of the nation's struggle to reclaim its independence and chart its own future.
On Jan. 9, 1964, the "Flag Protests" escalated into violent clashes after U.S. residents in the Panama Canal Zone tore a Panamanian flag brought by local students.
"When they were taking me to the morgue, I took one last breath and said, 'I'm not dead.'" Gilberto Guerra, a student in 1964, embodies the resilient spirit of Panama's struggle for independence, a fight symbolized by a torn flag and the loss of over 20 lives.
Watch the bilingual video on this pivotal moment.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service■
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