PERSONAJES
JUNIO DE 2017
Foto: Panamá Vieja Escuela.
Three patriots:
Martinez, Melendez and
Henriquez (part II of III)
Hour and a half lasts this explosive situation. Near the marines
was General Ortiz with his policemen and Captain Achurra,
head of garrison, to respond to the Colombian attack.
A
rrives to Colon the warship
Dixie, with more marines,
who deployed near the har-
bor.
At 5 pm, Henriquez and Lefevre vi-
sit Torres, meeting with Colonel Shaler
and Commander Hubbard. Torres no
longer threatens the Americans and
asks to send Elizardo Guerrero to Pa-
nama to meet with the generals to re-
ceive orders.
Shaler communicates to the head
of the Provisional Government Board,
Manuel Amador Guerrero, the sending
of the commissioner of Colonel Torres.
Amador advises General Tovar to or-
der the withdrawal of Colon’s troops,
but he refuses.
Eusebio A. Morales is commissio-
ned to receive Torres’ envoys to the
station and takes them to where Tovar,
who receives the note from Torres and
a memorial of Colonial ladies where
they request him not to comply with the
threats.
Everything is in a state of waiting.
On November 5, at 8 o’clock in the
morning, General Pompilio Gutiérrez
arrived in Colon on a special mission
aboard the Orinoco steamer. Melendez
sends Henriquez, who reports that in-
dependence is a fact and the Marines
support it. Gutiérrez disembarks to talk
with Torres.
At 2 in the afternoon, Torres offers
the command to General Gutierrez,
who does not accept. Martinez and Or-
tiz reiterate Torres’ offer of $ 8,000 “to
ration his troops,” outside tickets, paid
for by the railroad company.
At 7.45 pm, Colombian troops re-
treat and embark on the Orinoco. Lea-
ving the bay, Melendez shouted, “Now,
yes, we are free!”
The patriots issued a speech signed
by Melendez: “The Government of the
nascent Republic of Panama aspires
to bring to the isthmus a definitive and
true era of progress, so as not to be left
behind in the concert of civilization,
which marks the time clock in the other
states of the universe. The supreme jun-
ta that I represent wants nothing more
than to establish a government from all
and for all. “
On the 6th, at 9.30 in the morning,
in the presence of the American offi-
cers of the Dixie and Nashville ships,
consuls and local authorities, Major
William Murray Black (on Colonel
Shaler’s honor) raised the Panamanian
flag in the palace Of the Prefecture
and orders to confront the Colombian
troops. Melendez is the new prefect.
We cannot close this homage wi-
thout mentioning the daughter of Me-
lendez, Aminta, who at age 17 fulfilled
her duty as a patriot; To Darío Alfaro,
assistant cashier, and to Jose Edgardo
Lefevre, assistant of the cashier of the
railway company, among others, who
bequeathed us their immortal feat.
Acta de independencia del Istmo.
17