Il Canale di Panamá celebra questo venerdì i suoi cento anni. Inaugurato il 15 agosto del 1914, oggi vi transita il 5% del commercio marittimo mondiale.
Alla base della sua creazione – iniziata già nel 1880 - ci fu la necessità di creare un nuovo collegamento fra l’Atlantico ed il Pacifico, per evitare alle navi di doversi spingere più a sud e attraversare il burrascoso canale di Drake o l’impervio stretto di Magellano. Durante la sua costruzione morirono ben 27'000 operai, flagellati dalla malaria e dalla febbre gialla.
Il canale in costruzione
Ad un secolo dall’inaugurazione, il Canale di Panamá ha visto transitare per i suoi 80 km di lunghezza oltre un milione di imbarcazioni. Amministrato dagli Stati Uniti fino al 1999, è stato poi riconsegnato a Panamá, per la quale il pedaggio di navigazione dello stretto è la principale fonte di economia. In virtù dei trattati di Torrijos-Carter, Washington mantiene però il diritto di intervenire qualora la neutralità dello stretto fosse in pericolo.
Dovrebbero concludersi entro la fine di quest’anno i lavori per il raddoppio del canale, al fine di incrementare il traffico commerciale e permettere il transito di navi più grandi.
ATS/LudoC.
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