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U.S. officials and mainstream media until recently were fond of quoting polls in Panama that showed that 70 percent of Panamanians favored U.S. troops remaining in the country after 1999.

But according to a poll published by El Universal on March 30, 73% of Panamanians say that there must not be any renegotiation of the Canal Treaties that would allow U.S. bases to stay in Panama after the end of 1999. Among women, 78% oppose such a renegotiation, as opposed to only 14% who favor the idea.

Journalist Eric Jackson notes that El Universal does not have the same track record in polling as Gallup or Harris, and that the question was asked in an unusual way, combining the renegotiation of a popular treaty with the bases question. Still, Jackson says, "it does look like we have been through a two- or three-year process in which Panamanian public opinion has reversed itself sharply."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Southern Command has announced "radical reductions" of troops and personnel, and the progressive closure of bases in Panama over the rest of 1999. By August, there will be fewer than 1,000 U.S. troops on the isthmus.

U.S. Military Base Transfers in 1999
Installation	Branch	Date
Galeta Island	Navy	March 15
Rodman Naval Station	Navy	April 30
Howard Base - airfield	Air Force	May 1
Balboa West Range	Air Force	June 1
Fort Sherman and Piņa Range	Army	June 30
Cocoli	Army	July 1
Empire Range	Army	August 31
Fort Kobbe/Farfan Housing	Army	November 1
Howard Air Base	Air Force	November 1
Fort Clayton/East Corozal	Army	November 30
West Corozal	Army	December 22

Previous major transfers: Fort Davis, Fort Gulick (1995); Fort Amador (1996); Gorgas Hospital, Albrook Air Field (1997); Quarry Heights (Southern Command HQ) (1998).

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