IV. A CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS RELATING TO CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION OF THE PANAMA
 CANAL TREATIES, AUGUST 1977-JUNE 19781


 AUGUST 1977
August 2-Panamanian negotiators returned to Washington after
 weekend consultations in Panama, and intensive treaty talks were resumed amid indications that the negotiations were nearing conclusion.
August 5-Panama's Chief of Government Omar Torrijos met in Bogota, Colombia, with the leaders of Costa Rica, -Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela and Jamaica, to explain the proposed new canal pacts.
 According to well pla ced sources, General. Torrijos was seeking to obtain the leaders' signatures on the neutrality treaty to indicate Western Hemisphere support and to undercut domestic criticism.
 At the conclusion of the meeting, the six leaders issued a joint communique indicating support of Panama's claims while praising
 President Carter for his handling of the negotiations.
August 7-U.S. treaty negotiators :arrived in Panama amid indications that argreement on new Panama Canal treaties would be announced later in the week. Sources stated that agreement was made likely after Panama scaled down its economic demands and the United States offered to provide an extensive program of economic
 assistance.
August 8-President Carter telegrammed all members of Congress to
 inform them that "negotiations for a new treaty may be concluded very soon" and to ask that they withhold judgment until they have
 studied the treaties in detail.
August 10-United States and Panamanian negotiators announced
 agreement "in principle" on two new Panama Canal treaties at an xwening press conference in Panama. While indicating that the texts of the treaties remained to be drafted, U.S. negotiators Bunker and Linowitz were to return to Washington to report the agreement to
 President Carter.
August 11-General Torrijos declared the day a national holiday in
 Panama, but, according to observers, Panamanians failed to exhibit the mood of victory expected. While the Government prepared to launch a nationwide campaign to persuade the populace to vote for the treaty in the plebiscite required for ratification, influential Panamanians pointed to three points in the agreements that could
 1This chronology was prepared by Rosemary Jackson, K. Larry Storrs. and Ann liarkins, Analysts in Latin American Affairs. It is based on various published accounts, including newspaper and magazine accounts, for which complete verification is impossible. For an extensive, chronolorv of events from 1826 up to the dates covered in this cronolo, see the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Print entitled "A Chronology of Events Relating to the Panama Canal," 95th Congress, st Session, December 1977.
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