Past Watch Site

The Corozal Cemetery, located at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal, and the Mount Hope Cemetery, located at the Atlantic end, together serve as stark reminders of the lives lost to one of the most significant and iconic water passages in the world, and of the racial, social, and economic exclusion many suffered in its construction. The seaway was made possible by more than 60,000 black West Indian laborers before, during, and after its construction period (1904–1914). Inaugurated as a cemetery in 1914, Corozal was an official expansion of Mount Hope; both were designated as a final resting place for “Silver Roll” employees, the nonwhite workers of the Panama Canal and American Canal Zone.

The present-day, 46-acre Corozal Cemetery was transferred to Panama from United States jurisdiction in 1979, when it was officially separated from the 17-acre “Gold Roll” section, now known as the American Battlements Cemetery, which was traditionally reserved for white U.S. citizens. In 1999, when the entire Canal Zone reverted to Panamanian control, administration of the Corozal Cemetery was handed over to the City of Panama. In recent years, inadequate maintenance has caused problems of improper drainage, erosion, vandalism, and jungle encroachment. Increased awareness and collective action are needed to ensure the preservation of this venerable landscape.

UPDATE
 

Watch listing helped to raise awareness about the history of the Panama Canal workers known as the Silver People. Legislation has now been introduced to protect and preserve these two cemeteries. July 2010