N'afọ 1899, e hiwere Kọmitii Na-ahụ Maka Ọwa Mmiri n'Isthmus ka ha kpebie ebe kacha mma a ga-esi rụọ ọwa mmiri ahụ (Nicaragua ma ọ bụ Panama) ma hụ na a rụchara ya. Mgbe a chụpụrụ Nicaragua, Panama bụ nhọrọ doro anya. Otú ọ dị, nsogbu ụfọdụ bilitere. Ebe ọ bụ na United States nwere mmasị siri ike na Panama (nke bụ́ obere akụkụ Colombia n'oge ahụ), ma Colombia ma ụlọ ọrụ France nke gaje inye ihe ndị e ji ewu ụlọ ahụ weliri ọnụ ahịa ha. United States, n'ịjụ ịkwụ ụgwọ ndị dị elu karịa ndị a tụrụ anya ha, "kpalitere mgbanwe" na Colombia. Na November 3, 1903, Panama (n'enyemaka nke United States Navy) nupụụrụ Colombia isi. Panama ghọrọ mba ọhụrụ, na-anata nde $ 10 site na United States nanị. Panama nwetakwara ụgwọ ọnwa kwa afọ nke $250,000, na nkwa nke nnwere onwe. United States nwetara ikike nke ọwa mmiri ahụ
"ruo mgbe ebighị ebi". Roosevelt mesịrị kwuo na ya "were Ọwa mmiri ahụ, ma hapụ ndị Congress ka ha na-arụrịta ụka". Mgbe Colombia tụfuru Panama, ha gbalịrị ịrịọ United States arịrịọ site n'ịtụleghachi nkwekọrịta dị iche iche na ọbụna ịkpọ Panama City isi obodo Colombia.