Panama, Congress at
In 1823 Simon Bolivar, the liberator of Colombia, South America, and then President of that republic, invited the governments of Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Buenos Ayres to unite with him in forming a general congress at Panama. Arrangements to that effect were made, but the congress was not held until July, 1826. The object was to settle upon some line of policy having the force of international law respecting the rights of those republics, and to adopt measures for preventing further colonization by European powers on the American continent. They fully accepted the Monroe doctrine (see Monroe, James). In the spring of 1825 the United States was invited to send commissioners to the congress. These were appointed early in 1826, and appeared at the congress early in July; but its results were not important to any of the parties concerned.
