Peace Without Poison

Population control in Panama has proceeded at a careful pace, which is why it took thirty years,from 1962 to 1992, to lower the total fertility rate from 6 to 3 children per woman. This isprobably due to the fact that only part of the country was subjected to covert chemicalsterilization until 1999 while the rest of the country were outside the program’s reach. Panama’sCanal Zone and parts of Panama City have had fluoridated water from 1975 to 2000. Panama asa whole has relied on fluoridated salt since 1999.The man responsible for setting the tone of Panama’s population control program is OmarTorrijos, Commander of the National Guard and in control of Panama from 1968 to 1981.Manuel Noriega continued in the same vein as Torrijos from 1983 to 1989 when he was removedby the US military. All subsequent presidents of Panama have stayed the course and havelowered fertility to 2.4 children per woman.633 | P a g e