This article**[CCTV News Client];
Panama held a "National Day of Mourning" event on December 20, local time, to mourn the compatriots who died when the United States invaded Panama 34 years ago.
In the early morning of the 20th, a large number of citizens came to the "Peace Garden" cemetery in the capital Panama City to participate in the commemorative activities held by **, where the tombstones of the victims of the US invasion are displayed, the victims are children who have just turned 10 years old, and there are elderly people who are close to the old, and their lives are fixed in December 1989.
Panamanian Governor Tevanai said at the commemoration that the U.S. invasion has left indelible scars on Panamanian society and is an important part of Panama's national memory, and that the younger generation should remember history and unite to bring the country into the future.
In his statement, the President of the Panamanian Committee of 20 December 1989, Rolando Murgas, stressed that the Panamanian people should remember this history of suffering, remember their compatriots who lost their lives in the United States invasion, and "do not allow the dead to become a mere number, a so-called 'collateral damage'".
In order to investigate the truth about the casualties caused by the U.S. invasion that year, Panama** established the "Commission of December 20, 1989" in 2016. At present, the Commission has compiled a list of more than 400 victims, most of whom were civilians. Murgas urged the United States to take responsibility for its aggression and the harm it caused to Panama.
Laurentino Cortizo of Panama signed a decree last March designating December 20 as a "National Day of Mourning". The decree stipulates that on the day of mourning, the flag will be lowered at half-mast nationwide, and all bars, supermarkets, and song halls will strictly prohibit the sale of alcohol.
In the early morning of December 20, 1989, the United States sent elite troops to brazenly invade Panama. According to the United Nations, the U.S. military operation killed nearly 500 Panamanians.