A Nation in Search of Its Nationhood: Panama, 1912-1941 - Paperbackby Juan Manuel Prez (Author) When the Liberal Party reached power in Panama in 1912 it started a period that lasted until 1941. A period in which Panamanians, due to the special circumstances under which the country became independent, the presence of the United States, and of thousands of foreign workers in its territory, began to doubt and asked themselves if they were truly independent. The American presence impacted politics and a sense of