PROLOGUE

On May 15, 1879, the Geographic Society of Paris organized the Universal Congress, an international event to determine the best route for the construction of an interoceanic canal in Central America.

Previously, Ferdinand de Lesseps, famed engineer of the Suez Canal and member of the Geographic Society, had chaired a committee that negotiated a treaty which gave France exclusive rights to construct a canal in the Colombian province of Panama. Therefore, when the Universal Congress convened, France had a definite interest in the Panamanian route being selected.

During the event, more than ten possible canal routes were evaluated, but Nicaragua and Panama were selected the best options.

In spite of technically superior information presented by the Americans to promote the Nicaraguan route, and of the mediocre defense presented by de Lesseps’ collaborators, the French majority prevailed in the final vote and the Panamanian route won by 74 votes in favor and eight against.

Ferdinand de Lesseps’ proposal to construct a canal at sea level and without any locks was approved in spite of the opposing votes of French engineers Godin de Lépinay, who had proposed a canal with locks and an artificial lake to reduce the amount of excavation, and Alexander Gustave Eiffel.