who controlled panama before the us stepped in
History of Panama (1821–1903) Panama thus became part of Colombia, then governed under the 1821 Constitution of Cúcuta, and was designated a department with two provinces, Panamá and Veraguas. With the addition of Ecuador to the liberated area, the whole country became known as Gran Colombia. Panama sent a force of 700 men to join Simón Bolívar in Peru, where the Peruvian War of Independence continued.