The nation had not yet recovered from the tragic events and devastation of the civil war, when another crisis erupted. On November 3, 1903, Panamá, sponsored and fueled by the interests of the United States declared its secession from Colombia. The provincial troops and civil leaders proclaimed the independence of the Panamanian State from the Colombian nation, aided and abetted by the military forces and diplomatic agents of President Theodore Roosevelt. As part of the conspiracy and within days, Roosevelt recognized the independence of Panamá and, in a stern and illegitimate forewarning, stated that he would not allow the presence of Colombian troops in Panamanian territory. Behind this secession movement and action was the desire of Roosevelt’s administration to build, operate and control an interoceanic canal.