SITE DIRECTORY
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Corozal Cemetery
Corozal Cemetery
FOUNDED: 1905
ADDITIONAL NAMES: Silver Cemetery
AFFILIATION(S):
Pan Caribbean Sankofa
Corozal-Gatun-Mt. Hope Cemetery Preservation Foundation (CGM)
HISTORY: Corozal “Silver” Cemetery is a 46-acre historic segregated burial ground in Panama City, Panama, located beside the 17-acre Corozal American Cemetery & Memorial. It is the final resting place of thousands of West Indian and Panamanian laborers and their families, whose courage, labor, and sacrifice helped make the Panama Canal possible. More than 60,000 West Indian workers came to Panama to labor on this monumental undertaking, and many lost their lives to disease, dangerous working conditions, and the harsh realities of the Canal’s construction. However, the Canal Zone's racial, social, and economic inequalities often overshadowed their contributions.
After Panama took over the Canal Zone in 1999, it also assumed responsibility for the cemetery. Years of inadequate maintenance led to erosion, drainage problems, vandalism, and encroaching vegetation, threatening not only the cemetery itself but also the memories of those who sacrificed so much. Recognized in the 2010 World Monuments Watch, Corozal “Silver” Cemetery remains a sacred, endangered testament to a largely overlooked chapter of Panama Canal history—and a place where descendants still seek the recognition, dignity, and preservation their ancestors deserve. Declared a Historical Patrimony in 2012, Corozal is closed to burials..
BCN Contact Information:
Valerie I. Howell