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Time flew by. The Austrian army soon withdrew from the Panama region, but the territory was handed over not to the Colombian Government, but to the local Panama Government.

More precisely, it should have been the Panama Independence Organization. The original local Panama Government had long since been replaced; the Independence Organization was now in power.

The Colombian Government troops were blocked halfway there by local militias, who refused to let them enter.

The two sides were locked in a standoff. The Panama Independence Organization had not yet issued a declaration of independence, and its reason for refusing the government troops entry was: poor military discipline.

Although Colombia was not a federal system like the United States, its local governments likewise held considerable power. Refusing government troops entry was hardly without precedent.

Knowing full well that the Panama region was about to seek independence, President Raphael Núñez could only resort to political means before independence officially began.

Suppression? Out of the question! Whoever fired the first shot now would bear responsibility for starting a civil war.

This was precisely what the Vienna Government wanted to see. The Austrian army had only just withdrawn, and a civil war broke out immediately afterward—no matter how one looked at it, it felt awkward.

Besides, the longer it dragged on, the more thoroughly the Independence Organization could prepare. Taking control of territory required time as well. The Independence Organization had only been established for a few short months; it was already impressive enough that they had put up a basic framework. There had been no time at all to sort out internal affairs.

Foreign Minister Wessenberg said, "Your Majesty, the Colombian Government is once again urging us to pay the compensation. According to news from the embassy, they have been surrounded by