The U.S. national flag was hauled down on the afternoon of December 30, in the Panama Canal Zone, at the request of the U.S. government.

This U.S. flag is the last one pulled down before December 31, when the government of the United States will handover the interoceanic waterway and its installations to the Panamanian sovereignty.

According to the schedule of events for the Canal handover, this U.S. bars and starts flag must be lowered at 12:00 (local time) of Friday, December 31, as stipulated in the Torrijos-Carter treaties, signed by Panama and the United States in 1977.

Simultaneously the Panamanian national flag will be hoisted.