ABSTRACT
The Torrijos regime adopted a populist authoritarian approach with the enactment of policies that led to the incorporation of popular sectors outside the political spectrum. The period of relative autonomy that afforded Torrijos the leeway to enact reformist measures was short-lived, for a series of internal and external factors colluded and essentially curtailed the regime's autonomy. The analysis of the enactment and implementation of labor policy and of its amendments allows for a clear view of how inclusionary authoritarian regimes function and of the shifting of balance among sectors in favor of or against such policies. The growth and maturation of the labor sector is an important and lasting legacy of the Torrijos regime, as the changes brought about for labor would insure that the socio-political landscape of Panama would not easily revert to its pre-1968 form once the regime was no longer in power.
