Why did the United States encourage Panama’s declaration of independence from Colombia?

The United States wanted a canal across Panama but had negotiated with Colombia for the rights to build it. When Colombia demanded more money for those rights, the United States supported Panama’s independence; the new Panamanian government then granted the United States canal rights. So the best answer is “Colombia had raised the price for the rights to build the Panama Canal.”

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.