For this reason, the US arrested the president of Panama and imprisoned him for 17 years

Between the 1980s and 1990s, the United States of America conducted numerous military operations to change regimes in some countries of the American continent. In 1983, the US military intervened during President Ronald Reagan’s tenure in Grenada, which tended towards the Soviet Union after the Communists took over. About 7 years later, it was Panama’s turn. During the presidency of George HW Bush, American forces began intervening in 1990 in this country to end the government of the dictator Manuel Noriega.

Drug trafficking is a great revolution

In the year 1968, Omar Torrijos led a military coup in Panama and took control of the country. Meanwhile, Torrijos did not call himself president. Instead, questThe latter held other titles, including Supreme Head of Government and Supreme Leader of the Revolution.

With Torrijos’ death in 1981, Manuel Noriega became the most powerful man and de facto ruler of the country. Between 1983 and 1989, quest’last assumed command of the armed forces of Panama and ensured the appointment of some presidents, in nominal way, for the country. Furthermore, Manuel Noriega represented a former ally of American intelligence. In recent years, the latter have helped Americans in their war on drugs in Latin America and supported them in the Central American crisis. At the same time, Noriega secretly traded drugs and helped promote them in numerous countries, including the United States of America, making a huge fortune.

He was ousted from power and tried in America

After seven years of tense relations between the ruling authorities in Panama and the United States of America, Panama witnessed the 1989 democratic elections won by candidate Guillermo Endara, who led the Democratic Alliance opposed to Manuel Noriega. Faced with this situation, Noriega announced the cancellation of the election results due to the existence of massive fraud, and subsequently took over the leadership of Panama, raising the concern of the US authorities, who refused to recognize the authority of him.

In Washington, pressure has increased on US officials to take action against Manuel Noriega, as many have spoken of the past of questlatest in drug trafficking and the possibility of Panama transforming in aarea transit for drugs that are sent to American soil. Furthermore, a number of American politicians feared for the lives of their citizens in Panama and expressed concern about the possibility of another hostage crisis similar to the one Iran experienced in previous years.

On December 15, 1989, the world was stunned by the news of Manuel Noriega’s declaration of war on the United States of America. With the support of US President George Bush Sr., American forces began landing in Panama on December 20 of the same year.

With the loss of control of the country, Manuel Noriega went into hiding at the headquarters of the Vatican Mission in Panama, before falling into the hands of American forces.

With his arrest, Noriega was transferred to US soil, where he was tried on drug charges. The latter was sentenced to 40 years in prison, of which he spent 17 years behind bars before being sent in France. There, the former Panamanian leader was again tried for money laundering, receiving a sentence of 7 years in prison. Subsequently, the French authorities handed over the former dictator Noriega to their Panamanian counterpart. In Panama, questlast remained behind bars until his death in 2017.

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