Manuel Noriega, the former Panamanian dictator and convicted drug trafficker who was once one of Central America's most notorious military strongmen has died. He died on Monday at the age of 83 and was announced on Tuesday by the president of the central American country.
President Juan Carlos Varela of Panama announced Mr. Noriega’s death on Twitter early Tuesday morning. Juan
“The death of Manuel A Noriega closes a chapter in our history; his daughters and their families deserve to bury him in peace,” Carlos Varela tweeted.
Noriega, once on friendly terms with the United States because of his country's location on the Panama Canal, became a US target as relations deteriorated. The United States invaded Panama in 1989 and Noriega was convicted of drug charges in 1991. He spent almost 20 years in US prisons before extradition to France and, ultimately, back to Panama.
Noriega was born on February 11, 1934, in Panama City, Panama. Abandoned by his parents at age 5, Noriega was raised by his aunt until he left to pursue a career in the military.
He began his career as a lieutenant in the Panama National Guard and quickly rose in rank. Noriega served as head of military intelligence to Gen. Omar Torrijos, who seized power in a military coup in 1968. Torrijos died in a plane crash in 1981, and Noriega emerged as his successor. In 1983 Noriega took command of the Panamanian Army and installed himself as Panama's leader.
The country's location was critical to the United States because of its location on the Panama Canal, a key strategic and economic waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Due to this regional importance, the US had a vested interest in maintaining good relations with the Central American nation.
Despite the incentives to maintain these relations, the 1980s saw a breakdown between the two countries, with Washington cutting off economic and military assistance and freezing Panamanian government assets.
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| Former Dictator of Panama, Manuel Noriega |
President Juan Carlos Varela of Panama announced Mr. Noriega’s death on Twitter early Tuesday morning. Juan
“The death of Manuel A Noriega closes a chapter in our history; his daughters and their families deserve to bury him in peace,” Carlos Varela tweeted.
According to news CNN report, Noriega, had undergone surgery in a Panama City hospital on March 7 to remove a benign brain tumor. He was placed in a medically induced coma after suffering severe brain hemorrhaging during the surgery, his attorney told CNN affiliate TV Panama at the time.Muerte de Manuel A. Noriega cierra un capítulo de nuestra historia; sus hijas y sus familiares merecen un sepelio en paz.— Juan Carlos Varela (@JC_Varela) May 30, 2017
Noriega, once on friendly terms with the United States because of his country's location on the Panama Canal, became a US target as relations deteriorated. The United States invaded Panama in 1989 and Noriega was convicted of drug charges in 1991. He spent almost 20 years in US prisons before extradition to France and, ultimately, back to Panama.
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| Manuel Noriega convicted of drug charges in 1991 |
Manuel Noriega personal and military life
Noriega was born on February 11, 1934, in Panama City, Panama. Abandoned by his parents at age 5, Noriega was raised by his aunt until he left to pursue a career in the military.He began his career as a lieutenant in the Panama National Guard and quickly rose in rank. Noriega served as head of military intelligence to Gen. Omar Torrijos, who seized power in a military coup in 1968. Torrijos died in a plane crash in 1981, and Noriega emerged as his successor. In 1983 Noriega took command of the Panamanian Army and installed himself as Panama's leader.
The country's location was critical to the United States because of its location on the Panama Canal, a key strategic and economic waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Due to this regional importance, the US had a vested interest in maintaining good relations with the Central American nation.
Despite the incentives to maintain these relations, the 1980s saw a breakdown between the two countries, with Washington cutting off economic and military assistance and freezing Panamanian government assets.