Manuel Noriega 1934. Manuel Noriega: drug lord or protector of Panama? Panama hero dies in mysterious accident
The ex-dictator of Panama died in a prison hospital at 83.
The future dictator Manuel Noriega was born on February 11, 1934 in a poor area of Panama, where drug dealers and criminals ruled. Immediately after school, he took a medical course, where he made acquaintances with local socialists. Later he enters the military educational institution in Peru: a military career in Latin American countries is then considered an effective social lift. At that time, as many researchers write, he begins to collaborate with the CIA.
Returning to his native country, Noriega enlists in the Panama National Guard. In 1968, a military coup took place in the country - Omar Torrijos came to power. Noriega is promoted to colonel and appointed head military intelligence and counterintelligence. In 1981, Torrijos died in a plane crash, in the preparation of which Panama's chief intelligence officer Noriega could have been involved. Immediately after the death of the dictator, he appoints himself a general and takes the unofficial title of the supreme leader of the national liberation of Panama. At the same time, democratic institutions are formally preserved, a president is elected in the country, but de facto Noriega is the country’s absolute dictator.
In the 1980s, drug trafficking through Panama increased. After his arrest, Noriega is suspected of collaborating with Colombian drug cartels. Also, some American researchers say that Noriega collaborated not only with the CIA, but also with the KGB and Cuban intelligence. He became addicted to cocaine, and he went crazy: several times the dictator confused who to send what secret information, and sent to Moscow what was intended for Washington, and vice versa.
It is worth noting that during Noriega’s reign, relations with the United States are heating up. Traditionally, Panama and the Panama Canal are objects of US foreign policy interests, and the Americans put pressure on Panama's leaders. After George W. Bush (former head of the CIA) came to power, many American media began to raise issues of repression and lawlessness in the Central American country. Noriega, in turn, responds that George Bush is his friend. But it was during Bush's presidency that a military operation against the dictator began.
George W. Bush/Consolidated News Photos, LLC/dpa/Global Look Press
In December 1989, a full-scale US invasion of Panama takes place. Noriega hides in the Vatican office, but then surrenders. In 1992, he was sentenced in the United States to 40 years in prison for drug trafficking and extortion. Afterwards, the term is reduced to 30 years, but the dictator does not spend them completely in an American prison: his judicial odyssey continues.
Like many today, Noriega invested his funds in real estate abroad: he had three apartments in elite areas of Paris. During his dictatorship, the President of Panama was a welcome guest in France, he was even awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor. Alas, this did not help him after his fall: in 2007, a French court sentenced the dictator in absentia to ten years for drug smuggling and money laundering through French banks. In 2010, the United States extradited Noriega to France. Just a year later, the former dictator was sent home, where he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for political murders and human rights violations.
In Panama, Noriega is sentenced to 20 years in prison / theapricity.com/Global Look Press
The last time Noriega attracted public attention was when he sued the creators of the game Call of Duty. The image of the dictator is allegedly used there incorrectly - as the main villain.
Noriega served his sentence in the El Renaser prison; due to illness, he was transferred to House arrest, he died in the Santo Tomas hospital.
Mikhail Belyat told the site about the role of the dictator in the history of Panama, Researcher RSUH, expert on Latin America. According to the expert, Noriega was a controversial political figure - a Latin American dictator with all the ensuing consequences. He dealt very harshly with the opposition. At the same time, there are other pages of his biography:
– Still, in a certain sense, he can be classified as a progressive figure. Noriega continued the work of Omar Torrijos, who, after coming to power, set a course for the national liberation of Panama. Let me remind you that before this the country was actually a colony of the United States. He proclaimed the return of the Panama Canal to the country and achieved it. In 1977, a major agreement was signed with the United States, according to which the canal was gradually returned to Panama.
According to the expert, Noriega, while leading the country, followed a course of nationally oriented foreign and domestic policy. The dictator was anti-American, which Washington extremely disliked.
“Noriega was the successor to the work of Omar Torrijos, who, after coming to power, set a course for the national liberation of Panama” / alchetron.com/Global Look Press
Regarding Noriega’s activities as a drug trafficker, the expert urges not to trust mass-distributed information:
– There are a huge number of versions and speculations about Noriega’s cooperation with drug cartels and the CIA. There is no factual evidence of Noriega's activities as a drug trafficker. During the trial in the United States, the evidence was never presented to the public. You can discuss this topic endlessly.
It is strange to say that the US organized an invasion of Panama because of the arrest of a drug dealer. The reasons for the intervention were more serious and deeper,” the expert concludes.
In 1968, Noriega supported General Omar Torrijos during the coup that overthrew President Arnulfo Arias. In 1969, he was appointed head of army intelligence, while also serving as a CIA informant.
In 1981, after the death of Torrijos in a plane crash, Noriega was appointed chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces under the military ruler of Panama, Dario Paredes.
In 1983-1989 Manuel Noriega. Officially, he did not hold any government positions, but had the title "Supreme Leader of the National Liberation of Panama."
In 1984, Noriega was accused of drug trafficking by Dr. Hugo Spadafora, who served with Noriega under Torrijos.
In June 1986, the media reported that, according to CIA information, Noriega was involved in the murder of Spadafora in 1985, drug trafficking and money fraud.
In June 1987, Noriega's accusation of drug trafficking by former chief of staff Colonel Roberto Diaz led to massive street demonstrations calling for the dictator's resignation. Noriega declared a state of emergency and suspended the constitution.
In February 1988, Noriega was formally indicted by the United States for extortion, money laundering, and using Panama as a transit point. international trade drugs.
On December 20, 1989, as a result of the invasion of American troops from the territory of the Panama Canal, Noriega was. He was captured and brought to the United States.
In April 1992, Noriega was convicted by the United States on eight counts and sentenced to 40 years in prison. In March 1999, his sentence was reduced to 30 years, and he was also allowed to apply for clemency in 2007, subject to good behavior in prison.
In August 2007, the court American city Miami (Florida) is his homeland.
In September 2007, a US court ruled after the expiration of a 17.5-year prison sentence in the US, where he was convicted in absentia in 1999 and sentenced to ten years in prison for laundering drug money.
In early June 2010, Panama returned to the former military dictator's homeland.
In June 2011, the US decision to extradite Manuel Noriega from France to Panama was brought to the attention of the Panamanian authorities through the American Embassy.
In December 2011, Noriega was under heavy escort and taken to prison for the 1985 murder of Hugo Spadafora.
In August 2016, the Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office brought charges against Manuel Noriega for his involvement in the death of Alfaro Vive Carajo rebel group leader Fausto Arturo Jarrín in 1986.
In January 2017, Manuel Noriega was suspended for three months to undergo surgery to remove a brain tumor.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
Drug lord, CIA agent, ruler of Panama - the biography of Manuel Noriega includes all of the above points. The very life of the former leader of this country is simply shrouded in secrets - even now, after his death, it is impossible to say exactly about everything that he managed to do. The current president of Panama, Juan Varela, has directly admitted that his death marked the end of an entire chapter in the country's history. Although now his name does not cause such public resonance as in the 80s and 90s of the 20th century, Manuel Noriega still should not be forgotten. This article will talk about how exactly this tyrant came to power, as well as the subsequent overthrow and trial.
Childhood
Probably few people would have thought that a little boy will become the supreme leader of the national liberation of Panama, will be able to achieve such heights of power and de facto rule the country for 6 years. The future tyrant was born in one of the poorest areas of Panama in February 1934. His full name- Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno - was given to him by his parents, who by the standards of the country were considered mestizos, that is, they had the blood of Americans, Africans and Spaniards.
It is now believed that his father served as an accountant and his mother as a cook or laundress in the capital of the country, Panama City. However, she practically did not make a mark in his life - back in early childhood Manuel she died of tuberculosis. He was raised by his godmother, which generally led to the fact that many writers and journalists now recognize him as the illegitimate offspring of his father, and the true parent is called a domestic servant named Moreno.
IN adolescence the future dictator did not want to become a military man at all - his dream was to work as a doctor. He even enrolled in medical courses, but after that he decided to go to military school in Peru. Manuel Noriega returned to Panama with the rank of junior lieutenant in 1962.
The situation in the country
As you know, the history of Panama is inextricably linked with the history of the United States, since it was with their support that the country was able to declare its independence from Colombia in 1903. In addition, overwhelming military power America over southern countries forced them to make concessions. One of the most famous was the transfer of control over the Panama Canal under construction. So we can safely say that in the 20th century it was the United States that dictated policy to Panama.
In addition, the situation in the country itself, and especially in its capital, Panama City, was simply explosive. Short periods of civilian rule were constantly replaced by military coups, during which successive authorities tried to at least slightly weaken the yoke of America. However, in October 1968, the situation in the country changed dramatically - a new junta came to power under the rule of Omar Torrijos.
It was left-centered, which made it very different from other parties, and the US authorities did not like this very much. It was ordered to stage a coup, which was what CIA agents were doing, trying to overthrow the Torrijos government and bring people loyal to Washington to power. It was at this time that Manuel Noriega's star began to shine.
The beginning of the way
When Noriega returned to Panama, he became a member of the Panama National Guard. Torrijos was his first commander, and at the beginning of his career the commander greatly helped the future dictator and for some time acted as his patron. However, soon Manuel Noriega simply got too carried away, and therefore was exiled to the province of Chiriqui. At the time of Torrijos’s reign, he commanded local troops, and therefore the fleeing head of the junta went precisely to his protege, because troops completely subordinate to him remained in Chiriqui. It was from here that Torrijos began to act, gradually organizing a march to the capital with the participation of the poor, as a result of which he was able to regain power in Panama.
As you know, in 1966, Noriega attended various courses in American schools several times. Torrijos himself sent him there, hoping to mold his subordinate into the person he needed. However, Manuel later directly admitted that even during his first studies at a military college in Peru, he began collaborating with American intelligence services, and over time became one of the CIA agents.
Essentially, he played on two fronts, since both Torrijos and the United States considered him for a long time your man. After Omar Torrijos seized power, Noriega himself was promoted to colonel and also put in charge of intelligence and counterintelligence. It's funny enough that it was a spy from another country who was given this position.
Death of a ruler
As you know, Torrijos incredibly trusted Manuel Noriega, so until his death he held high positions. In addition, the feuds between him and the United States ended, important agreements were signed, according to one of which, in 1999, the US authorities pledged to transfer the canal to the Panamanian authorities. In some ways, President Jimmy Carter recognized the country's independence. Such changes in the political current made Torrijos a national hero. He played incredibly until his death important role in the process of governing the country, although legally he had already retired.
The death of the former revolutionary put an end to all this. He crashed his plane on July 31, 1981, under circumstances that would give rise to many rumors in the future. Although the official position was the pilot’s error, it is generally accepted that it was Manuel Noriega who had a hand in this, who wanted to take power for himself. However, repeated attempts to accuse him of this failed because there was not a single piece of evidence.
Commander-in-Chief of the country
General Manuel Noriega did not officially hold a single government position in the country, so he was not legally the ruler of Panama. But in fact, when he became commander-in-chief of the national defense forces of Panama in 1983, it was he who ruled the state. And having received power, he began to pursue his own politics.
First of all, he decided to throw off the US protectorate. In Washington they believed that since a person loyal to them was in power, they would always be able to come to an agreement among themselves. But it was not there. The package of reforms proposed by America, which could have a negative impact on the standard of living of the country's citizens, was sharply rejected, and then a period of cooling began in relations between Panama and the United States.
Noriega's foreign and domestic policies
When in 1985 Manuel Noriega decided to significantly reconsider the economic course of the poorest country, at the same time he had to solve problems in the international arena. The United States did not like the stubbornness of its former agent, who also refused to reconsider the terms of the Panama Canal issue. That is why the dictator decided to turn to Central America, the countries of the socialist camp and Western Europe, which angered the superpower even more.
Having decided to punish the obstinate, America announced that it would cease to provide any military and economic assistance Panama. In addition to this, a court was also held, which pronounced a verdict: Noriega was declared a member of an organized criminal group, which was involved in the transportation of narcotic substances. Further sanctions from the United States only continued to intensify - the number of American troops in the country was increased, and it was also prohibited to transfer any cash from the US side to Panama.
US ultimatum
In May 1988, Noriega was directly offered by the United States: he either resigns from his post, or he remains charged with drug trafficking. The actual ruler of Panama, being an unbearably proud man, did not make concessions.
His constant failures led to strict restrictions being introduced in 1989. economic sanctions. The dictator himself began to be directly blamed for all the country's troubles, and in addition to this, the United States continued to increase the contingent of troops in Panama. It was quite clear where exactly the situation was heading, and therefore in October 1989 the first attempt to overthrow the Noriega regime took place. It was unsuccessful, since the general easily suppressed the rebellion, but it became a kind of impetus for subsequent events.
It was soon announced that Panama was ready for constructive negotiations with the United States, but only if they did not interfere with the country's freedom and sovereignty. Hoping for support in this matter from Soviet Union, Noriega and the de facto President of Panama, Francisco Rodriguez, cruelly miscalculated. At that time, the USSR was already on the verge of collapse, so Gorbachev simply could not spread his forces over a small country in Latin America.
"Just Cause"
The overthrow and trial of Manuel Noriega has its roots in Operation Just Cause, carried out on December 20, 1989. To implement it, about 26 thousand invaded the country American soldiers- Panama simply could not win, since its army did not exceed 12 thousand. The fighting finally subsided on December 25, although last days they were local. Guillermo Endara, who was another America protégé, came to power.
He now openly admits that several war crimes were committed during this operation. There were even several criminal cases carried out regarding the fact that soldiers shot local residents, but this is a completely different issue. Noriega himself, fleeing from the soldiers, found refuge on the territory of the Vatican embassy. However, over time, they managed to smoke him out of there, and the former ruler surrendered to the troops. He was awaiting his trial in Miami.
Court sentence
Already in 1990, the Panama army ceased to exist, and the regimes of Torrijos and Noriega were recognized as bloody and illegitimate. However, Panama continued to live, and soon the former ruler was forgotten. The trial of Manuel Noriega itself took place in July 1992 - he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for drug trafficking, and this was already a reduced sentence. The reason for the mitigation was directly recognized as long-term cooperation with the American CIA.
In total, he served 15 years in prison, after which he was extradited to France, where he was again sentenced to seven years. However, he did not serve even a year here, since he was again returned to Panama, which handed him his sentence - 60 years on a verdict of political murders. Although, according to the laws of the country, he had the right to spend his imprisonment under house arrest, the country's authorities showed harshness and sent him to prison. He remained there until a stroke occurred in 2017, after which a brain tumor was discovered. Shortly thereafter, the former ruler of Panama died at the age of 83.
Panama City, Panama
Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno(Spanish) Manuel Antonio Noriega ; February 11, Panama, Panama) - Panamanian military and statesman, commander in chief National Guard Panama, de facto leader of Panama in -1989. He did not officially hold any government positions, but had the title "Supreme Leader of the National Liberation of Panama" .
Overthrown in 1989 as a result of US military operations in Panama.
Biography
After receiving secondary education at the National Institute of Panama, he graduated from the Chorillos Military School in Peru. In 1962, with the rank of junior lieutenant, he began serving in the Second Military District of the National Guard, subsequently receiving the rank of captain and the position of battalion commander. In 1968, with the rank of major in the National Guard, he supported the military coup carried out by General Omar Torrijos and was appointed commander of the military zone in the northeastern province of Chiriqui. After supporting O. Torrijos during the attempted military coup in December 1969, he was appointed to the post of head of the Military Intelligence and Counterintelligence Directorate of the General Staff.
After the death of Torrijos in a plane crash (according to one version, organized by Noriega), he was appointed chief General Staff armed forces under the new military government. B became commander of the National Guard, and soon the commander-in-chief of the National Defense Forces of Panama and the de facto leader of Panama.
At first he was a US ally in Latin America and actively collaborated with the CIA since the late 1950s, and in 1967 he even began to receive a decent salary under a contract, but in 1988 the US Drug Enforcement Administration accused him of drug use and trafficking.
Overthrown in December 1989 during the US aggression (Operation Just Cause), which was aimed at removing him, Noriega was arrested on January 4, 1990, a few days after the invasion of American troops in Panama. He voluntarily surrendered military units The United States, which for several days blocked the residence of the papal nuncio, where he was taking refuge. The general was taken by helicopter to the Howard Air Force Base in the Panama Canal Zone, and from there he was transported to Miami. On July 10, 1992, he was sentenced by an American court to 40 years in prison for drug trafficking and extortion, but for his long collaboration with the CIA, his sentence was reduced to 30 years. He served his sentence in the Florida State Penitentiary. At the end of the trial, he was given the status of a prisoner of war, thanks to which he served his sentence in a more comfortable cell and, in accordance with the Geneva Convention, was not subject to extradition to a third party.
In games
Write a review of the article "Noriega, Manuel"
Notes
Links
Excerpt characterizing Noriega, Manuel
Prince Andrei, looking out of the barn, saw Pierre approaching him, who tripped on a lying pole and almost fell. It was generally unpleasant for Prince Andrei to see people from his world, especially Pierre, who reminded him of all those difficult moments that he experienced on his last visit to Moscow.- That's how! - he said. - What destinies? I didn't wait.
While he was saying this, in his eyes and the expression of his whole face there was more than dryness - there was hostility, which Pierre immediately noticed. He approached the barn in the most animated state of mind, but when he saw the expression on Prince Andrei’s face, he felt constrained and awkward.
“I arrived... so... you know... I arrived... I’m interested,” said Pierre, who had already senselessly repeated this word “interesting” so many times that day. “I wanted to see the battle.”
- Yes, yes, what do the Masonic brothers say about the war? How to prevent it? - said Prince Andrei mockingly. - Well, what about Moscow? What are mine? Have you finally arrived in Moscow? – he asked seriously.
- We've arrived. Julie Drubetskaya told me. I went to see them and didn’t find them. They left for the Moscow region.
The officers wanted to take their leave, but Prince Andrei, as if not wanting to remain face to face with his friend, invited them to sit and drink tea. Benches and tea were served. The officers, not without surprise, looked at the thick, huge figure of Pierre and listened to his stories about Moscow and the disposition of our troops, which he managed to travel around. Prince Andrei was silent, and his face was so unpleasant that Pierre addressed himself more to the good-natured battalion commander Timokhin than to Bolkonsky.
- So, did you understand the entire disposition of the troops? - Prince Andrei interrupted him.
- Yes, that is, how? - said Pierre. “As a non-military person, I can’t say that I completely, but I still understood the general arrangement.”
“Eh bien, vous etes plus avance que qui cela soit, [Well, you know more than anyone else.],” said Prince Andrei.
- A! - Pierre said in bewilderment, looking through his glasses at Prince Andrei. - Well, what do you say about the appointment of Kutuzov? - he said.
“I was very happy about this appointment, that’s all I know,” said Prince Andrei.
- Well, tell me, what is your opinion about Barclay de Tolly? In Moscow, God knows what they said about him. How do you judge him?
“Ask them,” said Prince Andrei, pointing to the officers.
Pierre looked at him with a condescendingly questioning smile, with which everyone involuntarily turned to Timokhin.
“They saw the light, your Excellency, as your Serene Highness did,” Timokhin said, timidly and constantly looking back at his regimental commander.
- Why is this so? asked Pierre.
- Yes, at least about firewood or feed, I’ll report to you. After all, we were retreating from the Sventsyans, don’t you dare touch a twig, or some hay, or anything. After all, we are leaving, he gets it, isn’t it, your Excellency? - he turned to his prince, - don’t you dare. In our regiment, two officers were put on trial for such matters. Well, as His Serene Highness did, it just became so about this. We saw the light...
- So why did he forbid it?
Timokhin looked around in confusion, not understanding how or what to answer such a question. Pierre turned to Prince Andrei with the same question.
“And so as not to ruin the region that we left to the enemy,” said Prince Andrei with malicious mockery. – This is very thorough; The region must not be allowed to be plundered and the troops must not be accustomed to looting. Well, in Smolensk, he also correctly judged that the French could get around us and that they had more forces. But he could not understand,” Prince Andrei suddenly shouted in a thin voice, as if escaping, “but he could not understand that we fought there for the first time for Russian land, that there was such a spirit in the troops that I had never seen, that We fought off the French for two days in a row and that this success increased our strength tenfold. He ordered a retreat, and all efforts and losses were in vain. He didn’t think about betrayal, he tried to do everything as best as possible, he thought it over; but that’s why it’s no good. He is no good now precisely because he thinks everything over very thoroughly and carefully, as every German should. How can I tell you... Well, your father has a German footman, and he is an excellent footman and will satisfy all his needs better than you, and let him serve; but if your father is sick at the point of death, you will drive away the footman and with your unusual, clumsy hands you will begin to follow your father and calm him down better than a skilled but stranger. That's what they did with Barclay. While Russia was healthy, a stranger could serve her, and she had an excellent minister, but as soon as she was in danger; I need my own dear person. And in your club they made up the idea that he was a traitor! The only thing they will do by slandering him as a traitor is that later, ashamed of their false accusation, they will suddenly make a hero or a genius out of the traitors, which will be even more unfair. He is an honest and very neat German...
“However, they say he is a skilled commander,” said Pierre.
“I don’t understand what a skilled commander means,” said Prince Andrey with mockery.
“A skillful commander,” said Pierre, “well, the one who foresaw all the contingencies... well, guessed the thoughts of the enemy.”
“Yes, this is impossible,” said Prince Andrei, as if about a long-decided matter.
Pierre looked at him in surprise.
“However,” he said, “they say that war is like a chess game.”
“Yes,” said Prince Andrei, “only with this small difference that in chess you can think about every step as much as you like, that you are there outside the conditions of time, and with this difference that a knight is always stronger than a pawn and two pawns are always stronger.” alone, and in war sometimes one battalion stronger than the division, and sometimes weaker than the company. The relative strength of the troops cannot be known to anyone. Believe me,” he said, “if anything depended on the orders of the headquarters, I would have been there and made the orders, but instead I have the honor of serving here, in the regiment with these gentlemen, and I think that we really tomorrow will depend, not on them... Success has never depended and will not depend on position, weapons, or even numbers; and least of all from the position.
- And from what?
“From the feeling that is in me, in him,” he pointed to Timokhin, “in every soldier.”
Prince Andrei looked at Timokhin, who looked at his commander in fear and bewilderment. In contrast to his previous restrained silence, Prince Andrei now seemed agitated. He apparently could not resist expressing those thoughts that unexpectedly came to him.
The unique man-legend Manuel Noriega, who, one might say, lived three lives, has passed away: a widely known one, a secret one and a very secret one.
Famous
First, about the widely known one. Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno was born on February 11, 1938 in Panama. After receiving secondary education at the National Institute of Panama, Noriega did not at all strive for a military career, but wanted to be a doctor, this profession was the most in demand in poor Panama. True, he also told friends that he wanted to be president.
However, giving up on his medical career, Noriega entered the Chorillos Military Academy in Peru, and after returning from it in 1962, with the rank of junior lieutenant, he began serving in the Second Military District of the National Guard, subsequently receiving the rank of captain and the position of battalion commander.
In 1968, as an officer in the Panamanian National Guard, Noriega supported coup d'etat, carried out by General Omar Torrijos. In 1969 he was appointed head of army intelligence. After Torrijos died in a plane crash in 1981 (according to his opponents, he had a hand in eliminating the general), Noriega was appointed chief of the general staff of the armed forces under the new military ruler. In 1983, he became commander of the National Guard, and soon became the de facto head of state.
In December 1989, during the US military operation Just Cause, which aimed to remove him, Noriega took refuge in the territory of the Vatican mission, but 10 days later he surrendered to the Americans. In 1992, the general was sentenced by an American court to 40 years in prison for promoting terrorism and drug trafficking, but for his long collaboration with the CIA (see below), his sentence was reduced to 30 years. He served his sentence in the Florida State Penitentiary. At the end of the trial, Noriega was given prisoner of war status, thanks to which he served his sentence in a more comfortable cell and, in accordance with the Geneva Convention, was not subject to extradition to a third party.
However, in 1999, a Paris court sentenced Manuel Noriega in absentia to ten years in prison and a fine.
In September 2007, Noriega was eligible for early release for good behavior. However
On August 28, 2007, the Miami Federal Court decided to extradite Manuel Noriega, who had served prison term at the age of 17 in the United States, to France, where he and his wife were charged with money laundering through French banks and drug smuggling. Noriega was released early in 2008 but remained in prison awaiting extradition to France. In 1999, a French court sentenced him in absentia to another 10 years and a fine for drug trafficking and laundering $3 million by purchasing real estate in Paris.
In 2011, after a new trial by a French court, Noriega was extradited to Panama. Back in 1995, a Panamanian court found him guilty in absentia of political murders and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. That is why Manuel Noriega, the former commander-in-chief of the National Guard of Panama, who did not officially become the head of state, actually led the state from 1983 to 1989, until recently served time in a Panamanian prison for organizing political repression And massacres. On February 5, 2012, he suffered a stroke and was taken under heavy guard to Hospital Santo Tomas in Panama City. But four days later his condition returned to normal and he was returned to prison. Since the end of September 2014, he served his sentence in the Centro Penitenciario “El Renacer (Renaissance)” correctional facility in Gamboa, Panama. However, in January 2017, a Panamanian court, due to the health of the former dictator, allowed Noriega to be transferred to house arrest.
In March 2017, Manuel Noriega underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. He passed away on May 29, 2017.
Secret
Now about the secret life of Manuel Noriega. It is known that Noriega collaborated with the American CIA for many years. However, he collaborated not only with the CIA. The director of the Philadelphia Institute for Foreign Policy Studies, Harvey Sickerman, comments on the history of Manuel Noriega’s secret life:
Manuel Noriega really has interesting biography. At one time he received money from four secret sources at once. He was paid by the CIA Soviet intelligence, Cuban communists and drug traffickers. He himself became addicted to drugs and, as they say, went crazy. Several times Noriega confused who to send what secret information. What he had to send to Moscow, he sent to Washington, and vice versa. Then the CIA refused his services, and Noriega began to harass American citizens in Panama.
Noriega began collaborating with the CIA back in the 1950s and, having come to power, even allowed American intelligence officers to open an observation post in Panama, from where they could monitor the activities of other states in the adjacent sea routes. Noriega also played a role as a mediator between the United States and the Contras who fought against the left-wing Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Political ties between the United States and Panama, however, did not prevent the general from engaging in drug trafficking, which the CIA is believed to have known about. The question of how much American intelligence officers were aware of Noriega's affairs surfaced during the election debate between US presidential candidate George H. W. Bush and his opponent, Democrat Michael Dukakis, in September 1988. Bush could indeed have known a lot about Noriega's work for the CIA, since he himself headed this organization. True, during the debate he noted that Noriega had collaborated with the United States, but the cooperation ceased when President Ronald Reagan received strong evidence of Noriega's involvement in the drug trade. According to estimates by American intelligence agencies, Noriega's personal fortune, which he earned from the drug trade, ranged from $200 million to $300 million. His partners in the cocaine trade were the famous Colombian drug cartels. In 1986, the US Congress passed a resolution calling on the Panamanian leadership to remove Noriega from the post of commander of the troops, but the Panamanian authorities did not listen. Noriega himself, having learned that the clouds were gathering over his head, wrote to an old acquaintance - American Colonel Oliver North, who, with the knowledge of the White House, oversaw arms sales to contra militants. During a meeting in London, Noriega told North, a member of the Council national security The United States, which could organize the murders of Sandinista leaders in Nicaragua if North helps him settle matters with the American authorities. The meeting took place in September 1986. North listened carefully to Noriega, but did not have time to help - he himself was soon arrested in the Iran-Contra case, loud scandal related to the sale of weapons to opponents of the Sandinistas.
In 1988, an American court found Noriega guilty of organizing drug trafficking in the United States. However, the reason for the intervention was the murder of an American serviceman by the Panamanian military - there was a small contingent of American military personnel on the territory of Panama at that time. Due to this
Following the incident, George HW Bush decided to launch a military invasion of Panama with the aim of removing and arresting General Noriega.
A very secret life
But even an expert on the life of Manuel Noriega, Harvey Sickerman, said nothing about the very secret life of the former dictator of Panama who died recently. The Israeli newspaper “Yediot Ahronoth” recalled this on June 1 in a publication, dedicated to death Noriega. About the cooperation of Manuel Noriega with the Israeli foreign intelligence service Mossad. This publication is illustrated with a photograph of Noriega, which also shows Mike Harari - former manager intelligence units "Caesarea" and "Kidon" in the Mossad. Mike Harari was Noriega's handler. I wrote about this in some detail in my book “Weapons of Retribution,” published in 2006. Let me recall fragments from this book.
Mike Harari worked for the Shin Bet (Israel's domestic intelligence service) and the Mossad for about 30 years. In 1972-3 he headed special groups Israeli agents who were hunting for Palestinians - organizers and participants in the murder of Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics. It was he who served as the prototype for Avner, who was commissioned by Golda Meir herself to carry out acts of retaliation against the murderers of Israeli athletes at the 1976 Munich Olympics, in famous book George Jonas' "Revenge" and the film "Munich" by Steven Spielberg. Harari then worked for some time as a Mossad resident in Mexico, and in 1980 he resigned and became a private citizen. In those days, the Mossad sometimes gave its honored "Formers" an "destiny" for their future private activities. So Panama was “given” to Mike Harari. He soon became friends with Manuel Noriega, becoming his consultant. Noriega, in turn, appointed Harari as the honorary consul of Panama in Tel Aviv, a position that is not very lucrative, but truly honorable and, often, very influential. Noriega also carried out some sensitive assignments for Harari for the needs of the Mossad. Harari, again in turn, organized Noriega's personal security and helped him reorganize the country's armed forces. Through Harari, Israel sold weapons to Panama, and soon all commercial transactions between the two countries began to go through him, bringing in considerable commissions. For this, Harari became known in Panama as "Mr. 60 Percent" - a reference to the commission he charged for brokering Noriega's business deals. It may also be noted that US President George H. W. Bush, through Harari, conveyed gratitude to Noriega for his assistance in the work of the CIA. However, in 1989, the American army invaded Panama and overthrew the Noriega regime. Harari, of course, managed to avoid detention and arrest, although the Americans considered him a close ally of the Panamanian dictator. He came to Israel again and even gave an interview for the first time in his life, in which he did not say a word either about his past activities as an Israeli “employee” or about his 10-year “private” life in Panama. However, it is known that Harari, through the Mossad, provided some services to the CIA, using his connections and capabilities, which is why the Americans allowed the Mossad to organize his departure from Panama at a time when its former ruler was heading to the United States for trial and further many years imprisonment. Harari later denied that he worked for Noriega. Mike Harari died on September 21, 2014, at the age of 87. Manuel Noriega, a secret Mossad agent, outlived his handler by almost 3 years.
