MANUEL NORIEGA
PANAMA
Profile
Noriega was in the Panama National Guard in 1967 and promoted to lieutenant in 1968. He was allegedly part of the military coup that removed Arnulfo Arias from power. In the power struggle that followed, including a failed coup attempt in 1969, Noriega supported Torrijos. He received a promotion to lieutenant colonel and was appointed chief of military intelligence by Torrijos. Noriega earned a reputation of the most feared man in the country because of his ruthless actions and how he made political opponents disappear. He took command of the army in 1983. He would not give power back to the people and also engaged in election fraud, drug trafficking, money laundering, espionage against the United States and even murder. Noriega killed people who opposed him. Even at peaceful rallies many people were beaten severely, incarcerated, and killed during the protests. The united states wanted Noriega to step down but it was ineffective. He became unpopular in the American press and it was discovered he was on the U.S. payroll for 30 years. He had been working as a double agent, collecting money from the United States, while at the same time working for Communist governments. He turned over highly classified U.S. intelligence materials to Cuba. The U.S. ordered his arrest in 1989 and in 1992 he was found guilty and sentenced to 4o years in prison.
The Rise and Fall of Manuel Noriega
Prisoner
Leader
Drug King
A Poem of Noriega
The leader of Panama
Theres a lot to tell
This man was an animal
He belongs in a cell
He trafficked drugs and sold them to kids
Illegal actions that were very wrong
And hid it from the government by telling fibs
America found out after a time that was long
They wanted him out of power and the U.S. had dibs
Soldiers went invaded and got him arrested
He was flown to America
For imprisonment he got tested
40 years of jail for Noriega