Manuel Noriega

Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno (February 11, 1934 – May 29, 2017) was a Panamanian military officer and dictator who served as the de facto ruler of Panama from 1983 until his overthrow in 1989. Rising through the ranks of the Panama Defense Forces, Noriega consolidated power through a combination of military strength and alleged connections to drug trafficking and money laundering. His government was marked by widespread corruption, human rights abuses, and suppression of political opposition. Despite initial U.S. support during the Cold War due to his anti-communist stance, relations deteriorated as evidence of his criminal activities mounted. Following his invasion of Panama and the annulment of elections, the United States launched Operation Just Cause in December 1989, a military invasion that deposed Noriega. He was captured, extradited to the United States, and convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering, serving time in American and later French and Panamanian prisons. His regime remains a controversial chapter in Latin American and U.S. foreign policy history.