LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
December 20, 2009
Testimonials of the protagonists
For Edital Agency
the early hours of December 20, 1989 is memorable, not only for Panama but for all Latin Americans. Unlike the show put on by the American Empire that is seeing its power through the media against his former friend, Saddam Hussein, this time the actions are known a bit later, when they were developing, but had been advised to Some ombudsmen who have subsequently been starring, Endara for example. The Bush (father), who was also a friend of Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega, is viewed separately from him and accused him of drug trafficking. With that excuse to invade a country, and massacred more than 3,000 civilians in "the name of defending freedom and democracy."
Panama's history has not exactly been a success story. That country, which was part of New Granada, Gran Colombia and Colombia, the load on his chest many historical invasions of all kinds and the segregation of its territory by economic desires of the American Empire that led to a so-called independence in 1903.
still hurting Panama to 20 years of an event by which still claims to know the number of victims and political demands, social and economic of the people. 
More than 7 000 Panamanians killed by falling U.S. terrorism
have to look, now more than ever in that mirror, to analyze the performance of supported Noriega and wonder who began developing his twisted actions. 
More than 7 000 Panamanians killed by falling U.S. terrorism have to look at the ways in which the U.S. government acts to safeguard what is important to him. There was the Panama Canal and the Isthmian country's strategic position, here is oil and more.
should be viewed with nearsightedness, Medium and long for no repeat, no people or government, the mistakes that led to this tragic episode of the Panamanian people.
raise our voice to repudiate the actions of the empire against Panama!
raise the flags of solidarity with the Panamanian people!
also to fight against forgetting we offer our readers a collection of facts and testimonials from some Panamanians view as well as a small timeline of today's Panama.
The U.S. invasion of Panama last
***********
Panama to 20 years: The blunt truth of the facts
Olmedo Beluche
*
Twenty years have elapsed. Even the dead cry out in silence against forgetting, demanding that their names are pronounced and demanding justice. The fifth of a century has passed and still the Panamanian people know how much damage we did. Like many other crimes in this country, the facts remain unclear at all, no criminal investigation, punishment without trial.
The clerks in the service of the U.S. claim that the most murderous act against the Panamanian nation will be remembered "A release" in the words of former Archbishop Mark G. McGrath, as they have achieved some success with respect to the separation of Panama from Colombia in 1903, posing as "independence" the act that became a colony. As already indicated in Chapter VI of our book Ten years of political and social struggles in Panama (1980-1990), one must distinguish between the stated objectives by the U.S. government and the real objectives.
priori would be naive to accept the arguments of former President George Bush, in the sense that it invaded Panama to bring "democracy" and punish the "narco-dictator Manuel A. Noriega. Test positive that the U.S. objective was not "liberate" the dictator was that the October 3, 1989, when Moses Giroldi and a group of officers led a coup and arrested Noriega, troops of the Southern Command were made dismissing.
The primary objective of the invasion was to establish a stable regime with a democratic façade, to ensure the implementation of neoliberal policies. This idea was patented in the so-called Grant Agreement, by which several million would "help" economic return to the application of a strict neoliberal plan. 
The issue of military bases, the new government has begun Ricardo Martinelli the installation of four military bases in territory with U.S. funding and advice.
From the perspective of the victims, we reiterate what was said in our book "The truth about the invasion:" In one night, U.S. troops killed more Panamanians 100 times in 21 years of military rule. In a single week were 100 times more political prisoners than 5 years were during the Noriega regime. " 
The issue of military bases, the new government has begun Ricardo Martinelli the installation of four military bases in territory with U.S. funding and advice. Despite the absence of an official investigation, the Catholic Church was able to gather the names of about 500 killed, most of them civilians. The graves of the Chorrillo, Corozal, Rainbow and remain Chepo open.
About 20,000 people lost their homes that night, there were at least two thousand injured. Something that many do not realize is that about 5000 were political arrests. The material losses, especially of the Panamanian State, are still joining.
Twenty years later, when it seemed he was going to be some justice through a law passed by the National Assembly in December 2007 sought to establish the National Mourning Day and a Commission of Inquiry, it was vetoed by President Martín Torrijos, without the deputies proponents have tried to impose it for emphasis.
historical balance remains favorable for offenders and unfavorable for the victims.
Pending that, sooner or later, a new generation of Panamanians to achieve a government that claims the memory of the heroes and martyrs of the December 20, our small contribution to the justice they claim the dead is that it know the stark truth of the facts.
(*)
Sociologist. Author of the book "Ten years of political and social struggles in Panama" and "The truth about the invasion."
*******
FACTS
The December 20, 1989, U.S. President George HW Bush authorized the military operation called Just Cause, justifying the invasion of Panama for the following reasons: - Protecting the lives of American citizens residing in Panama. - defend democracy and human rights in Panama. - Stop Noriega to face drug trafficking offenses.
- Support the implementation of the Torrijos-Carter Treaty.
The apparent purpose was to capture General Manuel Antonio Noriega, Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Panama, who was wanted by the American accused of drug trafficking. INSTANT BACKGROUND
The October 11, 1968, middle of the National Guard, headed by Mayor Boris Martínez led a coup overthrowing the then elected, constitutional president Arnulfo Arias Madrid, who had taken possession of charge was only 11 days. This event started a military dictatorship led by a provisional junta of government that lasted until 1969, when he took over as Commander in Chief, Brigadier General Omar Torrijos Herrera. In 1972 the military government appointed a Constitutional Convention that drafted a constitution and named Demetrio Basilio Lakas as Head of Government and General Omar Torrijos as Head of State. As a policy objective of the government negotiated a new Panama Canal treaty, which replaced the model negotiated in 1960 by the Treaty Johnson Robles.
In 1977, General Omar Torrijos Herrera as head of state of the Republic of Panama and Jimmy Carter as President of the United States, signed the new Panama Canal Treaties Torrijos-Carter Treaties or , through the main clauses of the United States agreed to the return of the administered territories, control of the operation of the Canal, the closure of military bases and the departure of all U.S. troops from Panama. The Torrijos-Carter Treaty agreed a timetable for the transition of all aspects of the Panama Canal before 2000. However, the defense conditioned road together, giving the possibility of armed intervention in Panama if the canal operation is impaired. In 1983 he assumed the post of Commander in Chief of the Panama Defense Forces, General Manuel Antonio Noriega, who served for many years as G2 or head of Panamanian military intelligence and was identified as a close associate of the Central Intelligence Agency United States. In the 1984 presidential elections, the first popular vote since the start of the military dictatorship 1968 was declared the winner Nicolas Ardito Barletta to the groundswell of fraud. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Senator Jesse Helms demanded that the U.S. government take steps to remove Noriega, but the CIA director William Casey came to the defense of Panamanian general grounds that he carried out important tasks for the government United States.
But in 1984 the relations with the United States deteriorated when he demanded and got Noriega closing the School of the Americas in Panama. In that American military academy were receiving military training with a strong anti-communist political content by the Pentagon. In 1985, Nicholas Barletta Arditto resigned the presidency under pressure to try to clarify the heinous murder of Dr. Hugo Spadafora, an opponent of the dictator, who has repeatedly accused General Noriega of various crimes including murder and drug trafficking, being replaced by the first Vice President Eric Arturo Del Valle. The second in command of the Defence Forces, Col. Roberto Diaz Herrera, was passed to retire in 1986 on direct orders of General Noriega. Díaz Herrera made public statements accusing General Noriega of election fraud in 1984, political murder and complicity in the death of Torrijos, sparking fierce protests among the population and creating a movement called Civil Crusade. In 1988, Eric Del Valle in his capacity as President of the Republic dismissed General Noriega as head of the Defence Forces, who lashed out with all the power of the army under his command against the Panamanian nation, ignoring Eric Arturo Del Valle as president and as Vice President Roderick Esquivel. Del Valle took refuge at the U.S. embassy and then transferred abroad. Government took over as Minister Manuel Solis Palma Charge of the Presidency. However, the ambassador of Panama in the United States Juan Sosa was recognized as the sole authority of the Panamanian government in exile.
United States began open a lock against the government loyal to the Panamanian military, which caused an economic crisis, even the freezing of the banks to avoid capital flight. During this time the United States negotiated conditions for the removal of General Noriega from power to no avail. In May 1989 presidential elections were held between the candidate of the opposition to military rule, Guillermo Endara Galimani, and government-backed candidate Carlos Duque Jaen resulting Galimani Endara won a sweeping victory. At present the results of the vote, General Noriega gave instructions to the electoral court to declare the elections suspended.
In September, instead of taking office the winner of the May elections, was suspended the constitution and appointed as head of the Executive Body Engineer Francisco Rodriguez, who is close to General Noriega.
next month, rebel forces led by Major Moises Giroldi Vera, took the police headquarters and held Noriega. Giroldi, head of the rifle company responsible for the security headquarters, and an attempt was aborted coup against Noriega and that got him promoted to the rank of Major, but his attempt to overthrow General Noriega failed to deliver to his indecision United States Army had sent a helicopter for that purpose. The situation became more confusing when classmates asked her consent to kill Noriega, which gave time for the rebellion was quelled by forces loyal to Noriega. Major Giroldi and all the men who backed him in his action were executed by direct order of Noriega. 
In December 1989, the National Assembly granted special powers to General Noriega appointed Chief of the War Cabinet, while declaring the Republic of Panama at war against the United States of America. Beginning on December 20 launched the U.S. invasion.
In December 1989, the National Assembly granted special powers to General Noriega appointed Chief of the War Cabinet, while declaring the Republic of Panama at war against the United States of America. Beginning on December 20 launched the U.S. invasion. RESOURCES AND ACTIONS
Americans disposed of 26,000 soldiers from elite units of the naval command of the army and the 82 nd Airborne Division for the invasion. Panamanian Defense Forces numbered only 12 000 troops and the country had a tiny air force.
The United States military moved to Panama with the 82nd Airborne Division to the military operation, which had 12.000 soldiers. U.S. military bases on the banks of the Panama Canal, according to the Torrijos-Carter treaty legalizing the military presence in the isthmus to the joint defense by both nations of the waterway, had an army of 12,000 who did not participate in Operation Just Cause.
Two days before the attack, an American soldier was killed when passed a roadblock in front of the Central Headquarters of the National Guard, which was considered as the trigger of the conflict. The invasion began the morning of December 20, 1989 with the bombing of multiple political and military installations. The target was to nullify any response of the Panamanian army. The bombing destroyed airports and military bases as Punta Paitilla Airport, the Central Headquarters in the neighborhood of El Chorrillo Tinajitas Barracks, Panama Old Barracks, the headquarters of the Pumas, the Rio Hato military base (where the military institute worked Tomas Herrera, who was not actually a military training school) or the Coco Solo Naval Base.
Air Force United States used a next-generation weapons such as stealth aircraft or F-117 Nighthawk fighter helicopters AH-64 Apache against a very ill-equipped army. Despite the high-tech U.S. weaponry, there were many civilian deaths to be made many non-military buildings.
income of U.S. troops in the neighborhood Chorrillo, which included many supporters of Noriega, was particularly bloody. 
There was no declaration of war and the action was condemned by the UN General Assembly and the Organization of American States (OAS). The operation lasted a few days before the superiority of the occupying army and found little resistance. Noriega escaped and sought asylum at the Vatican embassy. Subsequently turned over to the occupying forces and placed under arrest.
Guillermo Endara became president in a U.S. military base during operation. In the days following surgery, due to the absence of police and the passivity of U.S. troops, there were in several cities looting and vandalism that increased material losses.
There was no declaration of war and the action was condemned by the UN General Assembly and the Organization of American States (OAS). The operation lasted a few days before the superiority of the occupying army and found little resistance. Noriega escaped and sought asylum at the Vatican embassy. Subsequently turned over to the occupying forces and placed under arrest. Guillermo Endara became president in a U.S. military base during operation. In the days following surgery, due to the absence of police and the passivity of U.S. troops, there were in several cities looting and vandalism that increased material losses.
- What NORIEGA?
"It seemed that Panama had swallowed the earth." Thurman said that since the October coup had increased the number of men in the team that was responsible for monitoring their movements. Intelligence agents had infiltrated the city with last generation equipment continued to sun and shade. On Tuesday 19 were able to verify your stay in Columbus, the return of the procession to the city but at some point along the way, Noriega had escaped them. Supposed who had remained in the Panamanian Caribbean. After
Just Cause began, throughout the morning, had made more than 40 attempts to locate Noriega. In Columbus attacked some of the houses that used to use, without finding even a trace. At Farallon, where Noriega had a beach house, no one was there. Amador was not, or headquarters, or Tinajitas, nor in Panama Viejo. The intelligence men worked ceaselessly trying to track communications to enable them to decipher their whereabouts. Needed time to interview military prisoners. Dozens of Special Operations Command Deltas scattered across the city were able to act at the slightest sign. Could go anywhere in minutes.
At dawn began to fear that Noriega had managed to escape to Chiriqui, or even worse, to Cuba or Nicaragua. That was discarded in some embassy. They knew their family was in Cuba but he had not a trace. to capture the White House was a priority. Bush could not afford to pass up. The military hoped to turn a quick capture of Noriega, would end any intention of his men to organize.
At 7 in the morning Bush spoke to the American people. He reported that he had ordered military action in Panama and listed the reasons: to protect American citizens, restore democracy and capture Noriega. Publicly pledged to ensure compliance with the Treaties. ³ Only what I did, I realized that there was another exit ², was justified.
Dick Cheney and Colin Powell spent the day making statements. "I do not know where he is Noriega, Powell explained, he saw as growing pressure on the media for the capture of Panama. "In practice we have beheaded the dictatorship of Panama. Noriega is now just a fugitive and will be treated as such."
By nightfall, no new developments after raking, the State Department made an announcement that it reproduced the international chains: a reward of one million dollars to anyone who gave clues that would lead to the arrest of the Panamanian leader. Manuel Antonio Noriega had become public enemy No. 1 in the United States of America. "(Guido Bilbao." The Fall ")
TESTIMONIALS REVIEWS
A song in the invasion By Shortly after midnight on December 20, 1989 my mother woke me with a start. "You have to get dressed and put on your shoes." I was very nervous and was wiping eyes. I did not ask any questions. She never said so but I knew that we only ordered to "make shoes" in case something urgent is happening. Like when he said years ago and went to spend some time with the grandparents without my father.
finished dressing and upon entering the room and my two brothers were there and my parents. The television signal emitted Channel 8, the Yankees season. I remember we saw pictures but for some reason we could not hear a sound. All had very serious expression. I looked out the window, but the neighborhood seemed very quiet. Desolate. My brothers wore their shoes.
My first reaction to anything that was secret joy. If what was happening ran all day, probably postpone a week what was going to have to do that Wednesday December: 4:40 sing a song off the kind of music. It was the worst thing that could happen in life, I thought the length and width of my 13 years. So I felt good not having to deal with this pregnancy. With that expectation I went to bed. Early morning are rumors. "The gringos are coming from house to house, are soon reach Arraijan and Chorrera." It was best to throw away or burn all that is connected with the government or the military. I had much afraid of that rumor. My father was a member of the Labour Party, PALA. We had a flag on the house, found it y.si sure we had all thought. My brother and I took together with his camouflage pants and covered with garbage in the back of the house. Later, when another wave of rumors and added that the Americans were very close, dig up everything and burn it. Regret that I gave to my brother cared much those pants. As the two p.m. on flights began. Planes were very noisy in the form of spider, which rose and then fell into a tailspin. Just after explosions were heard. They were shelling the barracks, near where we lived. My mother sobbed, clutching the rosary in their hands. I took cover under the table. the evening my mother packed up some clothes. We all went very fast pace where an aunt, two houses away from ours. We spent the night. I was twitching at every sound that came from outside. That feeling did not leave me until months later. At midnight, they sent me to sleep on a mattress on the floor, away from the window. I took my notebook to review music song 4:40. Although he did not know, never go back to first grade. Nor did he know he would have preferred that after singing in front of the class instead of having to see my parents mourn in a night as cold as that of 1989.
MANUEL DOMINGUEZ
A latent claim
This story has to do with weapons that the U.S. left Panama, the invasion but not during the previous 50 years. In late 2003 the government of Panama appears to have hung up his gloves to give fair, legal, moral, and essential to the U.S. claim to destroy chemical and conventional weapons that the military living in that country left abandoned and scattered in the country. Following the proposal completely inappropriate and insufficient August 14, 2003 United States offered the government of Panama to donate a few tools that could be used to clear seven Panamanian personnel intact chemical bombs lying outdoors on Isla San José, nothing has been done to advance the interests of our country . And if the government of President Torrijos discussed the issue privately, obviously the results have not been seen. The government of President Martinelli has just begun and is not known its position in this regard, but the truth is that the issue of military contamination was not addressed in the political campaign of the last election. Some point to the interest of these governments has been out of the way any obstacle to the signing of free trade.
The fact is that to date there is no less than three thousand acres of territory heavily contaminated with conventional weapons abandoned in the areas of Emperor, Balboa West and Piña. And a number of chemical weapons not established intact lying on Isla San José, although to date has been identified and verified by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons a 500-pound bomb and six of 1000 pounds each. From the above land has resulted in a number of dead and wounded maimed for which no exact information is needed because the United States for nearly a century and never controlled these territories provided statistics of the dead and wounded, although the Ministry of Health to rest a recent statistic suggests at least fifteen dead and more than thirty were seriously injured. The obligation and the U.S. commitment to eliminate such danger of our country emanates from the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. The government of President Moscoso increased demand the highest levels of U.S. government and to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and despite his persistent efforts and responsible United States stands in flagrant violation of the Convention Chemical Weapons, and without having fully met the commitment by the government of President Carter.
is regrettable that the United States clings to Hobbes's maxim that power confers the right, and that the government of Panama is clouded by a treaty of doubtful benefit to our country. Meanwhile, pollution continues as a dangerous military threat to the Panamanians.
JUAN MENDEZ Test field
Who knows how many bombs, mortars and cannons, threw on Panama. At first it was every second. After every two seconds .. Can not be less than several thousand, because the siege lasted for days. In Latin America There is precedent for such enormous firepower. The most sophisticated weapons, technology literally space warfare, was used against Chorrillo, against Panama Viejo, against San Miguelito, Rio Hato, Tocumen, etc. Panamanian fighters there were no more than two thousand. The Americans were counted and declared by them, 27 000. Therefore were probably many thousands more. More than a dozen for every Panamanian. The Panamanian armed only with rifles. Americans of guns, missiles, tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters, airplanes. That was the example of "fair play" that the Americans themselves boast about their skills. I note that this observation I heard it was a reporter for themselves. And is that the Pentagon gave few opportunities to its own journalists who realized what was happening in Panama and divulged. The complaint also themselves.
is as if Italy to play football against a team of district workers, send a national team. Wanting to win does not mean wanting to slaughter. Here we tested weapons and aircraft from the latest harvest technology. As the "stealth bomber" for example. For pure gymnastic exercise, because the grace of that plane is to be invisible to radar, and Panama are the only radar control them themselves. Also a kind of ray that does not explode, and it sounded like the wheels of a truck stuck in the mud. I have said it is a kind of laser. I do not know. On one occasion I saw: it was a red spark that fired a jet fighter-bomber that was dropped into a tailspin. The neighborhoods were a testing ground, shooting ranges where new weapons were tested. And not on paper and cardboard targets, but of flesh and bone. They said it themselves, for shame, mere cynicism or arrogance, that they were released here have developed new weapons during the fifteen years after his experience in Vietnam, both taught. The Chorrillo is the gringos, which Guernica was the Nazis. Themselves, with humor really macabre, he was called to Chorrillo "Little Hiroshima." Rio Hato, where they operated two schools, one cadet and one secondary school, in which the older student at barely 17 years, they dropped bombs, two thousand pounds. Two thousand pounds. I never even knew it existed. They themselves have said. Two thousand-pound bombs. Currently
a pound of explosives should be equal to ten of those used in World War II and Vietnam. Here in Panama was tested in the new combat helicopter "Apache", more modern and sophisticated than the Cobra, which was designed to combat the Warsaw Pact tanks. I have understood that only the computer Apache bearing the costs a million dollars. Here we tested a new ballistic vest, lighter and thinner, but stronger than before. Also the helmet worn by soldiers, is new. Not far from my house a Panamanian sniper shot him in the head to an invader. But he gave in the hull and the soldier was not hurt. Until a new menu in the food was tested in Panama. And I'm speaking only of what we know, what they have said ...
JOSE DE JESUS \u200b\u200bMARTINEZ
Omar Noriega antipode
With Hugo Spadafora talked for the last time in the prenavidad 1980 in Coronado, home of Santiago Torrijos. I looked and whispered in my ear, "should not see each other again and talked to the general in front of a Martincito uncle and told him everything in terms of Noriega. I explained that this kind of prestige attached to Torrijos, is building issues in Central America for drug and weapons trafficking. So I went off the side of Shepherd, but I do not agree today with the Sandinistas. The general did not know what is next ². A couple of days after I brought some documents Omar in Farallon and I mentioned to Hugo and conversation. I reaffirmed its veracity: ³ while I have been negotiating treaties, covering meeting world leaders in the region, I came out of the henhouse chickens, including the most serious is Noriega. With the CIA learned to work silver only.
breath and said, "Why do not you take it out?". He shook, I said with eyes wide. "Do you like being Robespierre? Not know you guillotined their peers. Roberto, do not know the big leagues, David beat Goliath are the fables, until I have him afraid of Noriega, but it is better to close that distance, I can not say more. "Onwards I could only speculate on those words. Unable It took away a charred Omar die.
I could not take him down from the inside in September 1985, at precisely Hugo. But that rifármela June 7, 1987, knew enough, denouncing death was challenging, modern guillotines. remembered the words of Omar, and especially the Jesuit priest's Bill Davis: "know that Noriega is just a little bishop, you are getting into the White House directly." My complaints have to say anything, they were, in order to get it down. With Omar was next to a statesman who embraced the Marshal Tito, Fidel, Carter, Giscard D Estaing, Peron, Olof Palme. Felipe González, as head of government, having been rebuked in Panama to be a Democrat and be intimate with Torrijos, said: "Omar was a dictator, confessed and convert, but a unique phenomenon in Latin America." Against the grain, as second Noriega, I lived next to one of Pablo Escobar Gaviria intimate. Were the antipodes. Omar was the most apotheosis burial, Noriega is dead but breathing.
DIAZ HERRERA ROBERTO
The loss of innocence
I was 10 years old that Christmas when bombs rained down, and lack of gifts, we played to build barricades around the corner from home. For every explanation we were told that Santa did not come because the Yankees will continue long warned: Panama was in flames. But everything was fine, because in addition to not understanding what was happening, we were entertained with the script of war that broke the dull routine installing blond soldiers conquered our neighborhoods on their tanks and a horde of fellow who won the street shouting ³ plunder! ²
moral
gum came next. It started back in school and account for missing classmates. I remember Jaime, for example. Since I was one of the few guys who wore glasses throughout the primary. It was very funny and drew very well, wanted to be a cartoonist. After 20 not see him again. "It was the invasion," he said in the classroom, as if those three words act together to justify the emptiness, silence and nothingness. "He went with the gringos? Was on the side of Noriega? Impossible to know. In 89 make fun together Tomáximo teacher, who was batallonero and once admonished me and called my mom because I caught handing out bumper "President Endara. "Look at what he's got the child, Madam," he said, unaware that it was she who handed me the propaganda. How curious: Tomáximo did return the next year and I think it is still master. But Jaime was swallowed by the invasion. Nostalgia lasted
what it took to ringing the bell for recess. We did not have new lunch boxes, but yourselves treasures in war blunder. Like everyone else, had several photos posing on tanks Yankees. But when commenting on what was achieved in the sack, I lied and invented Olympian wonderful forays to the best shops, not to confess that my old man would not steal. "We do not," he said. A year later came the Persian Gulf War and we all saw on TV. Despite the distance, there was something so close in those pictures. The narrator from time to time claimed that the weapons had been tested in the invasion of Panama. ² ³ It gave us was the truism that we all suspected that as the Iraqis saw running with the remote control in hand, some of us saw us. We grew and 20 years later, I feel guilt and anger, and many of my generation as well. We long for the fall of the military dictatorship and being just some kids we put on the sweater that said Just Cause - who made them, they were ready and distributed before grabbed Noriega? -. We were part of the game and celebrate naively, not knowing that we were the ones we lost.
ROBERTO QUINTERO
The "war spectacle"
In the U.S. the U.S. military invasion of Panama in 1989 was considered a triumph of the White House and, in particular, President Bush (father). The media highlighted the effectiveness of the operation against a man as "dangerous" as Manuel A. Noriega. Bush's critics were silenced and the "military victory" aroused enthusiasm in both political parties in that country. The Congress applauded the "strength" shown by Bush and opinion polls showed support of 80 percent of those polled.
For more serious observers, however, the invasion was seen as a caricature of "diversionary war." It was conceived, planned and executed for reasons of domestic U.S. politics. Diversionary war is promoted and unleashed by a political leader with "the purpose of achieve diplomatic and military objectives that can help solve domestic political problems. "
In the case of Panama, the reasons offered to justify the U.S. invasion were trivial and without much sense. What justifies then the use of overwhelming force against a country that posed no greater threat to the U.S.? Bush invaded Panama under the pretense of defending democracy, to restore order and protect American citizens residing in this country. The facts show that these goals actually , were not pursued by the United States. The Panama invasion was intended to remind the world that Washington continued being hegemonic in the hemisphere. In addition, the U.S. military invasion showed that it had a leader, President Bush (father) decided to "sobrematar" (over-kill) any adversary. Panama was chosen in those circumstances to achieve these policy objectives that were returned to the occupant of the White House, his reputation and chances of reelection in the upcoming elections. The U.S. alliance with the traditional political parties and Civil Crusade resulted in a political hybrid is still in force - which replaced the Defence Forces. This alliance marks 20 years in government, despite the alternation in power, plays a large part of policies developed by Noriega in the 1980's: The drug trade, neoliberalism, growing violence, increased poverty, banking and corruption at all levels of government and private sector.
MARCOS Gandasegui
A place in memory
been three years in a program of art therapy with children Chorrillo, during which time I learned many things. One of the first child I was taught was how and where to drop to the ground in the street when shots are heard. Every time I spent there I was impressed by the courage with that those same children and many of his relatives find reasons to keep living despite the unbelievably extreme conditions in which they have to. Crowded in miserable housing, many without water or sanitation, as part of families in which many responsible adults can not ever access to stable employment or resources of any kind, it is easy to grow up feeling they have no chance of anything or no hope for the future, beyond that to survive and be lucky enough not to cross the path of a bullet. You can no longer count the number families who have lost one of its members made the victim of a violent and absurd. The neighborhood is condemned and fear and violence are two constant presences. Children there have to learn too early the meaning of death and live with it as part of their day to day.
I can not help but think that this is something that comes from afar and that has to do with the past. His parents, grandparents, they tell, the Chorrillo before, was something else. When the bombs destroyed the neighborhood during the invasion, many families lost everything, and many loved ones were buried and disappeared under fire and the rubble of homes razed. Grief is a deeply emotional experience that mark who goes through it. To help you overcome and prevent life is not necessary, among other things, power talk about the loss, giving those who left a name, a tomb, a place in memory, something that let you cry to make sense of what happened and to be able to live with it. Those who live there feel that they received payments or compensation to start rebuilding their lives on the ruins, and feel, above all, they were denied their dead. Drag a duel for so long is a very heavy legacy, an open wound that can not be ignored if you want to try to understand what, today, there is suffering.
PILAR MORENO
Reason and hope
The tragedy of the invasion, that brought down the regime, appeared to end the dictatorial sham. Since then it has become a reality in our society teaching Kundera: "The struggle against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting."
After twenty years, yet we have failed to learn lessons and take stock of what happened before and after December 20, 1989. Along the way, we've run out of the homeland of memories, with no memory of what happened, without justice and the willingness required to rebuild civic values, vision and objectives consistent, capacity, tolerance and guidance.
Impunity and corruption have been predominant and complete destruction of any bend of national identity. The amnesia caused by the deliberate absence of historical memory and collective, we are more atomized than ever and unable to fulfill our civic responsibilities in line with the new century. The political class, they quickly forget those who fought for "justice, democracy and freedom" from 1968, readjusted quickly and took refuge in the formation of 72 military, which have taken up to preserve the structures of social inequality, cultural , political and economic structure of 20 years later. Strengthened by the demagoguery, clientelism and populism, the primitive state, it is not Right, but it is lies and deceptions. two lost decades, where the capitulation ethics serves to promote ignorance of the past and shed the future through education kidnapped, along with historical memory, by the followers of the dictatorship and the plutocrats in power, who have misrepresented the lived. Keep in mind with
Galeano: "History repeats itself? Or is repeated only as penance for those unable to listen? No dumb story." The only way to give voice to history is confronted with the truth, however uncomfortable or annoying it is this truth. Teaching and educating not only the good of our history, but also painful episodes. Only then can we reconcile reason and hope, build democracy and justice, and grow as a state and nation.
MIGUEL ANTONIO BERNAL
INVASION DATES BACK TO
1990
The government of Guillermo Endara of Panama raises reconstruction. The U.S. Congress approved an aid of 420 million dollars, 80 less than the 500 he had asked President George Bush. According to the Chamber of Commerce, the economic losses resulting from armed operation looting, exceeded 2.000 billion. Panama's external debt amounted to 5,100 million dollars.
1991 On April 22 the province of Bocas del Toro was shaken by an earthquake measuring 7.6 degrees on the Richter scale that left 22 dead and damage to property. Endara's presidency was challenged by the management of flood relief. Meanwhile the dead are still discussing the invasion. Most conservatives talked of 350 while some NGOs complained that they were more than three thousand.
1992
The ruling alliance is split ADO-Civil. Vice President Ricardo Arias Calderon, the Christian Democrats, resigned as denouncing the inability to solve problems Endara. In June, U.S. President George Bush (father) makes a visit to Panama. The ceremony at the Plaza Belisario Porras was suspended when protesters were attacked with tear gas.
1994 Five years after the invasion, returned to power the military regime's political strength, the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD). Ernesto Pérez Balladares, won the general election on May 8. The story went back to confront the two great myths of Panamanian politics: former minister Finance and Treasury Omar Torrijos defeated Mireya Moscoso, widow of the leader Arnulfo Arias.
1996
Panama restructured in April 3900 million dollars of commercial bank debt, including U.S. $ 1,900 million of interest owed. It established a menu of discount bonds or interest-reduction par. Bonds at par and discount bonds were collateralized with zero-coupon U.S. Treasury. Ernesto Pérez Balladares begins the process of privatization of public utilities.
1998 President Ernesto Perez Balladares, who had already privatized National Institute of Telecommunications (INTEL) and the Institute of Hydraulic Resources and Electrification (IHRE), call a referendum in which the population refuses to re-election. Finally summons the 1999 general election. The new president would lead the acts of the final return of the Canal to Panamanian control.
1999
Mireya Moscoso, widow of Arnulfo Arias and Arnulfista Party candidate, becomes the first woman to hold the Presidency of Panama. Moscoso defeated Martin Torrijos, whose campaign slogan was: "To recover the Canal, the General's son." On the morning of December 31 last soldier leaves the U.S. in Panama and ends the process of reversion of the bases and the Canal to Panamanian authorities.
2000 November 18, held the X Ibero-American Summit in Panama. Cuban terrorist Luis Posada Carriles was arrested for plotting a bomb attack against Fidel Castro, who would give a speech at the auditorium of the University of Panama. A statement by George W Bush asked the U.S. government not to grant bail to General Manuel Antonio Noriega out of fear of reprisals against them.
2001 February 18 HP-1430 helicopter, carrying relatives of President Mireya Moscos falls sea \u200b\u200bto 20 miles from Rio Hato. HP 1430 Aboard were two cousins \u200b\u200bof President Mireya Moscoso. The authorities sink the device to avoid investigation. Panama unsuccessfully claimed the United States for the cleanup of San Jose Island contaminated with chemical bombs.
2002
PRD Congressman Tito Afu uncovered the scandal CEMIS denouncing the payment of bribes in the National Assembly. Members of the two major parties, the PRD and Arnulfista were involved. It also broke the scandal "durodólares" when the home freezer Administrative Director of the Presidency of the Republic, Dalvis Xiomara Sanchez $ 30 000 were found that could not justify.
2003 the centenary of the Republic of Panama began a new historical cycle with full sovereignty over its territory. Among the festivities included the completion of the international Miss Universe pageant. Mireya Moscoso's government was beset by allegations of corruption.
2004
Martin Torrijos Espino, son of the late General Omar Torrijos Herrera became president of the Republic of Panama with 47% of the vote. Guillermo Endara, the president who came to power with the invasion, came unexpectedly in second place with 30% of the vote. Before leaving office, Mireya Moscoso pardoned Posada Carriles.
2005
Cuba reestablished diplomatic relations with the Panamanian nation in August, during the first graduation of Panamanian students in the Latin American School of Medicine, where he attended President Martin Torrijos with Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
2006 referendum was conducted to expand the Panama Canal. The Panamanian people decide to build a third set of locks. 56.7% did not participate in the vote. The next day the bus route corridor Mano de Piedra 8B-06 caught fire and burned 18 people were killed. Tragedy erupts dietilenglycol, a toxic substance introduced into a cough syrup distributed by Social Security Fund.
2007
The September 9, 2007, Manuel Antonio Noriega completed his 17 years in prison in U.S. for drug trafficking. A month before U.S. Judge Williams Turnoff ruled his extradition to France. The country demanded that Noriega will pay for the crime of money laundering and agreed to the figure of a prisoner of war. Still can not decide his extradition.
Sources:
Wikipedia
cultural magazine "The Lottery"
newspaper "La Estrella" of Panama
Miscellaneous Files
Research Team, Monitoring and Writing of Aporrea.org
************************************ NOAM CHOMSKY TEST
The invasion of Panama
Panama Skylight
Panama has been traditionally controlled by a small European elite, which constituted less than 10% of its population. This situation changed when General Omar Torrijos populist struck allowing poor blacks and mestizos participate in power established by the coup. In 1981, Torrijos was killed in a plane crash. By 1983 the real master of the situation was Manuel Noriega, a criminal who had been part of the court of Torrijos and U.S. intelligence. The U.S. government knew that Noriega was involved in drug trafficking, at least since 1972, when the Nixon administration thought murdered. But he was under the umbrella of the CIA. In 1983 a Senate committee concluded that Panama was a major center of drug trafficking and money laundering black.
The U.S. Government continued to valuing the services provided Noriega. In May 1986 the director of the Agency for Drugs praised Noriega for his "vigorous policy to combat drug trafficking." A year later the director "I congratulate our close association" with Noriega, while Attorney General Edwin Meese stopped a Justice Department investigation on criminal activities of the character. In August 1987, a Senate resolution condemning Noriega was opposed by Elliot Abrams, the State Department official in charge of U.S. policy on Central America and Panama.
was entirely predictable, as study after study shows. A brutal tyrant crosses the line from a wonderful friend of a villain and a slag when he commits the crime of independence. A common mistake is to go beyond robbing the poor, what is right, and begin to interfere with the powerful opposition gaining economic power.
mid-eighties Noriega was guilty of those crimes. Among other things, thought he had secured the job helping the U.S. in its war against Nicaragua. But its independence threatened our interests in the Panama Canal. On January 1, 1990 Much of the administration of the Canal in Panamanian hands should rest, and in 2000 was to be completed the transfer process. We had to ensure the control of the people that this responsibility would fall before that date,
So since we could not rely more on Noriega, it would have to go. Washington imposed severe economic sanctions that virtually destroyed the economy, the brunt fell on the non-white majority. then people started to hate Noriega, not because he was responsible for the economic blockade (which was illegal, if anyone bothers to study it), but because he made responsible of child hunger.
then attempted a military coup, but failed. Already in December 1989 the United States was ready to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War by invading Panama to the absence of any international law and killing hundreds or thousands of people (no one knows, and few north of Rio Big bother to find out). He immediately proceeded to restore the power of the rich white elite, who had been displaced by the Torrijos coup just in time to secure a government servant before they proceed to change the channel management January 1, 1990, as not fail to notice the European right-wing press. During
the process the American press did not fail to follow the instructions of Washington by selecting the "bad" based on current needs. Shares that had forgiven became crimes. For example in 1984 the Panamanian presidential election had been won by Arnulfo Arias. Noriega literally stole the election with a good dose of violence and fraud.
But Noriega had not yet become a naughty boy. He was our man in Panama, and is considered the party containing Arias dangerous elements of ultra-nationalism, so the Reagan administration openly applauded the violence and fraud and ordered the clerk of State George Shultz to legitimize the sham and praised Noriega's version of democracy as a model for the errant Sandinistas. 
media of Washington and its allies in the major newspapers of the country cared very much to criticize fraudulent elections, but played down and slandered the elections held by the Sandinistas in the same year, much more honest and free beyond any doubt, because they distrusted the result.
In May 1989, Noriega returned to steal an election, this time a representative of industry, Guillermo Endara. Noriega used a lower dose of violence at 84, but the Reagan administration had put forward the slogan of turning against Noriega. Faithfully follow the script, the press expressed their criticisms of the fraud committed to our democratic norms.
media of Washington and its allies in the major newspapers of the country cared very much to criticize fraudulent elections, but played down and slandered the elections held by the Sandinistas in the same year, much more honest and free beyond any doubt, because they distrusted the result. In May 1989, Noriega returned to steal an election, this time a representative of industry, Guillermo Endara. Noriega used a lower dose of violence at 84, but the Reagan administration had put forward the slogan of turning against Noriega. Faithfully follow the script, the press expressed their criticisms of the fraud committed to our democratic norms.
also began passionately denouncing human rights violation that had not previously come to their attention. At the time that invaded Panama in December 1989, the media have demonized Noriega, so it had become one of the worst monsters of history from Attila the Hun. It was basically a repetition of the same process used to demonize the Libyan Gaddafi. Ted Koppel ruled that "Noriega belongs to that fraternity special international villains, men like Qaddafi Ayatoiah ldi Amin and Khomeini, that Americans love to hate. " Dan Rather placed him "at the top of the world's list of criminals, smugglers and other junk. Noriega was actually a follower of small category, exactly the same as when I was under the cover of the CIA. Take
Honduras for example. Although not a state as terrorist and murderer like El Salvador or Guatemala, abuses in the chapter on human rights are probably more serious than those committed by Panama. In fact there is a battalion trained by the United States has committed more atrocities than the same Noriega.
consider
0 US-backed dictator like Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, Somoza in Nicaragua, Marcos in the Philippines, Duvalier in Haiti, or any court of American gangsters during the eighties. All were much more brutal than Noriega, but the United States enthusiastically supported by decades of atrocities, to the extent that the benefits continue leaving their destination countries to ours. The Bush administration continued to honor Mobutu Ceausescu and Saddam Hussein among others, all that Noriega worst criminals. Indonesia's President Suharto, who reasonably is the worst of all murderers, is still considered by the Washington media as a "moderate."
In the same instant that invaded Panama for its human rights abuses, the Bush administration announced new sales of high-tech material to China, no less than $ 300 million in turnover for U.S. companies, just a few weeks after the Tiananmen massacre.
The same day, the invasion of Panama, the White House also announced plans (which were carried out immediately), to grant credits to Iraq. The State Department announced with straight face that this was the attempt "to increase U.S. exports and put us in a better position to bargain with lrak their respect for human rights ... '.
The Department continued its stance of ignoring the Iraqi democratic opposition (bankers, professionals, etc ...) and block efforts in Congress to condemn the heinous crimes of the former friend of Bush. Compared with colleagues from President Bush in Baghdad and Beijing, Noriega looked like Mother Teresa.
After the invasion, Bush announced an aid of one billion dollars. Of this amount 400 million consisted of incentives for American exports bound for Panama, 150 million were intended to pay claims bank and 65 million went to the private sector and to ensure U.S. investments in the country. In other words half the aid was a gift from American taxpayers to large corporations, as well as American.
United States returned power to the bankers after the invasion. Noriega's connections with the drug are negligible compared with these characters. Drug trafficking has always been channeled mainly by banks, the banking system is not regulated, so that is the natural path of black money. It has also been the basis of artificial Panamanian economy, and after the invasion is intact, or perhaps enjoy better health.
Panamanian defense forces have been rebuilt with the same officers under his command.
In general most of the system remains stable, except that our servers are now much more reliable. The same happens in Granada, which has become one of the largest global drug money laundering since the U.S. invasion. Nicaragua has also become one of the main avenues through which drugs circulate path of U.S. markets after Washington's victory in the 1990 elections. The model remains unchanged, just as there's no point trying to call attention to it.
About the author: Noam Chomsky is a leading figure in the field of linguistics of the twentieth century. Since 1955 he taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where at age 32 became a full professor. His work in 1957, "Syntactic Structures", revolutionized the field of linguistics, deeply affecting the understanding that it was at that time on language and mind. In 1976 he was appointed Institute Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT. Today is also the Ferrari P. Ward Professor of Modern Languages \u200b\u200band Linguistics.
Chomsky has received honorary degrees from the University of London, University of Chicago, Georgetown University and the University of Cambridge. Is a fellow graduate student of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. His work in linguistics, which has received international acclaim, earned him the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award of the American Psychological Association, the Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences and the Helmholtz Medal.
Born in Philadelphia on December 7, 1928, Chomsky became politically aware at an early age, writing his first political article, on the fight against fascism in Spain, when he was ten years old.
Chomsky has written several books on contemporary issues and is a critical (honest, open, bold) to talk foreign policy of the United States and corporate power. His lectures, conferences, policies have been heard, typically by audiences in rooms with full house, all over the country and the world.
In a saner world, his tireless efforts to promote justice would have long done, winner of Nobel Peace Prize. But no, the committee prefer to give a sordid war criminals like Henry Kissinger.
0 comments:
Post a Comment