Who was Manuel Noriega?
A Panamanian strong-man, Manuel Noriega rose to power through the military, starting with his support of Colonel Omar Torrijos in a 1968 coup. Noriega ran Panama’s military and political power from Torrijos’ death in a 1981 plane crash, until a 1989 military confrontation between the US and Panama ended up with his capture and trial in Miami. Ultimately Noriega was sentenced to 40 years for several crimes including cocaine smuggling.