Point, but they were not hundreds of ordinary civilians. What our troops killed were members of the Guardia Civil. Panama did not have an army (ejercito) it still doesn't. It had a Guardia Civil, that wore either blue uniforms or brown uniforms, but yes civilians did get killed to arrest one bagman.
Point, but they were not hundreds of ordinary civilians. What our troops killed were members of the Guardia Civil. Panama did not have an army (ejercito) it still doesn't. It had a Guardia Civil, that wore either blue uniforms or brown uniforms, but yes civilians did get killed to arrest one bagman.
My own personal take is that Omar Torrijos was as good a Presidente as you can find in Latin America. He did assissinate his way into office, but the guy he killed was a killer, a grifter and an undicted criminal.
As Presidente though he put Panamanians first and was unccorruptible, and for that he had to go, the CIA had a bomb put on his helicopter at the last minute it exploded and they got a more pliable and corruptible Manuel Noriega.
Point, but they were not hundreds of ordinary civilians. What our troops killed were members of the Guardia Civil. Panama did not have an army (ejercito) it still doesn't. It had a Guardia Civil, that wore either blue uniforms or brown uniforms, but yes civilians did get killed to arrest one bagman.
My own personal take is that Omar Torrijos was as good a Presidente as you can find in Latin America. He did assissinate his way into office, but the guy he killed was a killer, a grifter and an undicted criminal.
As Presidente though he put Panamanians first and was unccorruptible, and for that he had to go, the CIA had a bomb put on his helicopter at the last minute it exploded and they got a more pliable and corruptible Manuel Noriega.
In time to be bagman for Iran Contra.