Manuel Noriega passed away at the age of 83 on Monday.
The official cause of death for the former Panama dictator has not yet been announced. Manuel Noriega had been suffering from several medical issues over the last few months. This includes a benign brain tumor, brain hemorrhage and other problems.
Here are a few things to remember about Manuel Noriega.
- He became the leader of Panama in 1983 after promoting himself to full general.
- The United States ousted him as the leader of the country in 1989.
- This came after the dictator had been working as both an ally and adversary to the United States.
- The United States sent in 27,000 troops to take Manuel Noriega out of power following torture and abuse of citizens in Panama.
- The actual date of birth for the dictator is unknown, but it is believed to be Feb. 11, 1934.
- He had strong connections to drug cartels in Panama.
- The dictator also rigged elections to put his own people in power in the country.
- He served time as a prisoner in the United States, France and Panama.
- The United States used a wall of sound to drive Noriega to surrender.
- The playlist included songs from Styx, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin and many other American rock and pop bands.
- Noriega reportedly enjoyed the music that was being played, but was only able to last for three days before surrendering.
You can follow these links to learn more about Manuel Noriega and his reign as Panama’s dictator.
