Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega dies at 83
An acquaintance of Omar Tarrijos, Noriega was trained in the United States and was a member of the mob that orchestrated a coup of the Panamanian government in 1968, which began Torrijos's 13-year reign over the country. After Torrijos was killed in a plane crash, Noriega emerged as his successor in what was effectively martial law over the country.
It was at this point that Noriega, who had previously been so friendly with the U.S. that he had served on the CIA payroll, turned sharply against the U.S. His reign included mass corruption, drug trafficking, assassinating a political opponent and election rigging (he manipulated vote totals when the President that Torrijos had ousted was likely to win easily had Noriega not interfered). When Noriega was caught rigging a second election in 1989, the U.S. invaded Panama.
In perhaps one of the most humorous and iconic cases of circumventing sanctuary law, Noriega attempted to take refuge in a Catholic nunciature, which, as a de facto embassy of the Vatican, American forces could not enter. In Operation Nifty Package, American troops surrounded the nunciature and blared rock music and other noise at the building, and after ten days the ambassador finally convinced Noriega to surrender.
Noriega was tried and convicted of numerous crimes in the U.S., Panama and France, spending the rest of his life in prison.
Obituary from the BBCWikipedia
