Operation Just Cause Begins
Operation Just Cause was a military initiative launched by the United States on December 19, 1989, aimed at overthrowing Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. This operation unfolded in Panama, a small but strategically significant country located at the narrow isthmus connecting North and South America and home to the vital Panama Canal. Noriega, who had risen to power in the early 1980s, was known for fostering a corrupt military regime, engaging in drug trafficking, and committing severe human rights abuses against his opponents. The decision for U.S. intervention was influenced by increasing evidence of Noriega’s erratic behavior and his involvement in criminal activities. Within days of the invasion, U.S. forces faced minimal resistance, leading to Noriega's capture on January 3, 1990, as he sought refuge at the Vatican's diplomatic mission. Following his extradition to the United States, Noriega was convicted of drug-related charges in 1992, which stirred debate regarding the prosecution of foreign leaders for their actions. This operation remains a notable event in U.S.-Latin American relations and exemplifies the complexities of international intervention.
Operation Just Cause Begins
Operation Just Cause Begins
On the evening of December 19, 1989, American forces began to deploy for the invasion of Panama in Operation Just Cause, an action designed to remove the corrupt military dictator Manuel Noriega from power.
Panama is one of several small nations in Central America. It has a population of barely 3 million, with its capital and largest city, Panama City, having approximately 700,000 inhabitants. Despite its size, Panama has enormous strategic importance. It straddles the Isthmus of Panama, the narrowest point between North and South America, where the Panama Canal linking the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean is located. Before building the Canal at the turn of the 20th century, the United States arranged for Panama's independence from Colombia in order to set up a docile pro-American regime. The United States also established a permanent military presence in the Canal Zone to safeguard the Canal.
By 1983 Panamanian general Manuel Noriega had become the nation's dictator. He had served under the former dictator, Omar Torrijos Herrera, who had risen to power during a 1968 coup but died in an airplane crash in 1981. After taking over, Noriega became increasingly unstable, encouraging the growth of a corrupt military regime and brutally executing many of its opponents. He also involved the country in the international drug trade and money laundering activities, using his position as leader of Panama to provide a safe haven for criminal operations which were illegal in the United States and other nations. Noriega profited enormously and may have also enhanced his earnings by cooperating with the Cuban government, which has been accused of involvement with the drug trade as well. In any event, U.S. president George H. W. Bush decided to take action as the evidence of Noriega's civil rights abuses and erratic behavior mounted, including one bizarre incident where Noriega appeared on Panamanian television wildly waving a machete and promising to execute his enemies.
After several months of preparations, American forces moved into Panama on December 19, 1989. It took only a few days to subdue some minimal resistance, and Noriega was taken prisoner on January 3, 1990, after he tried to take refuge in the residence of the Vatican's diplomatic emissary to Panama. He was brought to Florida and tried for drug and money laundering offenses, which generated some controversy, since heads of state are only rarely prosecuted by other nations for their actions in office. He was nevertheless convicted in 1992 and sentenced to 40 years in prison.