By the late 1980s, Noriega’s luck would run short. Despite “attempts” to curtail the drug trade, many voices in the US shouted for Noriega’s imprisonment, including famous investigative journalist Bob Woodward, of Watergate fame. In 1989, for the first time in almost half a decade, elections in Panama were held, with Noriega’s faction supporting a puppet president. After an election marred by scandal and very clear fraud, and by most estimates having lost by a shocking margin of 3-1, Noriega voided the election, stating that “foreign interference” damaged the results. Noriega’s failed election flopped so hard, even the puppet president refused to be sworn in, as he knew he had lost. Badly. So, Noriega pulled a classic move, and nominated himself “Maximum Leader of the Panamanian Revolution,” badly beat and abused the other presidential candidates, and fought off a coup d’état. From May 1989 to October of the same year, Noriega’s troubles worsened, the election scandal lasting well into summer, and only defeating the coup in October. On December 15, 1989, Manuel Antonio Noriega nominated himself as leader of Panama and declared war on the United States of America.
On December 17, two days later, Operation Just Cause is given the go ahead. By the following day, a D-Day/H-Hour time is set for December 20/1:00 AM. US Southern Command, Joint Task Force SOUTH split into four task forces: PACIFIC, BAYONET, ATLANTIC & SEMPER FI. On D-Day/H-Hour, Task Force PACIFIC was sent to capture Omar Torrijos International Airport and Tocumen Military Airfield, while Task Force BAYONET took to fighting in Panama City itself, its aim to target the central nerve of the Panamanian Defense Force in the capital, La Comandancia. Task Force ATLANTIC was sent out to secure several key military bases in and around Colon and Panama City, which they were unable to fully pacify until the early morning of the 21st. However, Noriega evaded some 40 attempts at capture from December 19 & 20. He was found on Christmas Eve hiding in the Vatican Embassy, and was coaxed out on January 3rd, 1990. On the same day he was flown to Miami to stand trial for various drug-related crimes. In total, Operation Just Cause took just 14 days.
36 years to the day later, US President Donald J. Trump would execute a similar action named Operation Absolute Resolve. The main question which hangs in congressional halls is: Was this legal? In the coming weeks, you will almost certainly see Panama raised as an example, but remember, Noriega declared war on the US, and Maduro didn’t. Ask yourself, when you read the news “What enables anyone to kidnap another leader?”, but most importantly, President George H.W. Bush, the man who greenlit Just Cause, also greenlit Desert Storm, an unauthorized war with Iraq, which cost the US more than 4,500 lives over almost a decade. Is this Trump’s Panama? Only time will tell.