Former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega passed away on 29 May 2017 following a prolonged illness. He was 83.
Noriega ruled Panama from 1983 to 1989.
He spied for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) until the United States invaded and toppled his corrupt government, putting an end to his criminal career that saw him working with drug traffickers like Pablo Escobar.
He was serving a sentence for murder in Panama at the time of his death. Born in Panama City on 11 February 1934, Noriega studied at a military academy in Peru.
After becoming a de facto ruler of Panama in 1983, he played a key role in mid-1980s Iran-Contra affair, which involved smuggling weapons and drugs to aid US undercover efforts.
Later in 1989, he was ousted as the ruler of Panama after US invasion. In 1990, Noriega surrendered himself to the US to face drug-trafficking, money-laundering and racketeering charges.
He was indicted in a US federal court on drug-trafficking charges in 1988 following which he was sentenced a 17 years jail term.
Panama: Know More- Capital: Panama City
- Dialing code: +507
- Capital and largest city: Panama City
- Currencies: United States Dollar, Panamanian balboa
- Official language: Spanish
