Author Description

Panama began its modern history as a semi-colonial appendage of the United States (US). Since gaining independence in 1903, Panama witnessed both elitist quasi-democratic governments and authoritarian populist governments. The oligarchic system in place throughout much of Panama's history was a significant hindrance to real democracy taking hold within the country. Democracy was further set back by the inordinate power exerted by US presence on the isthmus throughout the twentieth century. Many Panamanian leaders would practice duplicity over US and Panamanian relations that benefited their interests when necessary but would also denounce them in the same breath when it fit their local political interests. Through time, many Panamanians felt it created an imperial relationship that the people of Panama saw as overbearing and obtrusive. Today, Iraqis have the same concern as they feel that US intervention was due to imperialistic ambitions over oil. In the summer and fall of 1989, while the United States had their eyes fixated on the events in Eastern Europe that ended the Cold War, a different kind of storm was brewing in Panama. Noriega's conflict with the US escalated from one crisis to another, gaining him some victories that strengthened his position inside Panama and motivated him to challenge the US even further. From 1988 to 1989 Noriega supported a regime that harassed American citizens in Panama and hindered full implementation of America's rights under the 1977 Panama Canal treaties. As a result, the U.S. launched Operation Just Cause on December 20, 1989. Operation Just Cause served as a harbinger of the changes to future conflicts that dawned from the post-Cold War era. The change that came about is the criticality of gaining understanding and knowledge of a region through the study of local interpretations regarding history, politics, and social issues. Initial research shows that very little literature available to American service members presents an