The Rise and Fall of Manuel Noriega

The Boy from Terraplén

Manuel Noriega was born on February 11th in either 1934, 1936, or 1938, depending on who you ask. The product of a well-to-do lawyer’s tryst with the family maid, he was considered an “illegitimate child” and spent the first years of his life with his mother in a village tucked within the Panamanian jungle. Then tragedy struck. 

When he was a toddler, Manuel's mother developed tuberculosis and could no longer care for him. Rejected by his own father, the young boy was put up for adoption before eventually being taken in by his godmother. By the age of five, both of his parents were dead. 

Hundreds of miles away from the idyllic village of his early childhood, Manuel suddenly found himself in the Terraplén slum of Panama City. Despite this, he was admitted to the Instituto Nacional, a prestigious high school that produced several political leaders. Though he excelled in his studies, Manuel was often bullied for his acne-pocked skin, with fellow students calling him “cara del piña” or “pineapple face.”

In 1958, after failing to get into medical school, Noriega won a scholarship to a military academy in Peru. It was there that his life took a drastic turn. 

The Perfect Asset 

At some point during his training in Peru, the young cadet drew the attention of the CIA. 

The CIA would identify potential upcoming stars in Latin America who would give them insights into the organisations that were proximate or important in the fight against global communism

Professor Robert C. Harding, author of The History of Panama. 

Noriega was the ideal intelligence asset. He had no family loyalties, no political affiliations, and relatively modest career prospects. In other words, he could be bought. He would work with the CIA for the next three decades. 

Noriega quickly rose through the ranks of the Panamanian armed forces and became a prominent supporter of General Omar Torrijos who in 1968 led a successful coup against President Arnulfo Arias. 

As a reward for his loyalty, Torrijos made Noriega the chief of military intelligence. At this point, he was a paid CIA informant, providing intelligence on leftist movements in the region. By the 1980s, American Intelligence began to view him as a key player in Cold War geopolitics due largely to his unwavering support of the right-wing Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

Rise to Power 

In 1981, General Torrijos died in a mysterious plane crash, leaving a power vacuum that Norriega quickly took advantage of. By 1983, Norriego, now a general, became the de facto leader of Panama, though he preferred to rule behind the scenes, installing a series of puppet presidents. 

Noriega’s six-year rule was marred by corruption. He struck a deal with Pablo Escobar’s Medellin Cartel, allowing cocaine to pass through Tocumen airport in exchange for $1,000 per kilo that reached the United States. The CIA knew all about Noriega’s underhanded dealings but looked the other way because he was such a valuable source of intel. Furthermore, it is believed that General Noriega played a role in the Iran-Contra affair, in which the Reagan administration secretly funded Nicaraguan Contra rebels through weapons sales to Iran. 

However, Noreiga’s cosy relationship with the US began to sour in the mid-80s. His increasing brutality started to make him a liability, particularly when he had his political rival, Hugo Spadafora, beheaded in 1985. Plus, his ties to other intelligence agencies, including Cuba, began to come to light. 

Noriega was now a threat that the US could no longer ignore.

Heavy Metal Downfall 

The events leading to Noriega’s spectacular downfall came in quick succession. 

On February 4th, 1988, a court in Miami indicted Noriega on thirteen counts of drug trafficking, racketeering, and money laundering. 

Just over a year later, in May 1989, Noriega blatantly stole the general election, causing international outrage. From this point forward he began operating with absolute impunity. 

Noriega thought he was so indispensable; he could say and do whatever he wanted and was going to be invulnerable.

Professor Robert C. Harding, author of The History of Panama

The situation quickly snowballed out of control, culminating in the murder of a  U.S. Marine. Just a few days later, on December 20th, 1989, President George Bush launched a full-scale invasion of Panama, offering a $1 million reward for information leading to Noriega’s capture. 

Noriega sought refuge at the Vatican’s embassy in Panama City. The United States now faced a major problem: how to flush him out without breaching diplomatic protocol. They turned to psychological tactics—so-called “music torture” specifically. Soldiers built a wall of speakers outside the embassy and began blasting rock music 24/7. The songs selected were designed to mock or intimidate Noriega and the playlist included 80s classics like “I Fought the Law” by the Clash, “Panama” by Van Halen, and “All I Want is You” by U2. 

The Vatican finally complained to President Bush, and the music was stopped. But just a few days later, on January 3rd, 1990, Noriega agreed to surrender.

Legal Saga 

In the ensuing years, Noriega was hit with a litany of charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, conspiracy, murder, human rights abuses, corruption, and embezzlement. 

For the rest of his life, he served various sentences in the United States, France, and Panama. In May 2017, after nearly 30 years of incarceration, Manuel Noriega died at the age of 83.