The end of a beautiful friendship: the 1989 invasion of Panama and ousting General Noriega

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to analyze the relationship between the United States and a potential authoritarian ally through a case study. The paper focuses on the 1989 invasion of Panama after the military-authoritarian turn of General Noriega. The paper attempts to identify the objectives behind the decision to intervene, the instruments chosen to do so, and the evaluation of their effectiveness. Overall, several conflicts and the domestically supported War against Drugs have put significant pressure on the United States government to remove Noriega from power to protect the image of the president and the country; as well as American assets in Panama. After diplomatic negotiations and economic sanctions failed, military intervention managed to oust General Noriega and slowly help the building of democracy in Panama. From the case study we can learn that the United States only tolerated the friendly tyrant until it hurt its domestic and economic interest.