A New US Invasion of Panama in Motion?
© AP Photo / Kin Cheung
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US intentions in Panama triggered concerns after the Trump administration has reportedly asked the Pentagon for "military options" to secure the Panama Canal. Let’s break it down.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering "credible military options" to secure access to the Panama Canal, aiming to strengthen the US presence and limit China's access.
US Southern Command is drafting strategies ranging from partnering with Panama’s security forces to seizing the canal by force, NBC News reports.
The decision to use military force would depend on whether Panama cooperates with the US or not.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has already reviewed the plans and is expected to visit Panama in April.
Déjà Vu: Operation Just Cause
When US-Panama relations soured in the late 1980s, president George Bush senior, defense secretary Dick Cheney and general Colin Powell launched a military operation to overthrow Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.
Noriega, once a close US ally and CIA asset under Bush’s directorship at the agency, fell out of favor when Washington pressured him to step down. In response, he appeared to shift allegiance to the Soviet bloc.
The regime change plan for Panama was authorized in 1988, starting with a gradual increase in the US military presence in the Central American region.
In May 1989, Bush accused Noriega of election fraud and approved a blitzkrieg invasion to remove him.
On December 15, 1989, the Panamanian National Assembly passed a resolution declaring a state of war with the US. A clash between US and Panamanian forces soon triggered an invasion.
On December 20, 1989, over 27,680 US troops and 300 aircraft were deployed to Panama. Bush claimed democracy, human rights, US lives, drug trafficking and maintaining the canal’s neutrality as justifications.
US forces seized key locations, including land approaches to Panama City, Punta Paitilla Airport and the Rio Hato airfield.
Task Force Bayonet stormed Panama Defense Forces (PDF) headquarters, leading to the PDF's collapse and Noriega’s surrender two weeks later.
26 December 2024, 18:45 GMT
