Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, a one-time US ally who became a bitter enemy, died Monday after a battle with cancer. He was 83.
The convicted one-time strongman died in Panama City, where he was under house arrest after a long prison stint, government officials said.
Noriega had been in the hospital recovering from an operation to remove a brain tumor.
Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela wrote on Twitter, “The death of Manuel A. Noriega closes a chapter in our history.”
Noriega came to power in 1983, after taking command of the Panamanian army.
In 1988, he was indicted in absentia by the United States on charges of drug trafficking, racketeering and money laundering.
He was ousted during a US military invasion a year later, convicted in Florida and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
After an early release, he was extradited to France in 2010, again to face trial, conviction and prison, before finally being sent home to Panama to serve 20 years for the “disappearance” of his political enemies.
Before all of that, though, Noriega had been one of the CIA’s most prized assets in Central America.
He dealt with the US as tensions flared in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. The dictator claimed to have worked with Oliver North, who was convicted of illegally supplying arms to Nicaraguan Contra rebels via Iran.
A Panamanian court ruled earlier this year that Noriega could prepare for brain surgery in March under house arrest.
With wires