Noriega, General Manuel Antonio Morena 1940-
Panamanian soldier and politician

Born in Panama City, he was commissioned in Panama's National Guard in 1962 and rose to become Head of Intelligence (1970) and Chief of Staff (1982). As commander of the National Guard (1982-89), he eventually became de facto ruler of the country, in which there was growing evidence of undemocratic practices. He had been recruited by the CIA in the late 1960s and was supported by the US government until 1987, but in 1988 his indictment by a US grand jury on charges of drug trafficking made that association embarrassing. In 1989, an attempted coup against him failed, and US President George Bush was criticized for not supporting it. However, later that year, with relations rapidly deteriorating, Bush sent troops into Panama to arrest him. Noriega initially took refuge in the Vatican embassy but eventually surrendered and was taken to Miami for trial. In 1992 he was convicted of drug trafficking and racketeering, and he is serving a 40-year prison sentence, though the verdict has been appealed against.