The recent apprehension of Venezuela’s leader and his wife echoes a strikingly similar event from 1989: the capture of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. The timing itself is a chilling parallel, unfolding exactly 36 years after Noriega’s fall from power began on January 3rd.
In December 1989, under President George H.W. Bush, the United States launched a swift and unexpected invasion of Panama. The official justification centered on Noriega’s alleged involvement in a massive drug trafficking operation, funneling cocaine into American streets. Accusations of manipulating Panama’s presidential election further fueled the intervention.
Dubbed “Operation Just Cause,” the mission aimed to reinstate the democratically elected government of Guillermo Endara and bring Noriega to justice on drug charges. It represented the largest and most complex military operation undertaken by the U.S. since the Vietnam War, proceeding without explicit Congressional approval.
Noriega, however, didn’t surrender easily. He sought refuge within the Vatican’s embassy in Panama City, initiating a tense standoff that lasted weeks. U.S. forces then employed an unconventional tactic to break the deadlock, a psychological operation designed to force his hand.
Known as “Operation Nifty Package,” this involved a relentless barrage of rock music blasted from military vehicles equipped with loudspeakers. The playlist, a carefully curated mix of The Clash, Van Halen, and U2, was intended to disrupt Noriega and compel him to leave the embassy.
On January 3, 1990, Noriega finally surrendered to U.S. forces, precisely 36 years before the recent events in Venezuela. He was immediately transported to the United States to face trial for his alleged crimes.
The operation wasn’t without cost. Twenty-three American service members lost their lives, and 320 were wounded. Estimates suggest roughly 200 Panamanian civilians and 314 Panamanian military personnel also perished during the conflict.
In 1992, Noriega was convicted on drug trafficking charges in a Miami federal court, receiving a 40-year prison sentence. Remarkably, he was granted prisoner-of-war status, enjoying privileges such as separate housing and the right to wear his military uniform in court.
After 17 years in a U.S. prison, Noriega was extradited first to France, and then to Panama. He ultimately died in 2017, a figure forever linked to a controversial chapter in U.S. interventionism.
The recent operation, announced as “Operation Absolute Resolve,” involved the apprehension of Venezuela’s leader and his wife, and their removal from the country. This action follows months of U.S. military strikes targeting vessels suspected of ties to the Venezuelan regime in Caribbean and Pacific waters.
The stated intention is to oversee a transition in Venezuela, with the U.S. government assuming control “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition” to a new, permanent leader.
