SOAS Research Online

Abstract

How did Manuel Noriega, the CIA's most important agent in Central America, become the US administration's most wanted criminal? Why did 22,000 US troops invade Panama, to arrest a man who had been a staunch ally of the US? Was his involvement in the drug trade the real reason for General Noriega's downfall? Panama: Made in the USA explores the unanswered questions behind the invasion of December 1989 and looks at the turbulent history of US-Panamanian relations, in particular the bitter struggle for control of the Panama Canal. It analyzes the economic and geo-strategic importance of a country literally created by and for the US government. Looking at Panama since the invasion, the authors explore the challenge facing the US-installed Endara government as rebuilds a country shattered by invasion and US sanctions.