Panama’s former dictator, Manuel Noriega, has left France and will be returning to the country he once ruled after nearly 22 years, CNN is reporting. He was forcibly removed from office by U.S. forces in 1990 and left the country. But Panamanian officials want him to return and face justice for the killing of Hugo Spadafora, his political opponent.
Noriega was convicted in absentia in the 1985 killing of Spadafora’s kidnapping and killing. He has been in France since 2010, after spending two decades in an American prison.
Due to Panama’s location on the Panama Canal, Noriega held important to the United States. He was responsible for the strategic and economic waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Panamanian Foreign Minister Roberto Henriquez has said authorities have strengthened security to guarantee Noriega’s safety when he returns to prison. “We have to be ready for all the possibilities in all aspects. Noriega inspires very big emotions, and Noriega’s life could very well be at risk in Panama,” Henriquez added.
Panama judicial officials will decided if Noriega can stand trail. The former ruler will receive the same treatment as other inmates, said Interior Minister Roxana Mendez. “The Panamanian state has no special consideration when it comes to him serving his sentence inside the prison complex,” she said.
Written by: Karen Benardello
