PANAMA CITY — Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, a onetime U.S. ally who was ousted as Panama's dictator by an American invasion in 1989, died late Monday at age 83. Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela wrote in his Twitter account that "the death of Manuel A. Noriega closes a chapter in our history." Noriega served a 17-year drug sentence in the United States and was later sent to face charges in France. As Torrijos' intelligence chief, Noriega monitored political opponents and developed close ties with U.S. intelligence agencies guarding against possible threats to the canal. Foes in the Panamanian military attempted several coups but failed, and their leaders were summarily executed by firing squad.

Source: The China Post May 30, 2017 06:22 UTC